Decorative nails and metal tacks on leather upholstery can make furniture restoration more laborious. Some folks painstakingly remove and reinstall all the nails from their leather furniture, but it doesn’t have to be that arduous. Rub ‘n Restore® leather finishes don’t stick very well to metal. Here are two methods you can try, the only difference being step 3:
Method 1 (great for both absorbent and non-absorbent upholstery)
- Using a spray bottle of water, lightly mist a 1-2 ft. section of tacks.
- Use a damp sponge or small brush to apply Rub ‘n Restore® color over the tacks.
- Before the color dries, use a stiff-bristle brush to remove it from the surface of the tack.
Method 2 (best suited to absorbent leather)
- Using a spray bottle of water, lightly mist a 1-2 ft. section of tacks.
- Use a damp sponge or small brush to apply Rub ‘n Restore® color along the tacks.
- Before the color dries, mist more water on the nails, and dab with a rag. The water will remove it from the metal nail, though the color will have already penetrated and stained the leather.
Whichever method you choose, repeat until all nails / tacks are complete before moving on to other areas. Remove any remaining color from the tacks with alcohol and q-tips or a rag.