Black Vinyl & Leather Finish
$16.00 – $70.00
Black is the most versatile color. Use it on leather, vinyl, auto interiors, rubber, plastic, even shoes, jackets, or handbags.
How much do I need?
Use our conditioning colors to restore:
- absorbent aniline and semi-aniline leather
- non-absorbent full-grain leather
- and vinyl upholstery.
Our finishes won’t sunfade or backstain like leather dyes. They won’t alter the feel, flake or peel like spray paints. Each bottle comes with gloves and stir stick. Sponge sold separately.
Do not use on fabric, suede, nubuck or faux (bonded) leather.
Do I need Flite cleaner?
Does the material absorb water?
Absorbent leather should only be cleaned with denatured or rubbing alcohol.
Non-absorbent leather and vinyl should be cleaned with:
- our Flite™ cleaner (Formula 409® is okay too),
- followed by denatured or rubbing alcohol.
All surfaces, regardless of absorbency, should be tape tested to ensure adhesion of a new finish.
If painter’s or masking tape strongly adheres to the surface, such that you have to pry it off with a fingernail, you’re ready to proceed with restoration.
If the tape does not stick well or curls up at the corners, continue to clean and re-test until good adhesion is achieved.
Do I need to repair?
If you can feel the damage, such that a gentle sanding won’t correct it, then it would benefit from repair.
Isolated cat scratches, small scrapes or nicks on real leather (like the images below) are best repaired with tiny beads of super glue catalyzed with sanding. Learn how here.
More severe ‘scratching post’ damage, scaliness, cracking, and vinyl should be repaired with a flexible filler. Any holes must first be subpatched, before filler can be applied. This article has more info and a video demonstration. For holes larger than 3" in diameter, consider glueing a top-patch of similar material to the subpatch before applying filler.
We do not recommend repairing peeling faux leather or bonded leather. Learn how and why here.
Faux leathers that wear more naturally down to their fabric backing can be painted using these instructions. No filler is needed.
Filler is available in 1 oz. and 2 oz. tubs either alone or in a kit with application tools and sandpaper.
| Type of Damage | Total Area of Damage | Filler Needed |
|---|---|---|
| Scaly, cracked, worn or thin but no large holes or voids | 4 sq ft (2ft x 2 ft) | 1 oz. |
| Scaly, cracked worn or thin but no large holes or voids | 8 sq ft (2 ft x 4 ft) | 2 oz. |
| Holes or tears (requires a subpatch & more layers of filler) | 12 sq in (1 in x 1 ft) | 1 oz. |
| Holes or tears (requires a subpatch & more layers of filler) | 24 sq in (2 in x 1 ft) | 2 oz. |
Change color or match color?
Changing color is fun but not for everyone!
| Change Color | Match Color |
|---|---|
| More product needed | Less product needed |
| More labor required | Less labor involved |
| Touch-up likely and varies | Little to no touch-up |
| Available now | Wait until sample received; our turnover is swift |
| May be as expensive as matching, depending on scope of project | Matching fee; 8 oz. order minimum for Advanced Custom Color |
| Discouraged for auto, RV, boat interiors | Recommended for auto, RV, boat upholstery, primary or secondary colors |
Absorbent leathers are the best candidates for a color change. The following are not good candidates due to the greater potential for touch-up:
- damaged, scaly, thinning upholstery;
- loosely upholstered furniture with lots of wrinkles and folds (and therefore stress);
- pieces that receive a lot of contact with chemicals / liquids or rough kids and critters (particularly dog claws);
- changing from medium, dark, or bold colors to very pale colors;
- or bonded, faux or polyurethane (PU) ‘leather’ which resist all coatings (including their own).
Here's what wear can look like:
Touch-up is easy and minimized by:
- choosing a color that complements the original or has a similar value (light vs. dark);
- dabbing, stippling, or printing the color to create a marbled or distressed appearance, rather than a solid color, so future wear looks natural and intended.
Whites and off-whites get poorer coverage. If you are changing from dark or red to pale, you may need 2-3 times the quantity of color. Consider a coat of Stone grey as a primer to minimize this.
Do I need a clear finish?
I will say, it was important to use al...More
I will say, it was important to use alcohol and the Flite cleaner to get these filthy chairs prepped. I had previously cleaned them with mild soap, but Flite really picked up so much more! I also used the filler and denim patches that I purchased from Amazon to fill in the bigger tears. I didn't do a professional job here, but it still made a big difference.
When it was time to color, we took the chairs apart, since I didn't want to get black on the original Mustard colored seats. Then I used a foam brush to apply (although that is not recommended). It took about 3 coats to cover the mustard with black.
I used the clear prep + primer alone over the black and it was really sticky after drying. Lesandre advised to mix the color and the clear to remedy. That did the trick.
So in conclusion, the chairs are not perfect (largely due to my inexperience), but what a transformation! Great products for restoring and changing the color of vinyl furniture!
The previous owner told me that there were no scratches, tears, etc, but when we saw it in the daylight that wasn't true. I contacted her about it, but did not get a reply. I then conditioned the sofa (it was so dry!) which helped, but I wasn't quite happy with it.
All of this led me to you. You were so helpful with all of my questions during the process and your wealth of information beforehand was invaluable. I researched many choices, but this is mainly why I went with you- because of your customer service. Having someone to talk to who understands the process, developed the product, and isn't just someone answering questions at a call center helped me make my decision and I honestly am so thankful.
I love, love, love my sofa now. My family loves it too and it looks so expensive! It is the sofa of my dreams and your product made it softer, more beautiful, and it now has the look of a beautiful leather jacket that is perfectly worn-in. It is absolutely stunning.
Your product was so incredibly easy to work with. I was completely astounded at this realization, but you knew this because of your experience with it. Now I am looking for other items I can restore using your product.
I also posted before, during, and after pics on my FB page. Many of my friends asked about it and I gave them your information knowing it is a product I highly recommend.
My husband has a small business- a bespoke cabinet/woodwork business. He started building porch swings in our garage ( 6 years ago), to designing and building huge (jobs) in his own workshop. I am very proud of him and I was able to retire from teaching as a result. I help him and run the house too. We are constantly looking for ways to move forward (in his/our business) and life. I will always look to support and buy from a small business whenever I can. I am so very pleased I purchased from you.
I worked for Nordstrom from 89-02, when it was still small and just starting to expand. My level of customer service that I expect is extremely high due to this experience. You, your customer service, and your product completely exceeded that. Everything was exceptional.
I know this is a very explanation of my experience with your product, but I am just so incredibly pleased with the outcome. Thank you so very much for developing it and, again, all of your help and knowledge too.
It's amazing to see the results I had on my first try at this. When you get future orders from Orlando there is a good chance they are from people that have seen my results.
Best wishes for a great future !
I ordered peppercorn. I needed to cut the ...More
I ordered peppercorn. I needed to cut the blue-ish tint down. I was happy with dark gray but in our lighting, it never looked right. So on next coat, I started with black and mixed in peppercorn 2/1. Then I finished with a glaze mix of same with the conditioner. It did darken it up more than I realized, but I love it.
I wanted my bundle inver...More
I wanted my bundle inversion table changed from grey to black to match my room....Rub n Restore would do the trick. Looks great. Super product.
Last year my wife used it to refresh our couch and arm chairs and it did a fantastic job of that too.
Afterward I used the clear on a very high quality but neglected leather couch, cushions, and pillows, all really old, dry, dirty, and well used. After a quick cleaning of the surface (409), six coats of clear with an hour dry time between coats, and you'd swear these pieces were just delivered from the King Ranch saddlery and leather works. Maybe saved $5,000 replacement of those beauties.
And then there were the barn boots, ugly but in good condition... like new now with mahogany color and two clear coats.
Keep a quart of clear handy. I completed all the above ob less that 2 quarts, and saved a bundle.
Coat looks very streaky but it seems to prep t...More
Coat looks very streaky but it seems to prep the leather for the other coats. It is very fast and we only
Used a half a 8oz bottle. The finshed product looked very professional.
Easy to use. We put 2 thin (thinned with water) coa...More
Easy to use. We put 2 thin (thinned with water) coats on the most damaged areas and had a even color in the end. Use the sealer to add a sheen.
Several club member will be getting their black back in my garage !!