Cleaning and caring for high-gloss and patent leather

Old doctors’ or midwives’ cases are cherished possessions with a history. This article shows how to restore them step by step and what results can realistically be expected.

Why is high-gloss leather so sensitive?

High-gloss leather has a surface that makes scratches and scuffs immediately visible. Matt leather conceals minor damage through its texture. On high-gloss surfaces, even small scratches immediately catch the eye.

Traditionally, high-gloss and patent leather were worn only on special occasions. Today, such leather is used daily for bags and shoes, so signs of wear develop correspondingly faster.

Cleaning and care

Soiled high-gloss leather can be cleaned with a soft, slightly damp cloth. For more stubborn soiling, “Pronto Classic Möbelpolitur” can be used. This product is also recommended for high-gloss leather by well-known leather goods manufacturers.

IMPORTANT:
Always test on a concealed area first to check for changes. High-gloss leather reacts very sensitively to aggressive solvents. They permanently matt the surface and leave dull, irreparable marks. Solvents are contained in some cleaners, leather-care products and aerosol products. Do not use any of our leather cleaners on high-gloss leather apart from our Leather Cleaning Spirit. It hardly dulls high-gloss leather at all.

What is and is not possible with scratches

Many scratches on high-gloss leather look as though the colour layer has been removed and a light-coloured substrate is showing. In almost all cases, however, this is merely a deposit of lacquer caused by rubbing against other surfaces; the actual colour layer underneath is intact. In many cases, such light-coloured scratches can be removed with Leather Cleaning Spirit.

For deep scratches where the colour layer is genuinely damaged, simple care is no longer sufficient. A DIY repair is hardly possible on high-gloss leather. For such damage, it is better to contact us so that we can see what is still possible.

What does not work

Scratches on high-gloss leather cannot be removed through care. At most, very slight surface marks can be minimally evened out by polishing. Anyone who uses high-gloss leather every day must expect signs of wear and accept them as part of its character.