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What to Do with Peeling Faux Leather Couch? (Answered)

Faux leather materials have an excellent outlook and a gorgeous appearance. Moreover, faux leather is pretty comfortable.

That’s why we use faux leather couches. But if you are familiar with leather products, you might have seen them peeling off. So, the faux leather couch can also peel.

You might be confused about what to do with a peeling faux leather couch. Well, you can’t fix the problem with any random product or chemical. Because leather is sensitive to many chemicals. So, you have to find safe solutions for fixing peeling faux leather couches.

What to do with a peeling faux leather couch?

You can use leather paint to fix the peeling of a faux leather couch. Moreover, you can also apply leather filler to cover up the peeling faux leather couch. You can use other accessories like pillows, rugs, and decorative items to hide the peeling portion. But don’t use any harsh chemicals.

However, one of the most common complaints about faux leather is its peeling characteristics. Faux leather starts to peel off gradually over time. So, you might find out that your faux leather couch is peeling off over time.

Peeling faux leather looks pretty bad, especially when it is on the couch. The peeling section draws the attention of people instantly. So, if you want to repair or fix the problem, you can use leather paint.

Generally, leather paint will not make the faux leather exactly like before. But it can hide the peeling portion pretty well. For this, you need to peel off the peeling portion and use the paint.

Then you have to dry the paint and apply the finish. This will make the faux leather couch look shiny and new.

You can fix the peeling faux leather couch by following another method. For example, you can apply leather filler. Leather filler will fix the peeling section.

To get a good appearance, you have to cure the leather filler well. You can also use multiple coats of filler so that the peeling couch looks like before.

But whatever you use, you have to check the ingredient list and take caution before applying the product to the couch. Because the faux leather is pretty sensitive. Harsh chemicals or the wrong product might damage the leather.

However, faux leather is not real leather. So, when you buy this leather, you have to think about the quality. Because bad quality faux leather can end up peeling badly. So, choose a quality faux leather couch to prevent peeling.

Can you fix peeling faux leather?

Whether you can fix peeling faux leather or not depends on the quality of the leather and the condition of the peeling. If the peeling portion is large and all over the product body, it will be difficult to fix.

But you can fix small portions of peeled faux leather using leather paint or filler. Generally, using leather paint and filler is pretty easy. You just have to clean the peeling area and dry it. Then you can apply the paint or filler directly.

But you have to make sure to dry and cure the paint or filler on the faux leather. Otherwise, the paint or filler will not be effective and will not stick to the surface. Moreover, you can apply multiple coats of paint or filler to fix the faux leather properly.

Also, you have to ensure that the leather paint or filler doesn’t have any harmful products. Because strong chemicals can damage the faux leather. So, you can fix the faux leather with leather paint or leather filler.

Why is my faux leather couch peeling?

A peeling faux leather couch can make the couch look bad. So, you might want to prevent the peeling of the faux leather couch. But to prevent it, you have to know the reasons why your faux leather couch is peeling. So, let’s see the reasons.

Synthetic material:

Faux leather is not real leather. Generally, faux leather is made of synthetic material. The leather is coated with synthetic material. Most commonly, the synthetic material is polyurethane.

So, the material gives the appearance of real leather but is pretty fragile. So, the faux leather starts to peel off over time.

Damaged finish:

Sometimes, the finishing of vinyl over the faux leather gets damaged over time. Generally, the more you use the faux leather, the more the finishing over it will get damaged. So, the faux leather starts to peel off.

Wear and tear:

When we use faux leather on our couches, they go through wear and tear often. The faux leather starts to get damaged from continuous wear and tear. This condition gets worse when the quality of the faux leather is poor.

Physical damage:

The faux leather can peel off when it goes through any physical damage. Because the faux leather is not real leather. So, the durability is also less in faux leather. Moreover, the resistance to getting damaged is also lower in faux leather. That’s why it often peels off.

How to fix faux leather peeling couch?

Now that you know you can fix the faux leather peeling couch, you might want to know the process. So, let’s see how you can fix the faux leather peeling couch.

Remove the peeled pieces:

When the faux leather starts peeling, some peeled pieces will be on the couch. So, you have to remove those pieces first to clean the surface. You can also use a microfiber cloth to remove the residues. But don’t remove any good pieces of faux leather from the couch.

Paint:

Now you can apply leather paint to the couch. You can use a paintbrush and gently give the couch a coat of paint. Try to match the actual color of the faux leather. If you can’t find the exact color, try to mix two colors and make the couch the same color.

Let the paint dry:

Now let the paint dry completely. You can wait for 40 minutes to let the couch dry. If you want to apply multiple coats of paint, you can wait 30 minutes between each coat. But don’t blend the paint. After giving the final coat, let the paint dry completely.

Apply finish:

Now, you can apply a finish to the dried paint to give the couch a glossy look. It will give the real appearance of leather. Let the finish dry for at least 20 minutes. If you want to use multiple coats of finish, you can do it. But give enough time between each coat of finish.

How do you stop faux leather from peeling?

You might know that prevention is always better than cure. So, if you can stop the faux leather from peeling, it will be helpful. So, let’s see how you can stop faux leather from peeling.

Moisturize:

To keep the faux leather durable, you can moisturize the leather. You can use baby oil regularly on the faux leather so that it remains moisturized. You can use the oil once a week. This will also keep the leather shiny.

Clean:

If you want to prevent the faux leather from peeling, you have to keep it clean regularly. You can use mild detergent and a soft cloth to clean the leather. If the faux leather gets any stains, don’t rub the leather harshly. Gently rub with a soft cloth using detergent to remove the stain.

Prevent physical harm:

You can also keep the faux leather safely so that it might not get any physical damage. Don’t put any heavy material on the faux leather; that can cause wear and tear on the leather.

Why do bonded leather crack and peel?

Bonded leather cracks and peels because of its manufacturing material. Generally, bonded leather is made of non-elastic material. So, it will have less elasticity. When the leather has less elasticity, it will crack against a small force.

Generally, bonded leather has a synthetic material as a coating. For example, polyurethane is used as a synthetic material. So, when this non-elastic material goes through force or load, it starts to crack and peel.

Even if you don’t apply any external load, the bonded leather can crack and peel over time. Sometimes the bonded leather is dry. So, lack of moisturizer can also lead to cracking and peeling of the bonded leather.

Final Thoughts

Peeling faux leather creates a bad appearance on the couch. So, you can fix it by using leather paint on it. Leather filler can also help fix the peeling faux leather couch. But you have to ensure that the paint and filler don’t contain any harsh chemicals. Otherwise, you can easily use them.