How to repair a leather office chair

Your office furniture can say a lot about your business, which is why it is so important to ensure that everything looks shipshape. The last thing you want is for a client to join you for a meeting and see damaged leather office chairs – it won’t make the best impression! Moreover, you also want to ensure that your employees are comfortable in the workplace so it’s always worth investing in your office furniture. Even if you’re the only person who will use your office chair, it’s well worth taking some time to make quick fixes to get that leather office chair looking as good as new!

Well-made leather office chairs are designed to be durable and supportive for users, but if you’ve owned your leather office chair for some time, you may notice some damage and wish to repair it. Here are a few things which leather chairs can be prone to:

• Scratches – users must take care not to wear or use any sharp objects which can damage a leather office chair.
• Heat damage – it’s important for you to try and keep leather office chairs away from too much heat or sunlight as this may lead to cracking or discolouration. 
• Rips and tears – over time, oils from your skin can degrade leather, causing its fibres to lose their structure and tear.

It’s also worth checking whether your office chair is made from real, bonded or faux leather, as office chairs that aren’t made from real leather are more likely to tear and deteriorate over time. 

How to repair a ripped leather chair

Use leather paint

Whilst using acrylic leather paint to go over any areas of your leather office chair which have deteriorated over time isn’t necessarily repairing it, it certainly can improve its appearance. All you need to do is buy some acrylic leather paint and apply it to the affected areas with a paintbrush. You will likely need to apply three coats of leather paint for the best results. Finally, you will need to seal the leather paint with some acrylic finisher

Use a leather repair kit

If you have a small tear in your leather chair, you can easily find leather repair kits online (they usually include instructions, a fabric patch, leather glue, a pallet knife, some tweezers and a leather finish) but you need to purchase the right colour for your office chair.

Unless your tear is particularly small, here’s how you can repair tears using a leather repair kit:

1. Cut some of the fabric patch (it will need to be a little bigger than the tear in your office chair)
2. Tidy up the area by cutting away any bits of shredded leather 
3. At this stage, you will need to slip the fabric patch under the tear (using tweezers if this is easier) and smooth it out
4. Take your glue and apply it to the interior of the torn leather, pushing down and applying pressure once the glue has been spread (make sure that you do this on both sides of the tear)
5. Once the glue has dried, apply some leather filler to the seam in the tear
6. Apply a colour compound to hide the seam and allow 2 hours for the colour to dry
7. You can choose to apply some leather finish – this will give your office chair a nice sheen!

For small tears, you may be able to repair the leather by simply glueing the torn pieces of leather back together and using a filler cream. 

How to repair scratches to your leather chair

To improve the appearance of scratches on leather office chairs, simply apply a small amount of leather oil to the affected area and allow some time for it to dry. Once dry, apply a leather conditioner and remove any excess moisture with a dry cloth.

For deeper scratches, you can try cleaning the office chair with leather cleaner, apply distilled white vinegar, allow time to thoroughly dry and rub in some colourless shoe polish. 

How to prevent damage to your leather office chair

Here’s how you can maintain the condition of your leather office chairs:

• Regularly clean and wipe your office chair down to remove any dirt and body oils but avoid using any harsh chemicals
• Keep your office chair out of direct sunlight
• Apply leather conditioners to protect the surface

Looking for an office chair?

You may decide that your leather office chair is beyond repair, or perhaps you’re looking for some more leather office chairs for your workplace which can stand the test of time. Look no further than Manutan! We stock a wide range of quality leather office chairs to suit your business’s needs. Why not take a look at our products today?

Not sure which office chair is right for you or have questions about our products? Contact our friendly team today who will be more than happy to assist you with your enquiry!