How do I repair my leather sofa?

Peggy Muller
by Peggy Muller

I didn’t realize that I needed to condition my leather sofa. I can purchase conditioner, but what can I use to cover up the worn spots?

Peggy’s red leather sofa

  8 answers
  • Leslie  Brown Leslie Brown on Feb 21, 2019

    Talk to a car detailer or used car person. They can repair even holes and make them invisible.

  • Gk Gk on Feb 21, 2019

    Hello Peggy! I am not sure that what you have is real leather. It looks like a leather vinyl material--due to the white you can see in the cracks-with leather you would not see the white. The welted edges are also the same material. You might be able to hide the cracks with some matching shoe polish. You can purchase automobile leather conditioner in the auto section of places like Menards and Walmart but it won't do anything for the cracks already there.

  • Peggy Muller Peggy Muller on Feb 21, 2019

    I’ll try it out. Thank you.

  • Dfm Dfm on Feb 21, 2019

    to see for sure its leather, leather will turn to ash. pleather will clump up in a charred ball. light a match under a small sample of the material, see what it does. there are some bonded leathers out there, very thin leather basically glued to a backing. there was at one time vynial/leather repair kits, and special markers to use. last I've know.. most is by the shoe department.

  • Huntress Huntress on Feb 22, 2019

    See if you can match the color with a paint pen. Let dry for a couple of weeks, then condition. It worked for the faux leather chair i had and a real leather jacket of my sons.

  • Lifestyles Homes Lifestyles Homes on Feb 23, 2019

    I would go to an art supply store and buy matching art markers. If you can’t bring a cushion with you. Bring a piece of paper to test the color match & write down the number & take the color swatches home, before buying the markers.

    Keep in mind that multiple applications will make it darker, so if you’re not finding an exact match.


    At auto parts stores there are vinyl repair kits that work well. I’ve used them on car seats and they’ve held up over many years.

  • Bishop J Bishop J on Feb 24, 2019

    Probably you will have to use colour sticks or pens. Hard to tell from your picture ,but it looks like you have a bonded leather sofa. Bonded leather is leather scrap that is chewed up to a fine powder and sprayed on treated fabric, then rolled n pressed to make a cheap leather look n feel alike product. Looks good for a time, then starts showing wear , then flaking n peeling. When shopping for leather furniture, make sure it is real leather if you want to get its full life of use

  • Laura Cooper Laura Cooper on Feb 24, 2019

    Peggy, you can use a leather repair kit and it doesn't matter if you have leather or vinyl. (looks like bonded leather to me.)

    These kits come with little tubs of liquid vinyl. You can then mix the vinyls to match your sofa. They come with a grain press, too, so you can blend the surface texture.

    One more note, definitely condition the sofa. You will probably need to do it several times over a few days so it can soak in and rejuvenate the existing leather. Small cracks should be much less visible after conditioning.