Scratched Leather Repaired EZ

DesertRose
by DesertRose
2 Materials
$5
20 Minutes
Easy

Our good leather chairs have taken quite a beating the past 7 years and held up well, but our fur babies have left their little claw scratches on them. I was trying to decide the best approach to cover them from seat covers to furniture polish. Then something so simple hit me, they make polish for scuffed leather shoes!

Two of our leather chairs showed the scratches both vertical and horizontal. We may have done some of it.

You can see the efforts made by our fur babies to get up in our laps or to get our attention to go outside.

This is a close up to show it is cosmetic and the leather is not torn or punctured, it is just scratched.

I happened to have shoe polish for coloring dowel rods on hand, and when I saw it in my craft supplies I realized I had an answer for my 2 leather chairs. It comes with an applicator on the top which made this job simple.

Here is the arm, the scratches literally disappeared. On the largest scratch I had to apply 3 coats, letting the polish dry between coats.

On the second chair all the vertical scratches needed 2 coats but they also disappeared with the polish. The polish does not come off on our clothes and I know when a few scratches show again I can fix them easily with the dark brown shoe polish. With the naked eye you cannot tell either chair was ever scratched. They look new again.


If your leather is not an exact match, you may have to use two colors. For example if the polish had not been dark enough, I would have applied some black shoe polish and covered it over with the brown.

Suggested materials:
  • Leather scratched material   (On hand)
  • Kiwi brown shoe polish   (Walmart or any department store)
Frequently asked questions
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  1 question
  • Susanna Susanna on Nov 07, 2022

    Does this treatment need some kind of sealant so the polish doesn't rub off?

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  • Susanna Susanna on Dec 02, 2022

    Yes, I plan to try it.

  • Susanna Susanna on Aug 26, 2023

    I tried this method over a month ago. Same polish and brand on two all-leather recliners. I thought it might rub off, but it did not. Now a month later, all the "doctored" scrapes and scratches are still in great shape. I do recommend this treatment.

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