Removing Dye Transfer from Light Leather After Car Detailing Training
As you move into your career as an auto detailing specialist, you will work with clients who have all sorts of aesthetic problems with their vehicles. Many of those problems could be difficult to fix, or even have your client worried that the problem isn’t fixable at all. Dye transfer—when dye from another fabric or item stains the leather interior of a vehicle—is one such problem.
However, with your top-quality training and the right products and methods, dye transfer will be no match for your auto detailing skills. Keep reading to learn a few tips and tricks that will help you fight dye transfer and leave your clients smiling.
Clean the Leather Surface Before Beginning the Dye Removal Process
Before you can get to the dye, you first have to make sure all other dirt, grime, and oil have been removed from the stained leather surface. It is crucial that you use specialized leather cleaner for this job to avoid damaging, drying, or cracking the leather.
Apply the cleaner with a soft mitt or microfiber cloth and scrub the area from which you wish to remove the dye. Once you’ve finished this process, you will be able to see how much discolouration was actually due to dye transfer, which will help you know just how severe the staining is.
Use Dye Transfer Cleaner To Remove the Stain
Once you have a clean surface to work with, you can get down to the meat of the job: removing the transferred dye. As you will learn in your car detailing training, it is important to use proper specialized products for each step of the detailing process to avoid damaging parts.
Several brands sell cleaners that are specifically made to remove dye from leather. These types of cleaners work in a very particular way, which requires the cleaner to penetrate the surface of the leather in order to reach the dye. This means it is important to make sure that the cleaner sits in the leather for a sufficient period of time in order to fully and evenly penetrate the fabric. Once this amount of time has passed, use your microfiber cloth to rub the product in further, slowly removing the dye transfer from the leather.
Condition the Leather to Round Off Your Car Detailing Job
Once you have removed the dye transfer from the leather, it will look clean—a job well done, right? Not so fast. In order to ensure that the leather keeps its softness and quality, it is best to condition it after using harsh deep cleaning chemicals. Your standard leather conditioner will do. You can rub the product into the leather using your microfiber cloth to ensure full coverage and moisture.
Prevent Dye Transfer in Your Automotive Specialist Career With Leather Coating
As you learn automotive detailing, you will come to understand that protective coatings are important for keeping cars looking their best. With your clean leather in soft and smooth shape, you want to make further dye transfer less likely. The best way to do this is to apply a layer of leather coating to the affected area, and to any other areas of the interior that you wish to protect from future transfer stains. These products often come in a spray bottle, and can easily be distributed with a microfiber cloth.
You can also advise your clients of other ways to avoid dye transfer, such as being careful with new clothing—like a brand new pair of jeans—that is more likely to leave dye on seats. With a well-coated vehicle interior and safer clothing items, your clients will then be in the position to keep their leather interiors looking like new.
Do you want a career that helps you keep cars looking their best?
Contact us at CATI to learn how we can get your automotive detailing specialist career started.
