Product Overview
- For larger hides, the Kit H4 Plus provides additional Hydrator 3.3 and Fatliquor 5.0 to ensure full saturation and treatment.
- A Hair-on Hide Rug is a full-sized hide—such as zebra or cow—with the hair intact. The hide is tanned on the reverse as suede. This unique construction requires specialized care to maintain its softness, structure, and appearance.
- Doesn’t lay flat?
→ It’s likely starved of fatliquor (natural fat & oil).
- Dries stiff after getting wet?
→ Fatliquor likely leached out during drying.
- Cracking, curling, or folding lines?
→ Lack of fatliquor weakens, stiffens, or crushes the fibers.
- This kit delivers a 4-step holistic care system for both the hair and the suede—restoring softness, strength, and appearance. With suede-safe and hair-safe products, the system cleans, hydrates, conditions, and protects your hide from future damage.
- Kit H4 concentrates require 1518g (1.7 Quarts) to be mixed and filled before use to these selected leather-safe products:
1. pH Balancing
- After cleaning with Hair Cleaner 5.5 (pH 5.5), the rinse further pH balances, matching the natural acidity of healthy hair and hide.
- Prevents alkaline overexposure, which can cause hair frizz, static build-up, dullness, and fiber brittleness.
- Neutralizes and removes any detergent residue, suspended soiling, or urine/stain trace elements after cleaning.
- The pH-corrected finish reduces electrostatic buildup.
- Helps the hair/fiber lie smoother, feel softer, and comb or groom more easily.
4. Prevents Odors and Post-Cleaning Issues
- Alkaline residues or sweat buildup can cause odors over time.
- Hair Rinse 4.0 mitigates those risks by setting the correct acidic environment that discourages microbial growth.
- A water-based hair conditioner infused with a refreshing scent, formulated for sensitive protein fibers (hair, wool, feathers).
- Part of Leather Doctor’s Hair-on-Hide system, applied after Hair Cleaner 5.5 and Hair Rinse 4.0.
1. Softens & Silken the Hair
- Replenishes cosmetic emollients that make hair feel soft, light, and tangle-free.
- Ideal for pet bedding, fur garments, shearling boots, rugs, and hair-on furniture that has become dry, wiry, or coarse.
2. Deodorizes with a Clean Scent
- Imparts a refreshing fragrance that lingers lightly in the hair, masking musty, body, or pet odors.
- Excellent post-cleaning for items that previously had urine, sweat, or soil odors.
3. Anti-Static & Anti-Frizz Benefits
- Reduces electrostatic buildup, especially in drier climates or winter months.
- Hair lies flatter, less prone to fluffing or matting.
4. Protective Film Barrier
- Forms a breathable layer over each hair strand that:
- Repels dry airborne particles like dust and dander.
- Improves groomability.
- Retards rehydration loss, keeping hair supple longer.
5. Restores the Look & Feel of Luxury
- Enhances the shine and brilliance of the hair.
- Maintains the natural bounce and movement—like a salon conditioner, but for fur/hair hides.
- Final step in a complete hair-on-hide routine (after Hair Cleaner 5.5 → Hair Rinse 4.0).
- After each deep clean or odor treatment.
- Anytime hair feels dry, lifeless, musty, or frizzy.
The product rebalances the ionic attraction in hair protein structure at its isoelectric point (pH ~5.5), ensuring the emollients bond correctly without weakening the hair shaft or follicles. This maintains hair fiber strength and elasticity while improving aesthetics.
1. Preserves Suede’s Chemistry (Amphoteric pH-sensitive)
- Suede is extremely sensitive to pH shifts, especially above pH 7, which can lead to stiffness, color loss, or even fiber denaturing.
- Suede Cleaner 4.5 works within the safe acidic zone (pH 3–5) to clean gently without side effects like texture change or shrinkage.
2. Removes Soiling Without Over-wetting
- Designed to be brushed in, allowing for controlled cleaning that doesn’t distort the nap.
- Removes:
- Atmospheric grime
- Embedded dirt
- Light body contact soiling
- Minor food and beverage spots (if fresh)
3. Prepares for Hydration & Fatliquoring
- As part of the Leather Doctor system, cleaning is just the first phase.
- Suede Cleaner 4.5 opens the pores for Hydrator 3.3, Fatliquor 5.0 to replenish structure and softness without sealing the surface.
4. Minimizes Texture Damage
- Suede has a delicate nap that can be ruined by harsh cleaners.
- This cleaner, when used with a Suede Brush, Towel 1, or Suede Eraser 5, gently lifts dirt while preserving texture integrity.
5. Compatible with Deodorizing and Degreasing Steps
- For tougher problems like body oils, grease and sweat (e.g., collar stains), it can be preceded by Degreaser 2.2 and followed by Rinse 3.0 or Acidifier 2.0, depending on the condition.
Suede Rinse 3.0 is a critical rinse component in the Suede-Safe™ leather care system designed to preserve the structure, color, and softness of suede during and after cleaning. It is a water-based, pH 3.0 acidic rinse, specifically formulated for amphoteric suede leathers.
- A mild, low-pH rinse agent that neutralizes and flushes out alkaline and soiling residues after cleaning or degreasing suede.
- It restores the natural slightly acidic pH of suede (pH ~3–5), crucial for maintaining fiber integrity, color intensity, and structural suppleness.
1. Neutralizes Alkaline Cleaning or Staining Residues
- Suede is highly pH-sensitive. Contact with alkaline substances (sweat, spills, pet urine, or alkaline cleaners) can cause:
- Stiffness
- Color loss
- Structural weakening
- Suede Rinse 3.0 neutralizes high-pH contaminants, stopping further damage and rebalancing the hide’s chemistry.
2. Reduces Risk of Stiffness and Shrinkage
- After using cleaning products like Suede Cleaner 4.5 or Degreaser 2.2, Suede Rinse 3.0 ensures no alkaline residue is left behind.
- Prevents the suede from becoming brittle or shrunken when it dries.
3. Stabilizes Dye and Nap Appearance
- pH imbalances cause an uneven, dull, or faded look in aniline-dyed suede.
- Suede Rinse 3.0 helps resurface dormant dyestuff and stabilizes the suede’s visual uniformity.
- A mild acidic environment also preserves the nap from over-drying or stiffening.
4. Prepares for Hydrating and Fatliquoring
- A suede hide must be chemically balanced before applying:
- Hydrator 3.3 (for relaxing and opening the structure)
- Fatliquor 5.0 (for replenishing fat and oil content)
- Suede Rinse 3.0 optimizes absorption of these rejuvenating agents.
- Relaxes stiff fibers and prevents dry rotting.
- Prepares suede for optimal fat and oil replenishing.
- Helps resurface color for a more even appearance.
- Enhances absorption of essential fats and oils.
- Ensures a clean, breathable finish.
- Prevents suede from drying, stiffening, or tearing
- Maintains a soft, luxurious feel
- Improves tensile strength and durability
- Ensures suede remains pliable without feeling greasy
- Essential for long-term suede preservation
Products: Hair Cleaner 5.5 + Hair Rinse 4.0
Tools: Foam Brush 2, Hide Brush 4, Towel 1
- Brush hair in one direction, vacuum loose debris.
- Spray Hair 5.5, brush gently, and extract with a folded towel.
- Repeat process using Rinse 4.0 to balance pH and rinse thoroughly.
- Continue towel blotting until it shows clean and dry.
Product: Conditioner S Plus
Tools: Hide Brush
- When hair is dry, spray S Plus evenly.
- Brush in the direction of the hair and allow to air-dry.
- Re-brush to “bloom” and soften the hair.
Products: Suede Cleaner 4.5 + Suede Rinse 3.0
Tools: Hide Brush 4 (steel), Eraser 5, Towel 1
- Dry brush in one direction and erase with Eraser 5 to exfoliate aging fibers.
- Spray Cleaner 4.5, brush, erase, and towel extract suspended soiling.
- Repeat with Rinse 3.0 to restore pH balance and further extract residue.
- Allow to dry—wicked-up soiling may surface, so repeat brushing and vacuuming.
Products: Hydrator 3.3 + Fatliquor 5.0
Tools: Foam Brush 2
- Spray Hydrator 3.3 and spread with a foam brush to saturate the suede.
- Massage, flex, and stretch until the hide lies flat and relaxed.
- Apply Fatliquor 5.0 in cycles—allow water to evaporate between applications—until the hide absorbs no more.
- Final drying should be slow and natural for best suppleness. While still damp, flex and stretch the hide to prevent stiffness.
- Any sticky residue can be wiped with Hydrator 3.3 and a towel.
If the suede side is inaccessible (e.g. due to lining), Hydrator 3.3 and Fatliquor 5.0 can be applied from the hair-on side by gently parting hair to reach the hide base.
| Task | Product(s) | Tool(s) |
| Hair Cleaning | Hair 5.5 + Rinse 4.0 | Brush, Towel |
| Hair Conditioning | Conditioner S Plus | Brush |
| Suede Cleaning | Suede 4.5 + Rinse 3.0 | Brush, Eraser, Towel |
| Hydrate + Fatliquor | Hydrator 3.3 + Fatliquor 5.0 | Foam Brush |
- Always work in a well-ventilated area.
- Avoid heat during drying—natural air drying gives the best suppleness.
- Maintain your hide seasonally or after spills, moisture exposure, or visible changes.
Reach out anytime. Your feedback helps us continue refining these systems to serve your leather care needs better.
Updated: April 19, 2025 | July 14, 2025 by Roger Koh.