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Original leather technology · VILOU · Leather-Doc
Find the right solution for color abrasion, scratches, cracks, holes, wear and tear, shiny spots, discoloration and unknown leather colors.
Choose by damage, application, or color. The Leather Repair Assistant will guide you to suitable leather dyes, repair kits, care products, color samples, and solutions for cars, furniture, boats, and professional applications.
Made in Germany since 1999 · Development and production in Germany · Over 150,000 customers worldwide
Check the color tone first – sample color only if needed
If possible, first check the color code with the vehicle or furniture manufacturer. For vehicles, the interior trim designation and code are crucial – not the exterior paint code.
Next, check the available VILOU leather colors in the relevant vehicle manufacturer or furniture category. If the color is not listed there, is unknown, or has changed significantly due to age, please first complete our sample color request form. Do not send a leather sample yet; we will review your information and contact you with the next steps.
Only if no suitable existing color is available can a custom formula be created after examination, based on a suitable original sample. This process can take approximately 14 days, and longer for complex color shades or during periods of high demand. Approved formulas are stored in the VILOU database and remain accessible for reorders.
New: comprehensive consultation for vehicle leather
Choose the central automotive leather consultation or search directly for damage to your car seat, seat bolster, or leather steering wheel. Each page will guide you to the appropriate work steps, products, and vehicle colors.
New: Advice on leather sofas, couches and armchairs
Select the type of damage directly. The new furniture guides explain when leather dye is sufficient, when liquid leather is needed, and when a repair should be carried out by a specialist.
Advice on boat leather and boat seats
Select the appropriate damage to your boat seat or find out about cleaning, care, and protection. Before each use, check whether it is leather or synthetic leather and whether the material is still stable.
VILOU Professional · Commercial · Sales
Choose whether you want to professionally process leather, sell VILOU in your specialist shop, develop the brand in a market, or request suitable products under your own brand.
System 1, with ready-to-use leather dyes, is available. The sprayable Professional System 2, consisting of primer, leather dye, and top coat, is currently under development.
Choose the area that best matches your leather problem.
Ideal for color abrasion, light scuff marks, small scratches and faded black smooth leather.
Suitable for many black leather surfaces on car seats, steering wheels, furniture, bags and leather clothing.
View black leather colorThe complete solution for worn, cracked or damaged black leather.
For color abrasion, scratches, minor cracks, holes and heavily used leather surfaces.
View repair kit blackFor cleaning, color refreshing, sealing and care of black leather.
Especially suitable for leather with initial signs of wear, color loss and diminishing surface protection.
View leather care set blackFlexible repair compound for filling and smoothing cracks, cuts, indentations and small holes.
After the repair, the treated area is color-matched with the appropriate leather dye.
Select liquid leatherFor worn, shiny, sticky or color-damaged leather steering wheels.
Suitable for color refreshing and sealing without removing the steering wheel.
Repair steering wheelSolutions for leather sofas, armchairs, chairs, leather jackets, bags, shoes and boat leather.
For color refreshing, repair, cleaning, care and protection of heavily used leather surfaces.
Furniture, clothing & View boatFor regular cleaning, care, protection and preservation of smooth leather.
Ideal for well-preserved leather as well as for preparation and aftercare following a repair.
Leather cleaning & View careVILOU solutions for vehicle detailers, workshops, upholsterers, dealers and distributors.
Ready-to-use leather dyes are available; the multi-stage professional spraying system is under development.
View professional productsThe type of damage determines which products and work steps are needed.
Light, dull or scuffed areas without deep material damage.
Find the right leather color →Superficial scratches can usually be smoothed out and the color evened out.
Repairing scratches in leather →Cracks are filled with liquid leather, smoothed, and then color-matched.
Repairing cracks with liquid leather →Minor defects can be filled with a suitable repair compound.
Repairing a hole in leather →Greasy and shiny spots often appear on steering wheels and frequently touched surfaces.
Renew steering wheel surface →Dirt, skin oil and care product residues should be removed gently.
Proper leather cleaning →UV radiation and use can lead to color loss and uneven surfaces.
Find leather dye after application →No color code is available or no standard color is a safe match for the existing leather.
Determine color shade or request a sample color →In cases of multiple damages, a coordinated complete set is usually the safest solution.
View complete repair kit →When choosing leather for your car, the color should be selected to match the original manufacturer's color as closely as possible. Select your vehicle make to find suitable leather colors and repair products.
Select the typical use case and go directly to the appropriate solution or instructions.
| Leather problem | Recommended solution | Relevant category |
|---|---|---|
| Color shade unknown, ambiguous, or unavailable | Check the existing color or request a custom formula based on a suitable original sample. | Leather color according to sample |
| Color abrasion on black leather | Prepare the surface and apply a thin coat of paint. | Leather color: Black |
| Multiple damages on black leather | Complete repair with coordinated products | Leather Repair Kit Black |
| tear, cut or small hole | Fill in the damage, smooth it out, and then color it. | liquid leather |
| Shiny or worn leather steering wheel | Clean, prepare, color and seal | Repairing a leather steering wheel |
| Damage to leather sofa, couch or armchair | Assess the damage and select a suitable furniture solution. | Repairing a leather sofa |
| Dirty or dry leather | Gentle cleaning, care and protection | Cleaning car leather & maintain |
Actual consumption depends on the type of leather, absorbency, color changes, damage, and number of layers. The following values serve as a practical minimum guideline for refreshing a similar color.
| Application | Recommended minimum quantity | Notice |
|---|---|---|
| steering wheel or small repair area | approx. 30 ml | For multiple thin layers and minor corrections. |
| A seating area or individual side panel | approx. 50 ml | Allow extra time for heavy abrasion or color changes. |
| A complete car seat | approx. 100–150 ml | Depending on seat size and scope of repair. |
| Multiple seats or a larger furniture area | approx. 250–500 ml | Plan in sufficient reserves to ensure consistent results. |
| Large sofa, complete interior design or commercial use | approx. 500–1000 ml | Determine the area and color tone as precisely as possible beforehand. |
Important: If the starting color differs significantly, the leather is very absorbent, or the dye is completely changed, consumption may be considerably higher.
The exact steps depend on the damage and the product chosen. Generally, leather repair follows this sequence:
01
Determine the type of leather, color, depth of damage, and size of the damaged area.
02
Thoroughly remove dirt, care products, skin oils and other residues.
03
If necessary, degrease, smooth and mattify the damaged surface.
04
Fill cracks and small holes with liquid leather and let it dry.
05
Apply leather dye evenly in several thin layers.
06
Seal the repaired surface and then maintain it as needed.
🇩🇪
Development and production of our leather products in Germany.
1999
Extensive experience in leather care, leather dyeing and leather repair.
150,000+
Proven solutions for vehicles, furniture, clothing and boat leather.
Color fading, scratches, shiny patches, and minor tears don't automatically mean that a leather seat, sofa, steering wheel, or garment needs to be replaced. If the leather is still sufficiently robust, many typical signs of wear can be specifically cleaned, evened out, re-dyed, and protected. This preserves the existing original leather and often avoids the need for a much more expensive re-leathering.
The key is to correctly assess the damage. For simple color loss, a suitable leather dye is usually sufficient. Cracks, cuts, and indentations are first filled and smoothed with liquid leather. For repairs requiring multiple steps, a coordinated leather repair kit offers the safest product selection. After the color has been restored, a leather sealant protects the damaged surface from further abrasion.
Especially with automotive leather, the color should be chosen to match the actual interior trim as closely as possible. Manufacturer colors like BMW Oyster, Tartufo, Cognac, or Black can differ significantly from universal colors. Therefore, the Leather Repair Assistant guides users directly to the respective manufacturer categories and to the appropriate settings. Determining the car leather color.
If the color shade is unknown, no longer available, or has changed due to aging, a custom VILOU color formula can be created using a suitable original sample. Development can take approximately 14 days, or longer for complex colors or high laboratory workload. Approved formulas are stored in the VILOU database with a unique identifier and remain accessible for future reorders.
Careful preparation is more important for the result than a particularly thick coat of paint. Clean, degrease, smooth if necessary, and then apply several thin coats. Test each product first on an inconspicuous area and follow the product instructions.
Many superficial damages, such as paint abrasion, scratches, shiny spots, and minor cracks, can be repaired yourself with suitable products. Careful preparation, the right paint, and several thin coats are crucial.
Liquid leather is used when the surface has not only lost color, but also needs to be filled with cracks, cuts, indentations, or small holes. Color matching then follows.
Leather dye is sufficient for superficial color abrasion, faded areas and small scratches, provided the leather itself is still stable and not deeply torn.
A repair kit is useful when multiple steps are required or when various types of damage are present simultaneously. The included products are designed for cleaning, repair, color restoration, and protection.
In many cases, yes. Skin oils, dirt, and abrasion are removed, the surface is prepared, repainted, and then sealed. A steering wheel repair kit specifically designed for this purpose is suitable for this.
Small and medium-sized superficial cracks can often be filled with liquid leather and then color-matched. In the case of severely weakened leather or damaged backing material, the damage should be inspected beforehand.
Pigmented smooth leathers can often be cleaned, refreshed, and repaired. The product selection depends on the type of leather, color, wear and tear, and type of damage.
The correct color depends on the manufacturer, model, year of manufacture, interior trim, and leather color. Use the categories for Audi, BMW, Mercedes, Porsche, or VW. If you are unsure, use the [link to relevant page]. Determine car leather color.
First, check existing vehicle and standard colors. If the color is unclear or unavailable, a custom color formula can be created using a suitable physical leather sample. Photos can help with preliminary checking but do not replace an original sample.
The sample should ideally be at least approximately 2 × 2 cm in size and have a clean, intact, and representative top surface. Visible surfaces, load-bearing seams, and fastenings must not be damaged during removal.
Developing a custom color formula can take approximately 14 days. For complex color shades or during periods of high lab workload, processing may take longer. The estimated time will be communicated transparently as part of the inquiry.
Yes. VILOU receives access to the released formula and stores it with a unique identifier in its own database. This ensures it remains accessible for future reorders. If the leather has changed significantly, a color comparison should be carried out again before any partial repair.
No. Black can vary depending on the manufacturer and vehicle configuration. For a specific vehicle color, the actual shade should be checked and, if possible, selected from the appropriate manufacturer's category.
Durability depends on the condition of the leather, the preparation, the stress it is subjected to, and the care it receives. With correct application and subsequent sealing, a repair can last a long time.
Yes. Always test cleaners, paints, and care products on an inconspicuous area first. This allows you to check material compatibility, color effect, and gloss level before full application.
The surface is cleaned, degreased, and carefully smoothed if necessary. Then, the appropriate leather dye is applied in several thin layers and finally sealed.
Small imperfections can be filled with liquid leather, depending on their depth, smoothed, and color-matched after drying. For damaged backing material or large holes, a professional inspection is advisable.
Many typical types of damage to pigmented BMW smooth leather can be repaired yourself. The key is using the correct BMW leather dye, thorough preparation, and a repair product suitable for the type of damage.
BMW Oyster and Tartufo are special manufacturer colors. Therefore, select the color via the BMW category and compare the model, year of manufacture, leather type, and equipment as precisely as possible.
Many repairs to seats, side bolsters, steering wheels, and furniture can be carried out directly on the installed or freestanding object. Adjacent surfaces should be carefully protected.
For a steering wheel or small areas, about 30 ml is often sufficient. For a seat area, at least 50 ml is usually recommended, and for a complete seat, about 100 to 150 ml. Consumption may be higher depending on the surface and color changes.
Start with the appropriate main category and then select by damage, application, vehicle make, or color. This way you can quickly find the right solution for cleaning, repair, color restoration, sealing, and maintenance.
Restart selectionPlease note: Not suitable for Alcantara, suede, nubuck or open-pore aniline leather.
Always test products on an inconspicuous area first.