Lab tests show Leather Therapy strengthens leather and fights mold

Leather Therapy | Advice | ARTICLES | Lab tests show Leather Therapy strengthens leather and fights mold

Lab tests show Leather Therapy strengthens leather and fights mold

Independent testing conducted for a major leather tannery by the Leather Industries Research Laboratory located at the University of Cincinnati showed that Leather Therapy Restorer/Conditioner proved 36 percent stronger than leather as it came from the tannery.

The tests were conducted as an extension of the tannery's quality control measures and without the knowledge of Unicorn Editions, Ltd., the manufacturer of Leather Therapy products.

Leather samples were also inoculated with spores and incubated to test their resistance to mold and mildew. This test clearly suggested that Leather Therapy Conditioner inhibited mold growth even beyond the treatment already present in the leather from the tannery.

"Leather Therapy's resistance to microbiological growth is a great added advantage," says lab Research Associate Randy Rowles. There is a common industry expectation, says Rowles, that leather care products, particularly cleaners, oftentimes deteriorate leather. "A lot has to do with the pH," Rowles explains. "Leather is acidic. Conditioners and cleaners, especially soapy materials, are often too alkaline. They alter the leather's chemistry and deterioration starts."

Samples of vegetable-tanned skirting leather supplied by the tannery were soaked in Leather Therapy Conditioner and Leather Therapy Wash, then broken on the Instron to test tensile strength. According to the lab's final report, the sample soaked in Leather Therapy broke at 4900 pounds per square inch compared to 3600 pounds per square inch on a sample of skirting leather from the same hide.

"Such an increase in tensile strength is very significant," said Anna Carner Blangiforti, president and founder of Unicorn Editions, Ltd., manufacturers of Leather Therapy products. "Whereas Leather Therapy's advantage is that it is unusually capable of lubricating the interior of leather, it goes farther by preventing cohesion of the internal fiber matrix when dry." Carner Blangiforti notes keeping leather strong is an important safety issue for equestrians, one of Leather Therapy's primary markets.

"To me, great leather is safe leather. Leather Therapy is capable of keeping it strong - it's not a cosmetic. When leather starts to dry out or face the abuse of mold, Leather Therapy offers an answer that wasn't previously available. We founded our company on the premise that consistent care with thoughtfully formulated products could keep expensive leather items from deteriorating."

Now we have proof that caring for your leather with the right product can actually make it better. These test results also mean that leather manufacturers or retailers can now recommend Leather Therapy to their clients with confidence that it will maintain the leather's original integrity and quality." While the Leather Industries of America does not endorse individual products, "these are products that I would personally recommend without hesitation," says Rowles.

The Leather Industries of America provides the nation's leather manufacturers with technical service and consulting, monitoring of government regulations, research on environmental and industrial issues, and training and education for technical personnel.

Leather Therapy | Advice | ARTICLES | Lab tests show Leather Therapy strengthens leather and fights mold

Lab tests show Leather Therapy strengthens leather and fights mold

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