Caring for Leather Furniture

Posted on 24/07/2024

Caring for leather furniture is an important part of maintaining the value and condition of expensive pieces in your home. Leather furniture can be a luxurious addition to any d?cor, but it must be cared for properly to maintain its beauty and strength. From taking preventative measures to knowing how to repair scratches or scuffs, here's everything you need to know about caring for leather furniture.

How to Clean Leather Furniture

Leather furniture should be vacuumed or lightly brushed to remove dust and dirt. A dry cloth should then be used to gently wipe away any remaining debris from the leather surface. If you want to use a cleaner on the leather, make sure it's specifically designed for use on leather furniture. Test a small area of the piece before using the cleaner on the entire item.

Conditioning Leather Furniture

Using a quality leather conditioner regularly will help protect your leather furniture from drying out and cracking over time. Before applying the conditioner, make sure you clean your furniture first. The conditioner should be applied liberally with a soft cloth and left to absorb into the leather for at least 30 minutes before buffing off any excess product with another clean, dry cloth. Avoid over-conditioning as this can cause a greasy build-up on top of your furniture.

Protecting Your Leather Furniture

Like all fabrics, leather needs protection from direct sunlight and heat sources such as radiators, fireplaces, and air conditioning units. Keep furniture away from windows and other sources of bright sunlight or extra heat whenever possible. Windex or other household glass cleaning liquids can stain finished leather so avoid cleaning glass near or around any leather items in your home.

Repairing Scratches and Scuffs

Scratches on finished leather can usually be repaired by rubbing some commercial wax into the affected area with a soft cloth until the scratch is no longer noticeable. For deeper scratches or holes in unfinished (aniline) leather, try using a colorless shoe polish matched to the color of your furniture then rubbing it into the area until it matches the surrounding area in tone and texture.

Removing Stains from Leather Furniture

Leather is porous, so removing certain stains quickly is essential in preserving its appearance and preventing further damage. Greasy stains can often be removed by applying some talcum powder to absorb any excess oil followed by wiping away with a soft damp cloth; however this method won't work if there's dye damage from denim or ink stains - consult with an upholsterer for next steps should this happen.

Overall Maintenance Tips

When considering how best to care for your leather furniture, prevention is always easier than trying to fix damage later on down the road. It's best practice to avoid placing overly hot items directly onto leather surfaces (such as hot laptop computers), keep pets claws trimmed so they don't create pin-sized holes in pieces and never pull or stretch areas when moving them around short distances - push them instead. Taking preventative measures will help protect your beautiful investment over time so you can enjoy it for many years to come!