A Brief Guide to Cleaning Leather Furniture

Leather is a popular choice for furniture as it looks great and is hardwearing and easy to wipe down. If you have leather furniture, it is important to keep it maintained and cleaned if you want it to last a lifetime. Although leather is fairly robust, it can be damaged by spills and wear and tear, and it’s important to make sure that the cleaning methods you use aren’t going to create more problems.

Here are a few suggestions for cleaning leather furniture, to help you keep it looking great for longer, and avoid damaging it in the process.

Be aware what kind of leather your furniture is made from

Although it may all look the same to the untrained eye, different types of leather often have very different cleaning requirements, and what may work for one type could cause permanent damage to another type. Before you start any kind of cleaning process or treatment for your leather furniture, take a look at the label or find out from the manufacturer exactly what type of leather your furniture is made of. This will help you find the most effective treatment to keep it looking at its best.

Check the cleaning instructions

When you purchased your leather furniture, you probably received a set of cleaning instructions and possibly even some leather care products suitable for use on your particular type of furniture. Some leather furniture can only be cleaned professionally, while other types of leather can be cleaned with mild soap and water or leather cleaning products that can be purchased from specialist cleaning companies or furniture manufacturers.

If you are in any doubt as to whether or not you should attempt to clean your leather furniture yourself, it is a good idea to check with the professionals. Remember leather scratches easily, so avoid harsh or abrasive cleaners at all costs and don’t let your leather get too wet during the cleaning process. Cleaning a leather lounge is a big job, so make sure you set aside plenty of time to do it and keep animals and children away to avoid unnecessary spills and scratches.

Take care with stain removal

If you want to remove a stain on your leather furniture, in many cases it is best left to the professionals. For home remedies, always patch test any stain removal product on an inconspicuous area of the furniture before applying to a wider area. Leather can be prone to staining, as it is very porous, so make sure that spills are mopped up immediately as they can be much harder to remove if they are allowed to soak in.

Regularly vacuuming and dusting your leather furniture can help keep it maintained by allowing it to breathe and prevent it from getting clogged with dust. You may want to apply a professional leather conditioning treatment regularly to keep your leather from drying out, and avoid placing your leather furniture too close to heat sources or in direct sunlight.

Your leather furniture is an investment and it may be worth splashing out a bit extra for professional cleaning and treatment regularly to protect that investment.

With the right care, leather furniture can last a very long time and be well worth the time and money to take care of it.