Nothing can surpass the beauty and elegance of leather furnishings on home furniture. Leather furnishings for both home and office decor have always been a symbol of elegance and class. However, this expensive furnishing also needs to be taken care of regularly. Custom products like leather furniture conditioners and cleaning solutions help care leather furniture.
Types of Leather Furnishing
Before looking for methods to clean and care for leather furnishings, we must identify the kind of furnishings.
There are two basic types of leather furnishings.
Unprotected leather
The unfinished leather is pure or full aniline leather. It does not contain any surface pigment or protective coating. Such leather stains quickly and is pricey. It is typically used for living room leather furniture.
Protected leather
Most of the leather furniture sets in the market are made of protected leather or semi-aniline leather. This type of leather is more stain-resistant and durable than unprotected leather. It is topped with a pigment color. Protected leather coated with polymers has a stiffer feel and is more resistant to wear and tear.
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Leather Furniture Cleaning at home
Leather furniture lasts long, but it is important to take care of them. Although they require low maintenance, regular cleaning and care are a must. Else it will wear out over time.
Let us look at some of the ways how to clean furniture upholstery.
Stains and spills
Both protected and aniline leather are sensitive to stains caused by spilled liquid and others things. You should remove such stains immediately to prevent permanent spots. It is always good to keep a good leather sofa cleaner handy to wipe the stains quickly and no permanent damage is done. Also, in case of any doubt, consult a leather cleaning professional before taking any drastic steps on your own.
- For water-based stains: When your furniture upholstery gets stained, it is prudent to take a clean white cloth, dip it in distilled water and clean the stained surface. Now, please leave it to air-dry. This method is okay for water or soda spills.
For cleaning tough stains on leather furniture, take a clean cloth dipped in mild-non detergent and water and wipe off the surface. Take a clean, dry cloth and wipe off the remaining water residue. It is never advisable to use an air-dryer to dry leather. Aniline leather is sensitive, and the water stains must be wiped clean quickly by dabbing it profusely. You can also use any mild leather furniture cleaner.
- For oil-based stains: Sometimes, stains from our body creams or hair oil may remain on the leather furniture sets after using them. In such cases, blot out the stains with a dry, clean white cloth. Over time, the stain will blend into the leather and fade away.
How to care for leather furniture?
Living room leather furniture is usually low maintenance and can be taken care of quickly. They need to be looked after regularly with a bit of conditioning now and then. There are many reliable and reasonably priced leather furniture conditioners available for this.
To help you out, here are some pointers for proper care of your leather furniture sets.
1. Avoid Sun Exposure
Sunlight can be the killer for leather over time. The color of the leather furniture fades over time. For the long life of your furniture upholstery, you should avoid Sun exposure on them.
Also, never use sandpaper to smoothen any roughness seen in unprotected leather. It may distress your leather living room sets.
2. Protect from Excess Humidity
Leather upholstery, especially sensitive and high-quality Italian leather furniture, must never be exposed to high humidity. It may cause the dye to run out or cause the leather furniture sets to discolor.
3. Regular Conditioning
After cleaning the leather furniture, it is also necessary to condition it so that the shine of the leather remains. For unprotected leather, gently wiping the surface with an approved and mild leather sofa cleaner will do. Even cleaning with a damp cloth dipped in distilled water will suffice. Semi-aniline leathers are more rigid and can withstand some heavy-duty leather conditioners. Avoid conditioners with caustic, harmful ingredients.
Whenever you use new conditioners, always test it on an obscure surface of your leather furniture sets before applying it directly over exposed surfaces. This way, if the product is bad, the damage if caused will be relatively unseen.
4. Stay Away from Homemade Products
DIY cleaning and leather furniture cleaners have been responsible for the damage more than staining and spills. In some cases, the use of the wrong leather conditioners could mean that the warranty of the leather living room furniture becomes null and void. Keep in mind to avoid any leather sofa cleaner or leather couch cleaner that is not endorsed by tanneries. You can consult your local tanneries for these.
5. Regular Upkeep of your Leather Furniture Sets
If you wear and tear your leather furniture, try to mend it as soon as possible. The more you procrastinate in this case, the more it stretches and tears. This makes it challenging to repair afterward. Every home with leather furniture sets must have a good quality leather furniture repair kit at its disposal.
Final Words
No doubt, leather furniture gives a classy look to your home. They come pretty expensive compared to ordinary furniture and cannot use water or ordinary cleaner for their cleaning. Using any chemical-containing cleaner will not only spoil it quickly, but its upholstery also starts cracking.
All that is required on your part is to take care of the wear and tear. Cleaning and conditioning your leather furniture set from time to time using the best leather cleaner or conditioner can help it keep its shine for years. However, never use furniture cleaners containing ammonia.
Additionally, you can always refer to the pointers outlined above. Else take the help of professional leather experts every time you need advice on caring for your leather furniture.