A DIY Guide to Leather Furniture Care
Owning a leather sofa or chair is an expensive investment that with proper care can last many years to come. I have always enjoyed owning leather furniture because unlike cloth, leather is easy to clean and more durable.
A Do it yourself guide to cleaning your leather furniture.
The most important step in keep your leather furniture clean is frequently removes all dust and dirt. A quick weekly vacuum will help keep your leather couch in good condition for many years. Use your vacuums wand attachment to clean all dirt between the crevices and cushions, you can find out more.
Before doing any further leather cleaning, determine the type of leather you have.
Finished leather couches and furniture are very easy to care for. A damp cloth with a little moisturizing soap like dove will clean most furniture easily. After you use the dove simply take a clean cloth to lightly buff leather to a shine. Do not rinse with water. If your leather couch or chair needs more deep conditioning, I use a recipe I found on diynetwork.com Mix 1 cup of linseed oil with ½ cup plain white vinegar. Use a clean soft cloth and rub into your leather furniture in a circular motion. After 5-10 minutes simply use another clean cloth to buff your furniture to a shine. Keep lightly buffing until your furniture does not feel oily to touch. Linseed oil can be purchased at most hardware stores.
Some people choose to use Pledge multi-surface or Armor All leather cleaning wipes on the leather upholstery. In the short term it cleans well but the chemicals can damage your leather over the life time. Specialty stores like Bed Bath and Beyond have an assortment of pre-made leather cleaners and conditioners. Also, many furniture stores carry a selection of items to care for leather upholstery. Never use baby wipes to spot clean.
Unfinished leather furniture is much harder to take care of on your own. Some consumers choose to use saddle soap to care for unfinished leather. Saddle soap can easily damage your furniture if not applied properly. I recommend you leave cleaning unfinished leather to professionals. If you choose to clean it yourself, purchase a high quality, chemical free clear made especially for unfinished leather. The best way to avoid damaging your leather furniture is to avoid letting kids color while sitting on the couch, do not eat or drink while seated on your furniture and do not let dogs or cats get up on your furniture. Many people have their expensive furniture destroyed by cat and dogs accidentally scratching them. Never use a Mr. Clean magic eraser on your leather; it will ruin your furniture.
