Leather furniture is an elegant addition to many room designs, but leather requires more maintenance than fabric furniture. Leather furniture should be cleaned of dust regularly, vacuumed in crevices, and dried immediately in case of spillage. Check the manufacturer's label for specific instructions for the furniture and never use chemicals or cleaners that are not made specifically for leather. Keep furniture away from air conditioning, heat sources, and prolonged exposure to direct sunlight. Apply leather conditioner regularly to keep furniture clean. If you must store it, take precautions, including: never wrap leather furniture in plastic.
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Method 1 of 3: Cleaning Leather Furniture
Step 1. Wipe leather furniture regularly with a clean, dry cloth
Use a microfiber cloth. Incorporate furniture cleaning into your weekly house cleaning routine. Keeping dust from accumulating is the best preventive cleaning measure.
- For more stubborn dust, dampen a cloth with distilled water. Make sure the cloth is not too wet. Never allow water to soak into the skin.
- Always use a soft cloth and never use abrasive brushes or scourers as they can scratch and damage the skin.
Step 2. Vacuum the furniture gaps
All furniture will experience a buildup of dirt and dust, leather furniture is no exception. Use a vacuum hose connection with soft bristles. Run the brush gently all over the furniture surface. Vacuum between and under the bearings.
If you can remove the pads, do so to make the vacuum process more effective. If you can't, vacuum the crevices as cleanly as possible. You can also use a narrow angle vacuum joint to get into deeper crevices
Step 3. Dry the spill as soon as possible with a clean cloth
If something spills onto the leather upholstery, dry it quickly by patting it. Use a dry cloth or sponge to absorb as much of the spilled liquid as possible, and only use a damp cloth when absolutely necessary. Use as little water as possible to clean up spills and wipe the area dry afterwards.
- Wiping up spills will only spread them further. So, dry by patting. Take a dry cloth and cover it over the spilled stain. Leave the cloth there for about 5 seconds until the spill is absorbed.
- For spills that are not water, you may need to use a small amount of mild soap and warm water. If the stain is severe, consult a professional so you don't make things worse.
- The most important thing is to dry the spill as soon as possible so that the liquid does not have time to absorb into the skin.
Step 4. Use a cleanser made specifically for the skin
Detergents, solvents, all-purpose cleaning sprays, ammonia, bleach, and furniture polish can all be harmful to the skin. Do not use these products to clean or remove stains on leather furniture. Always have a special leather cleaner on hand for occasional or emergency cleaning.
- You may feel that buying cleaners long before you need them is a waste of money. However, when you need it, you'll feel relieved that the cleaner is readily available at home, rather than having to go out and buy it first. Cleaning up spills quickly will save leather furniture.
- Know that cleaning and deodorizing are not the same thing. In the case of the smell of smoke on furniture, for example, you don't need to clean it and just place a bag of ground coffee near the furniture to get rid of the smell.
Step 5. Read the label on the package or the care instructions provided
General maintenance guidelines are useful, but it is always a good idea to read all the information provided by the manufacturer or distributor regarding specific care advice for the item. Some leather furniture may have special care instructions based on their quality.
- Some manufacturers may supply or sell products specifically designed for use in their furniture. If so, buy it because the product is made specifically for your furniture.
- Reading product labels can be very helpful in determining whether leather has been treated with certain techniques that would be affected by incorrect cleaning methods.
Method 2 of 3: Making Leather Furniture Durable
Step 1. Place the leather furniture in the correct location of the room
Since leather is made from animal skin, treat it the same way you would treat your own skin. Do not place furniture under air conditioning vents, near fireplaces or heaters, or in areas exposed to direct sunlight. All of these can dry out your skin and cause it to crack or fade.
- If the sun hits the furniture on some parts of the day, this is not a problem. However, long-term exposure will damage the skin.
- It doesn't matter if leather furniture is placed in an air-conditioned or heated room, but don't place it directly under or next to the cold/heat source.
Step 2. Apply skin conditioner regularly
Moisturizing your skin regularly will prevent it from drying out and cracking. Apply conditioner once or twice a year with a microfiber cloth. Use enough to coat the skin thinly. Contact the manufacturer to ask what type of conditioner they recommend.
- Leather conditioner can be purchased at many furniture stores. Also available at auto parts stores that sell leather car interior coolers.
- Choose a quality brand and not a cheap one because you certainly don't want the product to end up damaging the skin. Conditioner is included in the maintenance fee to keep the leather furniture in good condition. So don't consider this optional.
Step 3. Store leather furniture with care
If you need to store leather furniture in a storage shed for a while, have it professionally cleaned first and make sure the furniture is completely dry. Place a sheet of plastic underneath to prevent moisture from soaking into the furniture. The skin must be able to breathe. So, never wrap leather furniture in plastic as this can cause moisture to build up and damage it.
- Never place heavy objects on leather furniture as this can cause irreversible indentations.
- Place leather furniture on wooden pallets so they don't come into direct contact with the floor.
Method 3 of 3: Repairing Damaged Leather Furniture
Step 1. Repair the damaged skin by patching it
Take a piece of denim that you normally use for jeans. Cut slightly larger than the rip in the leather and round the edges of the fabric. Use tongs to gently insert it into the torn leather so that the fabric lays flat beneath the tear. Use flexible glue for plastic or vinyl and apply it to the patch. Squeeze the tear until it closes.
- Instead of simply gluing the rips together-which will leave indentations in the leather-putting a strip of denim underneath will provide a new layer under the leather that will hold it in place and keep the surface smooth.
- You can stop here and the tear is done repairing. However, if you want to improve the look, you can apply a small amount of superglue to the rip, gently sand it while it's still wet to add dust to the glue, and then restore the color of the furniture with a leather restoration product.
Step 2. Remove indentations with heat
Placing heavy objects on furniture can cause the skin to curl. Take a heat gun or use a hairdryer if you prefer. Set it to a low setting and heat the indented area of skin. Use both hands to gently stretch the skin outward from the curve. Repeat the warm-up and stretching process until the curves are gone or you notice that the curves are reduced.
Step 3. Restore faded skin tone with repair products
Visit a furniture store, hardware store, or search the internet for skin tone repair products. The product is usually a cream or balm that can be gently rubbed into furniture. Choose the most suitable color. Take a cloth, put some cream on it, and rub it over the skin that looks the most faded.
