Let’s face it, for many of us we regard leather as a luxury item. When it comes to it’s care though, many of us don’t know how best to look after our leather furniture and so we may resort to Google to get some tips. I recently carried out a “salvage clean” on a cream leather sofa that hadn’t been cleaned for 10 years because the client didn’t know what to do and didn’t trust Google hacks.
So how should we care for our leather furniture?
A priority should be a weekly vacuuming with a soft brush attachment paying attention to button recesses and seams. Be careful that no hard plastic parts of the brush come into contact with the leather surface. Alternatively, you could give it a wipe over with a dry microfibre cloth specifically kept for cleaning your leather furniture and nothing else. It’s surprising how much dust collects on your leather during the week.
Attend to spills immediately with paper towels to blot up as much as possible. Do not rub the leather. To do so can cause some types of leather finish to be removed depending upon the liquid spilled.
The next thing is regular cleaning and protecting. Your type of leather and type of finish will very much alter the cleaning protocols, products, and effectiveness of cleaning. Some leathers are pigmented, and others are dyed. Even within this definition there is a huge range of difference. Generally speaking, cleaning of leather should be left to a specialist who understands the types of leather and how best to approach the cleaning. There are however some DIY products available from reputable Trade suppliers. These can provide an interim clean before calling a professional.
Ideally, depending upon your type of leather it should be cleaned every three months. Shocking I know. Four times per year is the only way to get the best from your leather. Please do not resort to DIY hacks provided by Google searches. Many of the DIY cleaning tips/hacks are just plain wrong to use on leather. Baby wipes and Magic Erasers are an example of what not to use.
Most High Street Retailer leather furniture is what is referred to as Single Colour Pigment. The leather is clearly one colour without variation or subtle colour changes. The colour looks solid rather than mottled with hints of other colours/shades. This type of leather can be safely DIY cleaned with the appropriate products and strictly following manufacturers guidance. Often it will be a “all in one” product that cleans and protects, or two separate products.
The suppliers I would recommend are LTT Leathercare, and Furniture Clinic. Both will supply via their website and dispatch with Mail Order. You can speak to them for advice, or you can email photos and enquiries to them. There may be other suppliers out there, but these are the two I know and trust myself.
In addition to your three monthly cleaning, it’s a good idea every year to eighteen months to seek the services of a professional trained leather specialist for a deeper clean and stain protection. Additionally they can offer repairs to ink damage, scratches, rips, burns, tears, cracking, and even offer recolouring or change of colour to all types of leather.
Should you find yourself in need of a leather cleaning and restoration specialist, then look no further. I can provide all of the services I’ve mentioned. Call now on 07770 524506