Leather Furniture Cleaning Tips
Having a nice, big comfy sofa is a great way to make a living room inviting. A leather sofa is a great investment for the long-term but only if you make it so. In order for you to prolong the life of your sofa and clean and maintain it, you will have to understand a bit about the material and how to apply leather conditioner cleaner.
Most upholstery leather is made of finished leather. Finished leather is less expensive than unfinished leather but it is also easier to maintain. The difference between unfinished and finished leather is that the latter has gone through more steps in processing to have a protective coating on top of it. This will make the leather a bit stiffer than untreated leather but you also will not get the stains of unfinished leather due to spills. And we all know how easy it is to get spills, grease marks, and pet accidents on sofas!
The simplest ways to maintain and clean leather is just to wipe and blot it with a slightly damp cloth. If you use a soaking wet cloth and rub it into the sofa, it will be absorbed and that might leave a water stain. You also shouldn’t use soap when wiping down your sofa either as most soaps are alkaline on the pH scale which is wrong for leather cleaning. You want one that has a neutral pH.
If you have grease marks on your sofa, you can try some talcum power to absorb the grease. Just let it sit for a few hours for maximum absorption.
Those are some simple home made tips you can try but there are more effective commercial leather conditioner cleaners on the market that will make your job a lot easier and preserve your sofa’s future. When you buy a leather sofa, you have to remember that the material is an animal byproduct – which is the skin. And like our skin, it still needs moisturizing or else it will get cracked. If you live in a dry climate, you will need to be aware of this or if your sofa gets heavy usage; you will definitely need a leather conditioner to provide it some moisture. Thankfully, there are 2 in 1 leather conditioner cleaner kits out on the market that cleans and conditions. These products have the right pH balance, and are chemically designed to clean either finished or unfinished leather while protecting it at the same time against water and oil stains. You will get more value for your couch if you use a leather conditioner cleaner.