Having a leather couch is a fantastic feeling, but many owners don’t pay attention to when it needs to be cleaned. The International Council of Tanners informs us that leather is a fabric made from the skin of different types of animals. If you think about it, leather is a lot like our own skin, and we tend to shower regularly to make sure it remains clean. Good-quality leather needs to be cleaned and maintained as if it was your own skin. Whether it’s leather recliners made in USA or imported leather finishes for your chairs, they all have the same requirements. All leather needs to be dusted and appropriately moisturized to remain supple and retain its fantastic finish. Here, we look at how you should go about cleaning your leather furniture.
Get Cleaning Supplies
Before you start cleaning your leather, you’ll need to get some supplies such as:
- cotton swabs
- rubbing alcohol
- soft cloth
- leather cream
- water
- saddle soap
You can get most of these (if not all of them) from most craft supply stores or anywhere that deals in leatherworking.
Begin With a Gentle Wash
When you’re cleaning your leather couch, you should start off with a gentle wash of soap and water. Saddle soaps are what you’ll use to create a light film of a lather over the top of the leather. These can deal with most light stains on the leather, but you’ll need the cotton swabs and the rubbing alcohol for heavier ones. For example, ink stains don’t come out with just soap and water but require the chemical interaction of alcohol to remove.
Thoroughly Dry the Leather
After washing the leather, the next step will be to dry it using a soft cloth. Drying the leather helps eliminate any dirt residue suspended in the lather and leaves the dry finish to perform maintenance on. This step is a crucial part of the process since any water remaining on the leather couch could spoil the next step in care. Drying should be thorough to ensure no leftover water damages the moisturizing process.
Use Leather Cream
Just like we mentioned above, you need to moisturize the leather because it’s actually the hides of animals. You could use oil to do this, but today it’s much more prudent to use leather cream. The cream sinks into the leather and keeps it supple and waterproof. It also imparts a shine that’s uniquely leather in its look. Ideally, when you apply the leather cream, you will spend some time buffing it to ensure that the leather absorbs it completely.
Your Leather is Your Responsibility
Leather isn’t like other types of construction material. It requires you to invest time in its maintenance, or else it will start falling apart. Modern leather is a lot easier to maintain because of how it’s manufactured. With accessibility for leather maintenance materials readily available, nothing stops you from taking care of your leather furniture yourself. If you don’t, you risk it going bad. Nothing is as heartbreaking as watching leather furniture become warped and cracked because it wasn’t maintained properly.