What is the Best Way to Clean a Leather Sofa?
Leather furniture can truly bring elegance and style to your interior. Nowadays you may choose from a universe of colours and sizes, which help create a beautiful and eye-catching room in any home. If you have decided to equip your room with leather, you are definitely making a good choice and anyone who sees it will tell you the same.
If there is one thing you need to consider before that, it is the fact that leather furniture requires some specialised care and cleaning service. Don’t be a fool to think you can just wipe the leather with a clean cloth and call it a day. You need to be much more thorough than that, and the following guide aims to provide you with information on how to achieve this. In case you are wondering what solutions work best and how to handle leather cleaning in the most effective manner, these tips are just for you:
- Start by vacuuming the leather first - before you begin any other cleaning of your leather furniture, it is advisable to give it a good vacuum clean. This is very important, because if the surface of the leather has dust and dirt, they can get rubbed into the material once you start your cleaning. Take out the brush attachment of your vacuum kit and use that to clean your leather furniture, as otherwise it may be easily scratched by the machinery. Make sure you put the power of the vacuum on low, as otherwise you may scratch the leather.
- Prepare a cleaning solution - there are two more popular solutions you can use to get your leather upholstery clean and sanitised. A quart of water with few drops of liquid soap makes one of the solutions. The other is to create a 50/50 mix of vinegar and water. These two can be used instead of most commercial products you can find on the market.
- Start cleaning - acquire a piece of cloth (microfiber works best) and wet it in the solution you previously mixed. Wring it out properly, because the desired effect is a damp cloth, not a soaking wet one. Clean the sections of your furniture one at a time, preferably from top to bottom. Rinse your cloth in water if you notice it has accumulated a lot of spoils. When you are done, get another cloth and repeat the same procedure only this time with clean water. The second wiping should rid the furniture from residue of the previous cleaner and take care of any odors that may linger (mostly vinegar). Once you are done, dry the furniture with a clean towel. Never use a blow dryer as that may dehydrate the leather.
- Dealing with stains - staining leather is not unheard of and it is one thing you have to know how to handle. Stain removal is best done quickly after your leather furniture has acquired the stain. Food stains, as more common, should be treated with a mix of lemon juice and cream of tartar - make a paste-like compound, rub it on the stained area, let it sit for 10 minutes and wipe away with a clean cloth. Should you stain your leather furniture with ink, quickly take out rubbing alcohol for some effective cleaning service. Grease spills can be handled with a dry cloth. Again, remember to treat every stain as soon as possible in order to prevent it from penetrating the leather.
- A technique for restoring leather - should you see a cracked and worn area of your furniture, you can use some recoloring balm to fix it. If the surface is absorbent, you can apply the product directly. To fix cracks, you will need leather binder and filler to strengthen the leather and fix cracks. Finish by applying a new spray of color and a new coating of finish for a soft feel and great new looks of your furniture.
Leather cleaning is easily manageable when you know what and how to do. Follow all of these tips for some effective maintenance and you can enjoy the looks of your leather furniture for a long time.
