Keep Your Leather Looking Great
In order to keep your leather furniture looking great, it is critically important that you follow a regular maintenance schedule.
The main reason you should regularly clean and condition your leather is that body oils get deposited on the leather. If they get embedded into the leather under the paint, the paint may wear off leaving an unsightly discolored area underneath. New paint may not stick to that spot and you may find yourself with an expensive curb ornament.
What’s Good for Your Skin is Not so Good for Your Leather Furniture
Our skin is covered in oil to protect it from drying out. That oil can transfer onto the surface of our furniture. Most leather furniture today has a pigment applied to keep it from staining. What protects our skin, is not good for the finish on that gorgeous, overstuffed leather love seat you just bought.
To maintain the look you paid for, oils should be removed by cleaning with a quality leather cleaner. You’ll also want to protect it with a cream specifically made to adhere to and protect your furniture’s finish.
Tips on Cleaning Your Leather Furniture
All cleaners are not created equal! Some may say “leather cleaner”, but don’t actually get the job done. Here are the leather furniture care products we recommend because we’ve had the best results from them.
If you are using a commercial wipe, know that the wipe is simply an applicator for cleaning. The wipe itself will not take off all the soil you need to remove because it does not have enough surface area to absorb the now loosened soil. After applying the cleaning solution from the wipe, vigorously remove the soil with terry cloth towels.
If you are using a bottle of quality leather cleaner, (better) squeeze it into a damp sponge and make a foam by squeezing the sponge. Apply the foam to the soiled areas and wait until the foam settles, then take your terry cloth towel and vigorously remove the soil.
The last step in DIY leather furniture cleaning is the protection cream and your leather furniture care job is not done until this is generously applied. If you are using a conditioning wipe know that your coverage is limited. If you are using a bottle of leather protection cream (better), using a lint-free cloth such as an old t-shirt to apply the cream. Put the cream directly on your cloth. Rub the protection cream on your furniture in a circular motion, paying special attention to the higher use areas.
If your results don’t leave you smiling, as leather professionals, we can help you love your leather again!