Caring for That Leather Couch

Hooker Furniture Living Room Sebastian Sofa (with 2 Recliners)

Upholstered furniture go through the same rigors as cabinetry and other pieces of furniture. The only difference is that you may not always notice the dust that settles on upholstered pieces. Brushing or vacuuming every week in order to remove dust as well as avoid colors becoming dull is one of the many effective ways of caring for leather and upholstered pieces.

Why Care for Leather?

In the first place, why? Leather is a beautiful, natural product. This is one of the few materials that allows the piece to breathe while delivering warm and unique characteristics.

Leather beautifully displays traces of where it came from – the scars, brands, growth and creases show it all. These add character to the couch and do not affect the overall quality of the furniture piece.

Leather is resilient, durable and has a patina that develops over time which increases its appeal.

Tips in Leather Care

Begin by protecting your leather couch from direct sunlight. It is best to use leather pieces indoors or any area that would allow them to sit without being touched by the rays of sunlight.

Dust can be removed from semi-aniline, protected or pigmented leather through vacuuming. You can then follow this process by wiping them with a slightly damp piece of cloth. You can also use mild soap if grease has accidentally touched your leather piece.

Follow up with buffing using a soft, dry cloth. Avoid rubbing or wetting excessively.

Next, it is common for leather to have natural oils and perspiration coming from the hair and skin. These can have an effect on the leather couch’s finish. The degree of this said effect can vary from one person to the next. Cleaning is best done where the bare hands, arms and heads usually rest. Do this a couple of times each week.

You can also use leather protection cream to better protect your leather couch. Apply it to both new and used leather from two to four times every year. There are also soft leather cleaners which can be used more often as needed. When cleaning, make sure that you don’t rub the cleaner, instead, use a soft, wiping motion.

Another problem with leather couch ownership is when ink marks stain the lovely piece. Find a ball point pen ink remover that could penetrate more deeply than the usual cleaners. When the stain is a tad more serious, it may require you to ask for professional help.

When it comes to hide food, here’s a word of caution – do not use it to polish your leather couch. Instead, use the usual leather creams and cleaning solutions.

Nubuck, suede, and aniline leathers ask for specific care since they all lack protective coating. Find products that were specifically manufactured for these kinds of leather finish. Make sure that you follow the cleaning instructions thoroughly. Be sure to test on an unseen part of the couch before you begin the cleaning process.

Another warning when it comes to owning leather furniture is to keep it away from any heat source. Keep a distance of 30 cm from the leather couch and the radiator (or any other heat source).

As for liquids, quickly find some absorbent paper towels then dab the area where there was a spillage. Use clean towels to completely dry the area afterwards.

Plump the back and arm cushions as well as the seats and fixed pads so that they maintain their shape for years. Should you notice any crease especially on the seat area, be sure to smooth them out so that it won’t become a permanent problem.

Lastly, just be gentle when sitting on your leather couch so that it will be with you for a long, long time.

Tags: caring for leather, leather care, leather couch, leather furniture, leather furniture care, leather maintenance, McCreerys, McCreerys Home Furnishings

This entry was posted on Tuesday, January 3rd, 2017 at 8:30 am and is filed under Furniture, Home Maintenance, Interior Design 101, Interior Design Elements. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.