Helpful Tip Friday

Cleaning Leather Furniture

 

Before you begin:

     Check the manufacturer’s directions of your particular piece of furniture.  When it doubt, vendor direction it out!

     Dust thoroughly.  Gently vacuum entire piece, especially in the spaces between cushions.  Use either a soft bristle attachment or extra care with plastic attachments, being careful not to scratch the leather.  Wipe any loose dust and soil from the furniture with a dry cloth as well.  Dusting the furniture first will reduce dirt from being pushed into the leather during cleaning.

     Consider using distilled water for cleaning and rinsing.  Tap water can contain chlorine or other elements that may harm leather.

Cleaning:

  

     While cleaning, start with the lightly soiled areas and work towards the most soiled.  This will help reduce dirt from being spread over the furniture.  Also, only clean what needs to be cleaned, leaving as much as possible alone.  Less is more!

     Before putting anything on your leather, you’re going to need to do a test spot in a low-visibility spot of your furniture.  Leather is a natural material and may react in unexpected ways.  Generally, a wax based leather cleaner or a very mild soap, such as a gentle facial soap, is recommended.

     Once test spot is completely dry, and is proven safe to your leather, start gently cleaning with a cloth. As much as possible, use a clean part of the cloth or rinse the cloth and twist off as much water as possible, to keep from rubbing dirt in deeper.  Change out your cloth as necessary.

  

     After cleaning, rinse off soap or cleaner with a fresh, damp cloth.  Be sure to rinse cloth after each swipe, twisting out as much water as possible.  The goal is to get all soap residue off of your furniture.  Using too much water on your cloth can cause water to be absorbed, causing problems and damage later.

     To dry, wipe down leather with a clean, dry cloth.  Let furniture ventilate and completely dry out.

For ink stains, try a cotton swab of isoprobyl alcohol.

For dark stains on light leather, try a mixture of equal parts lemon juice and cream of tartar.

For newsprint stains, try hairspray, wiped off with a dry cloth.

For mold or mildew, try a spray solution of vinegar and water.

Again, rinse off substances after cleaning.

View more tips and instructional photos here.