3 Simple Tips for Leather Furniture Care

Leather furniture requires little maintenance. Just a few times a year you should give your leather furniture extra attention. Always dust leather furniture sets when you dust your wood furniture. Use only a clean cloth for doing this. Make sure that the cloth you use is free of any other cleaning agents. Products used for cleaning other household furniture should not be used on your leather furniture. These cleaners have ingredients like alcohol and other harsh agents that will actually break down the surface of the leather and void any warranty. Remember you bought leather furniture for easy maintenance and longevity don’t overdo it.

Cleaning Living Room Furniture

A good reminder time to do further cleaning to your living room furniture is when the clocks change twice a year. When you spring forward or fall back, give your leather recliner or sectional sofa a deeper clean. Dust with a clean colorfast cloth and be sure to get into all the nooks and crannies. Just a few pieces of sand or dirt can cause a large amount of damage to the finish of your leather furniture. These particles can lie within the comfort wrinkles of your seat cushion and rub together every time someone sits down or gets up and can create a problem. Once this starts, the damage is irreversible. So be sure to dust and remove all the dirt from the comfort wrinkles, not just the surface.

Vacuum Your Leather Furniture

This is the perfect time to lift up or remove, if you can, your back and seat cushions to vacuum the decking. This is the fabric that covers the seat bottom underneath your leather seat cushion. As mentioned, just a few times per year should be good. You could be surprised by what you might find hiding underneath your seat cushions!

Something else that is helpful is if you have a vacuum that has a soft brush attachment. The soft brush attachment works well for cleaning underneath the seat cushions, but also serves as a duster for the leather surface.
 

Spring Forward And Fall Back...A Good Reminder

Quality leather furniture will bring you years of comfort and pleasure with very little effort. So remember when you change your clocks to spring forward or fall back, give your leather furniture a little TLC and you will have a long lasting piece of furniture and quite possibly a family heirloom.

Disclaimer Regarding Care & Cleaning

Wellington's Leather Furniture cleaning and care tips have been gathered from various sources. It is to be used for research purposes only. This information may have errors. Wellington's factory direct furniture cannot and does not guarantee the correctness and completeness of all information provided. The information provided is "as is", "with all faults". The user of this information assumes all risks of use, damage, or injury. You agree that we have no liability for any damages. The use of this information indemnifies us from all claims.

Pure Aniline Leathers

All pure aniline leathers have Scotchguard/GTX incorporated into the dyeing process. All spills should be cleaned ASAP to prevent stains from setting.

• Water Based Stains: Blot the area with a colorfast cloth. If necessary, blot or gently wipe the area with a colorfast cloth dampened with bottled water. Before the area dries, mist with a mixture of two (2) tablespoons of white vinegar and one (1) quart of bottled water. Bottled water does not contain chlorine that is found with most public utilities. These chemicals can actually do harm to some leathers. This will prevent or get out any water rings. Allow area to air dry. Never dry with heat as this will set the stain and/or dry out the leather. Repeat process as needed as stubborn stains may not come out on the first attempt.

• Oil Based Stains: First clean and blot the area with a colorfast cloth. Sprinkle baking soda on the area - enough to thoroughly cover the area. Leave on the stain until the baking soda turns a greyish color. Brush or vacuum off. Repeat the process until baking soda no longer turns grey, then clean the area with a colorfast cloth, bottled water, and vinegar mixture as in water based procedure. Allow area to air dry.

• Fading from Cleaning: A light spot from cleaning may occur. Leave it for a few days and the color will most likely return. If not, apply a couple of drops of baby or mink oil to CLEAN hands and rub into hands as you would lotion. Then lightly massage the area that has faded. This will put moisture back into the leather that was lost during cleaning.

• Sun fading: THIS IS RECOMMENDED FOR DARK LEATHER COLORS ONLY. If the piece has faded over a large area, take a clean sponge and dampen it with bottled water. Apply a few drops of baby or mink oil and massage into the sponge. Lightly rub sponge over the faded area. Go in one direction - up and off. ONLY DO THIS ON BACKS AND SIDES, NOT ANYWHERE WHERE YOU WILL SIT as oil could transfer to your clothing. Go with a small amount of oil at first and increase the amount if needed. Always test this method first in an unobvious area to convince yourself of the results.

• Ink Stains: FOR BALLPOINT AND FELT TIP PENS ONLY. Use your fingertip covered by a clean, colorfast cloth. Rub up and off in one motion. DO NOT RUB INTO THE LEATHER. Change cloth area with each motion. If this does not work, try bottled water on cloth and repeat technique. If all else fails, lightly rub area with gum eraser (used on suede shoes and can be purchased in most shoe stores). If the ink has not set you can actually use hairspray. Do not spray directly on your leather. Try spraying onto a cotton ball then touch it to your leather. Also whole milk will sometimes do the trick.

Protected Aniline Leathers

With protected aniline leathers, you can expect color consistency, easy maintenance, and more protection against sun fading (however, leather can still fade if proper care is not taken). These leathers have a pigmented finish and will not be as soft as other leathers, but require minimal care. Simply dust occasionally with a clean, colorfast cloth.

• Water and Oil Based Stains: Water and oil based spills should wipe off easily. Always use a clean, colorfast cloth and lightly wipe the spill area. For water based spills that could potentially stain, use bottled water on cloth. Bottled water does not contain chlorine that is found with most public utilities. These chemicals can actually do harm to some leathers. If oil based stains leave a darkened area, you can use the baking soda technique explained above; however, oil will most likely dissipate with time and use.

Always try any cleaning methods on an underneath spot before trying on any seating surface of your leather living room furniture, recliner or sectional sofa.