Leather furniture is both beautiful and durable, making it an excellent investment for your home. Proper maintenance is essential if you want to keep your leather pieces looking like new. In the section that follows, you can find eight helpful tips for cleaning your leather furniture. These tips should keep you from making any costly mistakes.
1. Start by vacuuming your furniture to remove any debris. Removing loose dirt, crumbs, and other debris will make it easier for you to see exactly what condition your furniture is in. Most vacuums come with handheld tools that are designed to make vacuuming furniture easier. For instance, you can use a crevice tool to get any crumbs out from underneath the cushions or from between any small cracks.
2. Look for tags with care instructions. Oftentimes, these tags are sewn onto the furniture pieces themselves. Usually, they are hidden away in inconspicuous areas. For instance, on a leather sofa, they might be sewn into the lining underneath the cushions or they might be attached to the bottom of the couch. It may take a little bit of searching before you find the tag. When you do, however, it should provide you with clear instructions on how to clean the furniture.
3. If you can’t find a care tag, contact the manufacturer for cleaning recommendations. Sometimes, care tags get torn off or wind up missing. In that case, the next best option is to reach out to the furniture manufacturer directly to get there tips and advice on how to properly care for the furniture. Most major furniture companies have websites where you can contact them for help. To get the best results, make sure you know the name and model of the furniture, as well as the year when it was manufactured.
4. Always start with the least invasive cleaning method, only opting for harsher methods if absolutely necessary. Instead of jumping right in with highly concentrated cleaning products or aggressive techniques, start out gently and work your way up, working on any stains slowly to minimize the risk of damaging the furniture.
5. Use cleaning products that are specifically formulated for use on leather. This is one situation where everyday cleaners simply won’t cut it. Don’t risk your furniture by using all-purpose cleaners. Instead, look for cleaning products and tools that are made especially for use on leather furniture.
6. Avoid using too much water. In most cases, using a slightly damp cloth is fine. If you use any more water than that, however, you can wind up leaving water stains on your furniture. When cleaning leather, opting for the driest cleaning method is almost always the best choice.
7. Always test products on a hidden area. Don’t jump right in and use an untested product on an area of the furniture that is highly visible. Instead, find an out-of-the-way area where you can test it to make sure that it won’t cause any damage. Allow the testing area to dry thoroughly so that you can see what it will look like once the cleaning is done.
8. Proceed with caution. The biggest tip to remember when cleaning leather furniture is that it is always best to take things slow and to use caution. By researching different cleaning methods, testing out products, and opting for the least invasive cleaning techniques and tools, you are a lot less likely to cause damage to your furniture.
Using these eight tips for cleaning your leather furniture, you should be able to get excellent results. This is one situation where it really pays to learn as much as you can about the process before you jump in and get started.
