Nothing says you’ve made it more than buying your first piece of leather furniture. Fake leather or pleather sofas have long been popular knock offs of the original luxury items, and when you finally get your chance to invest in the real deal, it almost feels hard to believe!
Real leather furniture is a fantastic staple in modern and vintage designs that draws your eye almost immediately, so you’re going to want to make sure you’re always keeping this new staple part of your home spotless and clean.
Cleaning leather furniture might feel daunting, but the solution to keeping a leather sofa looking brand new is actually far easier than you’d think. Our expert team has researched and tested out a number of different popular and technical cleaning solutions and recommended only the best to create this expert guide so you know what to clean leather furniture with, enabling you to always have that fresh new look!
Tackling Mild Stains
Materials Needed:
- Microfiber Cloth
- Fiebing’s Saddle Soap
- Spray Bottle
If you’ve noticed a mild stain making its way onto your leather sofa, don’t panic. First, gently sponge or dab off any offending spills or items with a microfiber cloth. Make sure you don’t rub or push the stain further into the leather, but rather gently blot or soak up the stain as much as you can. Next, take a warm, wet cloth and rub some saddle soap onto it. Take your cloth and wipe up the stain, paying careful attention to your pressure not to further press in the stain.
If your soap is more of a balm, you can wet down the top of the saddle soap with water from a spray bottle to mist it damp, and then rub up your cloth into a lather to get enough suds to use on your leather. It’s important to use a specific soap that’s been formulated for leather, which is why we recommend Fiebing’s Saddle Soap or other popular saddle soaps. They have gentler chemical compounds that are made to work with leather without damaging or stripping the natural surface of the leather.
Hydrating Leather Furniture
Method 1: Effax Leather Balsam
Materials Needed:
- Effax Leather Balsam
- Microfiber Cloth
The next phase of cleaning your leather furniture involves drying and hydrating your furniture. Leather is made from dried animal skins, and just like our skin, if it’s not regularly moisturized leather can dry out, crack and even split open. When you clean your leather furniture, you need to pay careful attention to when moisture is spilled on it. If water or any other moisturizing liquid is ever applied or spilled over a furniture, make sure to dry it up thoroughly and almost immediately using microfiber or absorbent cloths.
Here’s how to properly hydrate your leather furniture: Products designed as leather hydrating creams are the best tool to rehydrate dried out leather. These hydrating creams or leather conditioners, as they’re also known, pours moisture and hydration back into your leather and provide a much-needed refresh to the surface of your leather furniture. The Effax Leather Balm acts as lotion does for our skin, buffing and resurfacing the leather and working to add moisture and longevity back into the life of your leather furniture.
Take a small amount of leather balm or conditioner onto a microfiber cloth after cleaning and drying and begin working it slowly into the material. Patiently, cover the entire leather surface of the piece of the furniture in the balm, making sure to apply even but thin coats and allowing plenty of time for the balm to soak into the leather. Let your balm soak in for about half an hour and then take another microfiber cloth and buff until your furniture surface looks polished, healthy, and shiny.
Method 2: Liquid Leather Conditioners
Materials Needed:
- Leather Honey Conditioner
- Microfiber Cloth
Depending on the age and longevity of your leather furniture, you may need a more gentle leather polish option than a thicker balm. Older leather furniture with more fragile or more aged surfaces often need a gentler approach to polishing. If a thick balm doesn’t seem like the right tool, consider turning to the Leather Honey Leather conditioner. Leather Honey is designed to deeply penetrate to protect and rejuvenate dry and old leather surfaces. This conditioner is a liquid, odorless non-toxic, all natural conditioner designed to naturally rehydrate even the most brittle of leather surfaces.
When using liquid leather conditioners, you’ll want to start by doing a thorough wipe down of your leather furniture to remove surface level dirt and grime. Make sure to pay careful attention to visible dirt or dust that could mix with the conditioner and leave smudges or stains behind.
Once you’ve wiped down and dried your leather furniture, it’s time to turn to the Leather Honey Leather conditioner. Use a lint-free application cloth to spread an even coat of the liquid over the entire surface of your furniture, making sure to use enough to cover the surface but not so much that it saturates the leather. Let sit overnight and then go over the entire surface again with a dry cloth to soak up excess and buff the existing polish into the surface.
The Natural Approach to Leather Cleaning
Materials Needed:
- Distilled Water
- Mild Dish Soap
- Vinegar
- Microfiber Cloth
If you’re skeptical about the chemicals that can sometimes be found in leather hydrating or softening products, were here to help you too!
It’s easy to make your own leather conditioner at home with all-natural ingredients. Begin by mixing one quart of warm distilled water with one tablespoon of gentle dish soap. Next, put a few drops of vinegar into your mixture. Mix well and soak a cloth in it before wringing out excess moisture.
Take your rag and wipe down the entire surface of your leather furniture.
Do not mix essential oils or citrus fragrance into your cleaner- the acidic components of the oil can decay your leather. Stick to the gentle water and soap combination and cover the entire surface, then let rest overnight and air dry before beginning to use again.
Leather furniture is a statement wherever it stands in your home. Sofas, couches, ottomans, and more- leather is an incredible fabric with a unique and comfortable texture that provides for a luxurious experience at all times. Show off your new statement furniture with style and keep it spotless and in top condition with our carefully curated cleaning tips!