Clean and condition leather furniture

How to Clean and Condition Leather Couches and Furniture

There is no denying the beauty and sophistication of a leather couch, which is why it is so upsetting when you notice stains, cracking or dryness. The panic that your beautiful (and expensive!) leather furniture is ruined hits you like a punch in the stomach. But have no fear: There are many ways to clean a leather couch and to remove those pesky stains. After cleaning, you'll also want to invest in a leather conditioner for couches or furniture, which will protect the leather and help prevent future damage.

Cleaning a leather couch or other furniture

Get to know your leather couch first

Before you take any action, it is highly recommended that you do two things first:

Read the tags and any literature that came with the piece of furniture. If you are unable to find those, call the manufacturer from where it was purchased. Inquire if there are any cleaning substances that may cause a damaging reaction to the leather.
Test any cleaner or conditioner, even if it's specifically for leather, on a small, hidden area of the leather before applying it directly to the stain.

Once you have determined that the leather is safe to clean and condition, you may proceed with cleaning.

What you'll need to clean a leather couch

A small vacuum.
A leather cleaner.
Leather conditioner.
Clean, lint-free cloths.

Five steps for cleaning and conditioning leather couches or furniture

Start cleaning your leather couch by vacuuming it first. Suck up any loose debris and dirt with the vacuum. If your leather couch has removable cushions, take them out so you can clean the undersides.
Now that your leather couch is free of dirt, it's time to apply the leather cleaner. We recommend that you apply Leather Honey Leather Cleaner onto the microfiber cloth first, rather than onto the couch itself. That way you avoid the remote chance of creating wipe marks on your couch.
Gently wipe down your leather, concentrating on stained and soiled areas. Try not to rub or scrub, as that can harm the finish of the leather and do more harm than good.
Once you're done applying Leather Honey Leather Cleaner, use another lint-free cloth to dry the couch and remove any excess cleaner.
A leather conditioner for leather furniture can be applied after cleaning. Not only does a leather conditioner protect the leather and prevent future staining by creating a bit of a barrier on top of the leather, it also hydrates the leather and makes it last longer. The best leather couch conditioner can help camouflage existing stains that you were unable to remove. Apply Leather Honey Leather Conditioner to a lint-free cloth, then gently apply a thin, even coat to your leather furniture. Allow the conditioner to dry at least two hours (and preferably overnight), then buff off any excess conditioner.

Removing stains from leather furniture

Ink stains can be removed with small applications of Isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol). This generally works with lighter ink stains. However, if the pen has actually bled into the leather and has absorbed into the pores, you may want to call a professional.
Water stains are relatively easy to fix. In most cases, they can be removed by rubbing a damp cloth across the piece of the furniture that has the water stain. For example, if the stain is on a cushion, wipe the damp cloth across the whole cushion to prevent any lines that outline the stain.
Grease stains are perhaps the most challenging stains to remove. In some cases, water can make the stain worse. Instead, blot the stain to absorb the grease into a dry rag. If this doesn’t work, try using talcum powder. Apply it liberally to the affected area, wait a few hours before wiping it with a clean rag.
Oil stains are also difficult to remove, but they are also the most common, particularly on furniture head and arm rests where body oil builds up over time. Our recommendation is to clean these areas regularly, before the stains start to build up. If it's too late, they can often be removed with our leather cleaner.

More tips for cleaning a leather couch

Use a dedicated leather cleaner. There are many household items you can use to clean a leather couch, but the reality is those items could damage your leather. Use a premade, gentle leather cleaner instead.
Clean your couch often. The best way to keep your leather couch looking good is to clean it often. Once a week, you should use a vacuum or wipe it down with a dry, lint-free cloth. You should do a deep-clean about once per month.
Keep furniture out of the sun. If possible, keep your leather couch out of the sun. Sunlight will make your leather couch fade faster.

Ongoing leather furniture care

To keep your leather furniture clean, conditioned and in good condition, follow some general best practices: Avoid eating and drinking on the leather, don't leave wet towels or other wet items on the leather, and clean regularly to avoid body oil build up.

Complete Leather Furniture Care Kit

Leather Cleaner and Conditioner Complete Leather Care Kit

With our product bundles, you get our Leather Honey premium conditioner, Leather Honey cleaner, and 2 application cloths.

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What Our Customers Say

I received my leather honey and it exceeded my expectations. Directions were easy to follow. I just cleaned the chair with mild soap and water, let it dry, and then put on the leather honey. What a difference!!! Never thought how leather may be just dried out and need a little TLC. Thanks so much for this product. I wish I would have taken before and after pics; just too good to be true!”

We have a den with a leather Chesterfield sofa, love seat, and wingback chair with ottoman. After sixteen years this aniline dyed leather had become chalky (powdery looking) in the most worn areas with white cracks throughout…I didn’t know that the leather was just craving a drink of Honey!”

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Tips for Conditioning Your Leather Couch

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Your leather couch is an investment, so it’s important to give it the proper care it needs. When it comes to maintaining leather furniture, conditioning is a must. Leather dries out over time, so applying conditioner effectively can help it remain soft, bring out its best features, and extend its life.

1. Clean Your Couch

Prepare your leather couch for conditioning by cleaning it. Cleaning your leather couch is an important step because it helps the leather absorb the conditioner properly. Vacuum the crevices of your couch where particles collect and wipe down the surface using a soft, damp cloth.

If your couch needs a deeper clean, use a cleaner or soap designated for leather upholstery. Once you’ve cleaned your couch, let the leather dry completely before conditioning.

You may even want to consider having a local furniture cleaner take care of your couch once a year. This helps remove permanent stains and primes your couch for conditioning.

2. Choose a Good Leather Conditioner

It’s important to select a conditioner to help the leather on your couch stay supple. Leather couches are prone to forming cracks because the material loses moisture over time. When looking for a leather conditioner, you can choose from creams, oils, and waxes. The conditioner you use may also depend on the type of leather on your couch. Make sure to look for a conditioner that contains sunscreen to protect it from UV damage.

3. Use a White Cloth

To avoid staining your leather couch, use a lint-free white cloth when applying conditioner. Using a colored can run the risk of having the dye run on your leather upholstery. A microfiber cloth is ideal, but any soft cloth will work when conditioning your couch.

4. Spot-Test Your Conditioner

Photo: valentinrussanov / E+ / Getty Images

Always spot-test new leather conditioners where it’s least visible. This can be around the back corner of the couch, where guests are least likely to see it. Test it out on a small spot with a clean cloth, then leave it to dry for at least 24 hours.

5. Condition Your Couch Regularly

Make sure to condition your couch every 6 to 12 months to keep it looking supple and new. The climate you live in affects how often leather upholstery needs conditioning, so your couch may need more care if you live in a dry place.

Leather conditioner prevents your couch from cracking while keeping it safe from other oils and dirt. By consistently applying conditioner, you protect the leather upholstery of your furniture so you can enjoy it for years to come.

6. Let the Conditioner Sit

Conditioner typically needs to sit for at least two hours after application. Different brands of conditioner may have specific instructions, so check the label for the amount of time recommended for the product to sink in. Once that time has passed, remove the excess to avoid getting it on your clothes when you sit on your couch.

7. Use a Small Amount Each Time

Apply a thin layer of conditioner to your couch. Using too much at once can saturate the leather and block its pores. As a result, your couch gets sticky from the excess oil. In extreme cases, over-conditioning can saturate the inner layer of leather and rot the leather’s fibers. When it comes to using conditioner, less is more.

8. Consider Conditioning More Than Once

If the leather on your couch is particularly dry or cracked, it may need multiple treatments. Pay attention to see how quickly your couch absorbs conditioner, and make sure it’s completely dry before applying again. The key is to be patient and wait for the leather to absorb the conditioner naturally. Once it’s fully absorbed, apply another thin, even layer.

Cleaning leather furniture at home, removing stains from a leather sofa in Moscow

Times change, but leather furniture always remains at the height of fashion. Visually, it gives any room solidity and solidity. The presence of classic leather furniture behind the scenes emphasizes that the owner is endowed with a fairly high status in society. Better than other types of furniture, it fits into any space - office or club, restaurants or other places of recreation.

Leather furniture is ethical and practical. The wear of leather products is several times lower than that of furniture with textile or polymer upholstery. The high price of such furniture is more than compensated by its long service life. However, for all its durability, leather is a very difficult material to handle and requires constant care. nine0003

Tips for caring for leather furniture

Caring for your leather furniture starts with proper arrangement. There are two principles that will help you reduce the risk of damage:

keep leather furniture away from direct sunlight or bright lamps;
should avoid close proximity to heating sources - radiators, fireplaces or stoves.

It should be noted that leather is a material capable of both actively absorbing moisture and releasing it under the influence of temperature or changes in air humidity. For the normal preservation of leather furniture, it is necessary to maintain the moisture content of the leather coating at a level of at least 10%. This can be achieved if the average relative humidity of the room is 65-70%. If you lower this level of humidity, then the skin will begin to give off moisture and may dry out and crack, and the dye that covers the product simply crumbles..

Leather furniture should also be avoided from constant contact with blankets, toys and other things that have coloring properties. These items can simply shed on light leather upholstery.

Use a soft cloth dampened with water to remove dust from the leather surface. If it is not possible to remove the contamination with clean water, it is best to use a mild soap solution.

Another way to care for leather furniture is, surprisingly, dry vacuuming. Since the surface of the skin is covered with pores, with regular vacuuming, they remain clean, the furniture continues to "breathe", and this in turn reduces the wear of the coating several times. nine0003

How do I remove stains from leather furniture myself?

If you find a stain on the surface of your leather furniture, don't worry. Use our instructions for removing certain types of stains from leather upholstery.

Mold spots

Mold marks should be cleaned with a solution of water and rubbing alcohol (1:1). Wait until dry and work with a stearin sponge in order to maintain the elasticity of the surface. Attention: we recommend trying the solution on an inconspicuous area of the skin - alcohol can harm low-quality dyes. nine0003

Marks from a pen or felt-tip pens

Spray the affected area with normal hairspray and wipe with a dry, clean cloth. An alternative option is to wipe the surface with a cloth soaked in undiluted rubbing alcohol.

Wine stains

Removed with alcohol, similar to pen and marker marks.

Grease stains

Grease stains of organic origin are not terrible for the skin. It is enough to wipe with a dry cloth and remove excess fat - the rest will be absorbed over time and become invisible. After wiping, the surface can be sprinkled with corn starch or talc and left for 4 hours. Bulk products absorb some of the fat from the skin. nine0003

Blood stains

Blood stains are easily removed from the leather surface with warm water.

Chewing gum

Use ice packs to freeze gum. After it hardens, remove it. If there are slight traces of chewing gum on the surface, use a hair dryer. For a few seconds, direct a warm stream of air to the place of contamination (never hot!), Then wipe the surface with a dry, clean cloth. nine0003

If you have doubts about the choice of a product or the stain cannot be removed by the suggested methods, then in this case amateur activity is the enemy of your furniture. Under no circumstances should stain removers, chemical solvents or other aggressive agents be used. After such a “treatment”, cleaning leather furniture will become unnecessary - the product will be hopelessly damaged. Proper care of her is the lot of a qualified specialist.

In our company you can order a professional dry cleaning of leather furniture. We've cleaned over 6,700 sofas, including leather upholstery, and we know exactly how to get your furniture back clean. Our masters in just 1 hour will save your leather furniture from any dirt and old stains that cannot be cleaned by yourself. nine0003

How is professional dry cleaning done?

First, the furniture is cleaned with a special washing shampoo. It opens the pores of the skin and gently removes impurities. If there is a stain on the upholstery that does not come off with shampoo, use stronger stain removers for spot cleaning.

The sofa is then rubbed with a special regenerating paste. It fills the pores, preventing dirt from getting back into them, and gives softness and shine to leather upholstery.

Caring for leather furniture involves a general professional cleaning 2 times a year and the so-called fatliquoring - applying special compositions to the furniture that will allow the leather not to dry out and retain its elasticity for many years. If the furniture is light and gets dirty quickly, it is better to increase the number of cleanings.

5 reasons to order dry cleaning in "Eco-cleaning"

Respect for your furniture. Our master will save your leather sofa from any contamination without harm to the upholstery. We are financially responsible for your property. nine0014
Safe cleaning products. Our detergent compositions are completely harmless and are excellent for cleaning in residential and office areas.
Purity Guaranteed. If after cleaning you are not satisfied with the result - you find stains or stains - we will carry out a second dry cleaning at our own expense.
Free departure of the master. You only pay for the work.
We accept urgent orders on the same day. It is also possible to leave the master at night. nine0014

Andrey Kovrov, specialist of the company “ Eco -cleaning ”

All about the methods and means of cleaning the surface of leather sofas

28 2017

Furniture Care

20 minutes

Any furniture needs care, and leather is no exception. This is a more whimsical and capricious material: it must be regularly wiped from dust, moistened, prevent damage and quickly respond to stains. nine0003

Settling dust gradually penetrates the porous structure of the material, so it becomes more and more difficult to remove it every day. To prevent this from happening, vacuum the sofa once a week and wipe the sofa regularly with a damp calico or flannel cloth. Do not forget about the folds and seams, where a lot of dirt always collects.

Leather upholstery loses elasticity over time and begins to crack due to the evaporation of natural oils from the surface. To slow down this process, use moisturizers (cream or conditioner) and keep the room at a moderate humidity, around 70%. It is not recommended to place a leather sofa close to heating appliances. nine0003

If you are going to be away for a month or more, throw a special cover made of natural material over the sofa: it will prevent dust from accumulating on the surface.

How to properly clean a leather sofa?

Clean your leather sofa for the first time after purchase. Use a special cleaner and a soft brush for this. After a couple of minutes, remove the remnants of the product with a napkin. When the surface dries, apply a special cream. It is easy to do this with a soft cloth. The cream will create a protective coating, and in the future it will be easier to clean the sofa from dirt. nine0003

Follow this sequence for all subsequent cleanings:

Vacuum the surface.
Remove any remaining dust with a damp cloth.
Check for contamination. Treat stubborn stains with a special cleaner.
Remove the agent and wipe the entire surface with a dry cloth.
Apply moisturizer or conditioner to skin.

An alternative to a vacuum cleaner is a steam cleaner. Walk several times over the entire surface, stopping at the dirtiest areas. Then remove excess moisture with a soft cloth. nine0003

If a stain is noticed, apply the cleaner to the stain and blot with a tissue. Do not rub the dirt on the skin, as this will only increase the size of the stain. And do not rub the surface too long and thoroughly: you can damage the structure of the material by “rubbing” the pores.

Moist skin easily develops fungus or mold, especially in poorly ventilated rooms, so do not forget to wipe the sofa with a dry cloth after cleaning.

Cleaning products

The documents for the sofa must indicate the type of leather used for the upholstery. Many manufacturers write what exactly can and cannot be used to clean a particular model, be guided by this information. Buy a cleaning agent immediately after purchasing the sofa, do not wait for the first stains to appear. nine0003

If no documents can be found, choose a neutral cleaner and test it on an inconspicuous area. Wait until the material dries - sometimes the defect can only appear on a dry surface.

Special cleaners require strict dosing - never pour by eye. For general cleaning, choose soft, gentle products with abundant foam, and apply stain removers pointwise to dirt.

Home remedies

Light dirt can be removed with a soft cloth and soapy water. To prepare it, mix two tablespoons of liquid soap and a spoonful of ammonia in a glass of water. You can use apple cider vinegar instead of soap. Soak a cloth in this solution and wipe the surface, then go over it again with a dry cloth. nine0003

Stain removal

How to deal with dust, we figured out, now let's talk about removing more serious dirt.

Spot type	Cleaning method
Grease stains	If the stain has just appeared, sprinkle it with salt and leave for 10-15 minutes. Then remove the salt and wipe the skin with a soft cloth. Table soda will cope with old stains: dilute a spoonful of soda in a glass of warm water, mix, and then wipe the stain with this solution until foam forms. Remove the remaining foam with a napkin and repeat the process again. nine0163
Blood	Cold soapy water will help clean the sofa of fresh blood. In no case do not use warm water - this way you "fix" the stain on the skin, and it will be ten times more difficult to remove it. An aspirin tablet dissolved in a glass of water will help against dried blood stains.
Paints or markers	An alcohol solution will help against marks from felt-tip pens or pens. Moisten a cotton pad and gently remove the stain. Alcohol helps the oils evaporate, so be sure to follow up with a moisturizing conditioner or cream after cleansing. Do not use acetone for cleaning, it can damage the leather. nine0163
Drink marks	To remove tea or coffee stains, first wipe the skin with a dry cloth to remove excess moisture, and then sprinkle with salt. After a couple of minutes, brush off the salt and go over the stain with a cotton pad dipped in alcohol. Red wine stains are the hardest to get out, so don't delay the process: the sooner you clean the sofa, the more likely you'll be able to save it.
Wax or gum	In this case, ordinary ice will help. Wrap it in cellophane or a thin rag and apply it to the stain. Wait 10-15 seconds, and then remove the stain with the blunt side of the knife.

Mold and Mildew Removal

Fungus or mold on leather furniture is caused by high humidity in the home or excess moisture on the surface. To combat them, use specialized tools that are easy to find in a furniture store.

Vinegar solution is suitable for home remedies: mix it at the rate of 1 tablespoon per 100 ml of water, moisten a cotton pad, wipe the infected surface, and remove the residue with a dry cloth before the solution is absorbed into the skin. Periodically check the sofa for mold - the longer it "lives" on the skin, the more difficult it will be to remove. nine0003

How to clean a white leather sofa?

The white sofa looks more impressive than its black "brother", but it is much more difficult to care for it. If you prefer home remedies, use a mixture of beaten egg white and half a glass of milk for cleaning. Soak a cloth in it and wipe the surface of the sofa. With fresh greasy stains, heated milk, ammonia or vinegar in a weak concentration will cope. Toothpaste will help against simple dirt: apply a little paste on a soft-bristled brush and gently wipe the stain. After cleaning, do not forget to apply a moisturizer - it will not allow the skin to dry out and protect it from dust and high temperatures. nine0003

What must not be used for maintenance?

When choosing a cleaning agent, immediately exclude ordinary stain removers, washing powders with abrasive particles, grease-removing dish gels, chlorine products and hard brushes from the list. In no case do not use sharp objects: the skin is easy to damage and scratch, and to eliminate traces you will have to buy a special tool.

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