Natural leather sofa cleaner
How to Clean Leather Furniture Stains with Natural Products (DIY)
Updated: Jan. 03, 2019
Leave the harsh chemicals in the cupboard and find a natural remedy.
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These natural leather cleaning tips will make old furniture look new. The best part is you probably already have everything you need in the cupboard!
By the DIY experts of The Family Handyman Magazine
- Time
- Complexity
- Cost
- A full day
- Beginner
- Free
How to Clean Leather: Give It a Good Vacuuming
Use Those Attachments to get in the Crevices
Before reaching for harsh chemicals on a leather stain, try these natural, at-home remedies to learn how to clean a leather couch and leather furniture. Always remember to check the furniture manufacturers directions first, and spot-test a small, hidden area to check for discoloration before applying any remedies to the whole piece. First, prep the leather stain surface by vacuuming all dust and debris off surface and out of folds.
Start with a Damp Cloth
Get Rid of Surface Dirt
Next, wipe entire surface down with a clean, warm damp cloth to remove all loose, surface dirt. Be gentle and move quickly – water can sometimes discolor unfinished leather.
Use Rubbing Alcohol for Ink Leather Stain
How to Remove Ink From Leather Couch
For ink-based leather stains like ballpoint pen and marker try rubbing alcohol. Dip a cotton swab in rubbing alcohol, and gently rub along mark until ink begins to lift. Change cotton swabs often to reduce bleed. Once the leather stain is removed, wipe away excess alcohol with clean, damp cloth.
A Special Mixture for Protein-based Stains
Cornstarch and Lemon Juice
For protein-based leather stains like food and blood, try a paste of 2 parts cornstarch to 1 parts lemon juice as you learn how to clean a leather couch and leather furniture.
Use a Mild Oil on Scratches
Olive or Baby Oil
For surface scratches, try erasing with a mild oil, like olive or baby oil. Dip a cotton swab in oil and gently massage along scratch until well covered. Let sit for 5 minutes and gently buff away excess oil with a clean, dry cloth.
Do an Overall Clean
Make Your Own Solution
The best way to clean a leather couch and the entire surface, mix 2 parts white vinegar with 1 part olive oil in a spray bottle and shake well. (You can also add a few drops of fragrant essential oils to cut the vinegar smell).
Be Generous with Spray
Use a Gentle, Steady Pattern
Spray generously and use a clean cloth to massage into a leather stain using a circular motion until the entire surface has been cleaned. A soft brush when learning how to clean leather can also be used to gently scrub problem areas. Then use a dry paper towel to wipe all excess oil off the leather.
Finish with a Nourishing Oil
Coconut Oil Works Wonders
To revive the luster of leather furniture and buff out small scratches and fading, try a natural leather cleaner like coconut oil.
Use a clean, dry cloth to rub coconut oil into leather in a circular motion, much like shoe polish. Let penetrate 10 minutes, and buff out excess oil with a new, clean cloth.
Originally Published: January 03, 2019
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The Best DIY Leather Couch Cleaner
HOME I The Best DIY Leather Couch Cleaner
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Clean your couch gently and naturally with this DIY leather cleaner. This easy solution cleans and conditions with essential oils and olive oil leaving your furniture looking refreshed and renewed!
Keeping furniture clean with kids is a chore. We’ve had a white Ikea couch and oh my gosh, it was so much work to keep clean! Having leather furniture is the way to go.
Even though leather is easier to clean than fabric, it does need cleaning regularly.
Over time leather can look worn in areas or discolored. Using a leather cleaner that conditions can bring your worn couch back to life.
You can make this DIY leather couch cleaner with only 3 ingredients you probably have on hand! You can actually use this cleaner on your hardwood floors too!
This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. Get my full disclosure here.
Why You Should Switch To A DIY leather couch Cleaner:
- Its all natural
- Easy to make
- Much cheaper than store-bought
- Conditions as well as cleans
- Chemical free!
How To Make DIY Leather couch Cleaner
Ingredients
- distilled water – using water in homemade cleaners, bacteria can start to grow over time while the solution sits in the sealed container.
To keep this from happening, always use distilled water. - white vinegar – just regular old white distilled vinegar you use in cooking! I buy mine in bulk at Sam’s Club.
- castile soap – an all around great thing to have on hand. Its gentle enough to use on your skin, but strong enough to clean with! This is the kind of castile soap I like to use in my homemade cleaning products. Read more about the many ways you can use castile soap in your home!
- olive oil – olive oil helps condition your leather furniture as you clean it! An off brand is fine. No need to spend more than you have to since you aren’t needing to be worried about flavor.
- essential oils (Optional) – for additional cleaning power and a fresh smell, add a couple drops of citrus, cedarwood, eucalyptus, citronella or any other essential oils known for their cleaning power.
I use a castile soap in these other recipes too: homemade face wash and homemade thieves cleaner
Supplies
- spray bottle – any spray bottle will do.
I like to use these glass amber spray bottles and labels for my cleaning products. - funnel – a funnel just helps keep things tidy.
how to make diy leather couch cleaner
Combine – In an empty spray bottle, combine 4 teaspoons white vinegar, 1 teaspoon olive oil and 1 teaspoons of castile soap. Fill the rest of the way with water.
Mix – Shake well to combine.
Tips
Store – Store the DIY leather cleaner for up to 6 months.
Variations – Essential oils can add to the cleaning power and make your house smell fresh as you clean! Just add 2 drops to your spray bottle.
Substitutions – Fractioned coconut oil can be used instead of olive oil.
how to use this diy leather couch cleaner
- Shake the spray bottle to make sure the oil isn’t settled on the top of the cleaner.
- Test the DIY leather cleaner in an inconspicuous spot to make sure your furniture reacts well to it.
- Once you are sure its safe to use, continue cleaning the entire couch.
- Spray the leather cleaner onto a section of your furniture.
- Using a cloth, rub the cleaner into the leather in a circular motion.
- After you’ve cleaned the whole couch, wipe it down with a clean, dry cloth to remove any excess cleaner.
Its best to clean your leather couch or chairs at night that way the oil in the cleaner has a chance to soak in.
FAQ about DIY leather couch cleaner:
can you use vinegar on a leather couch?
White vinegar is a great natural cleaning agent that can remove most stains and dust from leather furniture.
Vinegar used on its own can dry out leather over time. Using a mixture of vinegar, water and oil is a great way to clean your leather couch without damaging it. The diluted vinegar cleans the leather gently, while the oil refreshes and rehydrates it.
Can you use olive oil on leather?
Rubbing olive oil into your leather couch can restore and rehydrate it. Olive oil can also repair small scratches and discolored areas.
Olive oil should be used in small amounts, and rubbed gently in a circular motion over your leather furniture. Its best to let the oil soak in overnight before using the furniture so that the oil doesn’t come off onto your clothes.
can you use coconut oil instead of olive oil in this homemade leather cleaner?
Yes! coconut oil is another great option for cleaning and conditioning your leather furniture. Make sure to use fractioned coconut oil since it stays in a liquid form and doesn’t solidify at cooler temperatures like other types of coconut oil.
what Essential Oils can you use to clean leather?
Essential oils are a great addition to DIY leather cleaner! You want to choose essential oils that are anti-bacterial and have cleaning properties. Orange, lemon, grapefruit, eucalyptus, citronella and cedarwood are the best essential oils to use for cleaning leather.
Essential oils should always be diluted before you use them on your leather furniture. I’ve made the mistake of using straight lemon oil to clean a pen mark on my couch. It did work to remove the pen, but also took some of the color of the couch off too.
Other things you can use this DIY leather cleaner for:
- cleaning any other leather furniture
- dusting plants
- dusting and polishing wood furniture
- cleaning hardwood floors
More All Natural Cleaning:
If you liked this recipe, I think you’ll really enjoy these other natural cleaning tutorials on the blog!
- Homemade Laundry Stain Remover Spray
- How to Clean a White Enamel Sink
- Homemade Hardwood Floor Cleaner
- Homemade Toilet Bowl Cleaner
- DIY Thieves Cleaner From Scratch
I hope you love this recipe for DIY leather cleaner! If you make it, I’d love for you to come back and leave a comment and rating so that I know how you like using it!
Pin these steps to try later.
Tag @athomeontheprairie on Instagram to share what you’ve made with us!
Ingredients
- 4 teaspoons white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon castile soap
- 20 drops essential oils
Instructions
- Combine – In an empty spray bottle, combine 4 teaspoons white vinegar, 1 teaspoon olive oil and 1 teaspoons of castile soap. Fill the rest of the way with water.
- Mix – Shake well to combine.
Notes
Store – Store the DIY leather cleaner for up to 6 months.
Variations – Essential oils can add to the cleaning power and make your house smell fresh as you clean! Just add 20 drops to your spray bottle.
Substitutions - Fractioned coconut oil can be used instead of olive oil.
How to use this DIY leather cleaner:
- Shake the spray bottle to make sure the oil isn't settled on the top of the cleaner.
- Test the DIY leather cleaner in an inconspicuous spot to make sure your furniture reacts well to it.
- Once you are sure its safe to use, continue cleaning the entire couch.
- Spray the leather cleaner onto a section of your furniture.
- Using a cloth, rub the cleaner into the leather in a circular motion.
- After you've cleaned the whole couch, wipe it down with a clean, dry cloth to remove any excess cleaner.
Its best to clean your leather couch or chairs at night that way the oil in the cleaner has a chance to soak in.
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How to clean a leather sofa at home
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Contents
Why does the carpet get dirty?
Basic care instructions
How to clean carpets?
Do-It-Yourself Carpet Cleaning at Home
Chemicals and Equipment
Using Vinegar, Baking Soda, and Powder
Citric Acid
Snow Cleaning
Stain Removal with Glycerin
Laundry detergent
Peroxide
Cleaning tips
Cleaning carpets made of natural and synthetic fibers
Cleaning fluff of different colors - what to look for
Features of dry cleaning from dirt
2 Soft leather furniture Conclusion
to status expensive things.
Wealthy people can buy such furniture. Luxury hotels, restaurants, offices are furnished with leather sofas, armchairs, banquettes.
Cleaning leather furniture requires special knowledge and appropriate professional chemicals. One wrong cleaning can spoil a delicate expensive coating, and there are actually no methods of restoration acceptable for a status product.
In this publication, we will tell you how to care for a leather sofa so that it looks flawless for many years, and the leather does not crack or dry out.
Do you want to calculate the cost of dry cleaning sofas? 30% discount for you now!
Features of leather upholstery: pros and cons
Benefits of leather furniture upholstery:
- Beauty, status, respectability, emphasizing the owner's financial capabilities.
- Pleasant tactile sensations - soft, smooth, warm.
- The dense structure of the leather cover resists the accumulation of dust, dust mites.
- Leather is hygroscopic, thanks to which it maintains room temperature and does not steam.
- Eco-friendly - unlike eco-leather, it does not emit harmful chemical fumes.
- Practicality - with proper care, leather upholstery can last for decades, and furniture, over time, become antique.
- The elasticity of leather allows it to be beautifully draped and laid down, so leather sofas are produced in different styles for any interior.
IMPORTANT! The service life of leather furniture depends on proper care. In addition to regular cleaning, the coating needs nutrition, hydration and protection.
Damage to leather upholstery:
- Overmoistening - wet cleaning with a damp cloth and soft foam is allowed.
- Cleaning products with an abrasive effect - they scratch the top layer of the skin, it loses its strength, beauty, and allows moisture to enter.
- Scraping dirt with a blade, knife, other sharp and cutting objects.
- Removing stains with pure alcohol.
When you buy leather furniture, you also need to buy a special product to care for it.
Then you do not have to take risks and save the sofa with something completely inappropriate if it has suffered from blood stains, grease, colored drinks, urine, felt-tip pens, wax. But use these funds as an ambulance.
To protect the leather upholstery:
- do not expose the sofa to direct sunlight;
- use a humidifier in dry rooms;
- periodically wipe the upholstery with castor or olive oil;
- use beeswax products to prevent drying and cracking of the leather.
Regular maintenance of a leather sofa
How to care for a leather sofa without professional dry cleaning:
- Vacuum with a small soft attachment twice a month.
- If the sofa needs a refresh, lather with shampoo or neutral liquid soap. Try to wash the skin with foam, not with a solution. Then wipe with a damp, clean cloth and pat dry.
- Do not use special cleaners for leather furniture more than once every 6 months. So you save upholstery from thinning, dryness, brittleness, destruction.
- Rub leather upholstery with furniture cleaner every six months. It will create a protective film and extend its life.
Freshen up a sofa with a peeled onion cut in half. Onion juice removes dirt in a gentle way, but, however, leaves a specific smell. Wipe the sofa with a clean, damp cloth and ventilate the room. Minor abrasions will be less noticeable if dark skin is rubbed with fresh orange peel, and light leather is rubbed with warm cow's milk.
Professional leather sofa cleaning
That's all you need to know about caring for your leather upholstery. We CLEAN EVERYTHING company experts advise not to experiment with amateur cleaning of genuine leather products. Let us take care of your leather sofa. Our masters use sparing effective technologies. We buy professional chemicals for a complete dry cleaning of a leather sofa. We can order stain removal, urgent and scheduled cleaning.
CLEAN EVERYTHING company will come to your aid at any time - call us!
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All about methods and means of cleaning the surface of leather sofas
November 28, 2017
Furniture care
20 minutes
Any furniture needs care, and leather furniture 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.
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.
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.
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 product 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.
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.
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.
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. |
| 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. |
| 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.
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.
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.
