Leather is really durable and low maintenance but this does not mean you do not need to take care of it properly. Although you often see leather used in home furnishings, if you want to keep the chair, ottoman or sofa clean, you need to do some things. Everything basically starts with leather upholstery type. Different upholsteries will have different cleaning requirements. High end leather furniture can be present in most upholstery types. Cleaning depends on what you have at home.
Unprotected Leather Upholstery
The aniline leather will have a luxurious, soft feel. It is dyed through with the use of aniline dye but there is no added surface pigment color. The problem with this is that there is no protective coating that is added. That is why the surface can easily develop markings and you often see natural grains. Patina eventually appears. The aniline leather will be sensitive to being stained.
Protected Leather
Most of the high end furniture sold these days is using finished or protected leather. Such leather can be semi-aniline or aniline with added pigmentation. The protected leather option is definitely one to consider as it is highly durable, uniform and resistant to stain. Appearance is also better. The main thing to remember with this is that the leather will be topped with pigment color.
Taking Care Of High End Leather Upholstery
For starters, you need to completely avoid the home solutions. Cleaning high end leather needs to be done properly. This means you want to avoid DIY options and you need to keep things as simple as possible. There are many articles that offer mayonnaise and vinegar based recipes. These are not at all something that should be considered. They are actually going to harm furniture. As you use the solutions warranties are lost and in many different situations you would end up damaging your leather. The very best things that you could do are the following:
- Use a brush attachment for your vacuum cleaner and often vacuum the leather upholstery.
- Use distilled water to clean the leather.
- You should prefer the leather cleaners that are specifically designed for upholstery as their formulas are meant to protect furniture.
- Use drop or tarp cloth. Microfiber cloths are also really good.
- Optionally use a commercial leather conditioner.
Unprotected Leather Cleaning
If your leather is unprotected the very best thing that you can do is to dust it with a dry, clean cloth. Vacuuming is also recommended. If you want to wipe such a surface with liquid, distilled water is the best. Go to shops to find approved leather cleaners that do not harm unprotected leather.
Protected Leather Cleaning
Pigmented leather is going to stand up to heavier cleaning and use than the aniline leather. Even so, you need to avoid the cleaning products that include alkalies and ammonia. They can easily damage leather to the point at which it cannot be repaired. You need to be sure you avoid detergents, furniture polishes, oils, saddle soap and all abrasive materials.
General Cleaning Steps
In most situations you need to just follow these steps:
- Remove the dirt with a vacuum.
- Use mild nondetergent soap to water that is distilled and use that as cleaning solution.
- Apply with microfiber cloths.
- Test spots that are inconspicuous.
- Wipe your furniture from the top to the bottom.
- Use a new cloth to wipe your furniture again.
- Dry with the use of clean towels.