Leather Furniture Care & Maintenance

Leather furniture can provide many years of comfort and pleasure − providing a little care is given to the product. Think of these questions before buying:

• Where will you put the chair / sofa?
• Will it be subject to a lot of sunlight which can cause fading?
• Do you have pets with sharp claws?
• Do you have kids?

Sunlight can cause fading so bear that in mind.

Pets and chairs have an affinity! Cats can be the most dangerous, and find that chairs and sofas of any material make great scratching posts! If they do attack your furniture, don't worry - professional repairers can repair small scratches. - unlike fabric which creates thread pulls.

Kids – Aah, don’t we just love ‘em! But remember, leather is a perfect foil against kids with sticky sweets, drinks biscuits and so on. Just wipe it off with a damp cloth, and your leather will be as good as new. Leather rarely stains from food and drink, but take care – biro is a nightmare! So watch out for kids doing their homework on the sofa or chair!

Cleaning stubborn marks can be simple. Either buy a good leather cleaning kit, or if the stains are not large, then mix some pure soap with a lot of warm water, and use a clean white cloth; Never use detergents, as this could remove some of the lacquer protection.

It pays to occasionally vacuum your chair! Why? Because dried crumbs, dirt and dust can scratch the surface of the leather over time, so a quick once over can remove a lot of this. I have one leather sofa that is 8 years old, I have 3 kids of 15, 12 and 6, and the leather is still in really good condition. I clean it with leather cleaner once a year in Spring, vacuum it once a month, occasionally treat it with a leather cream, and use an Ink Remover wipe when the kids use their pens as pointers!

Having said all of that, it tends to be true that the older your leather gets, the better it looks. Over time, leather will take on a sheen and glow with its inherent natural beauty showing through.

So, to recap:

• Dust regularly − use a lint free cloth
• Vacuum with a soft brush − don’t forget to clean under the cushions and in the grooves and gaps − this is where the dust is worse.
• Wipe away spills and stains with a damp cloth (not wet) and if necessary use a Leather Cleaner
• Never use Household Detergents, Waxes or spray polishes, saddle soaps, spirit based cleaning fluids, abrasive anythings − all of these can remove colour.
• Never ever get close to the leather with Nail Polish remover!

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