Caring for leather sofas and other furniture on your own

Skin care features

Any leather furniture needs high-quality care and restoration. When buying items with upholstery made from natural material, you need to be prepared for the fact that the leather will have a presentable appearance only if you follow the rules for its maintenance. External factors cause great damage to leather coverings.

Temperature

When purchasing leather furniture, you should pay attention to the location of its installation. It is prohibited to place it near heating devices (whether it is a regular heater or a radiator).

Dry air in the room can cause your skin to become dry and cracked. If the sofa is constantly exposed to the scorching rays of the sun, its color will quickly fade. Do not forget that this material can become contaminated by spilled coffee or tea, grease, paints or felt-tip pens.

Humidity

To prevent the leather covering from losing its elasticity, it should be kept at a certain humidity level (65-70%). This environment is optimal for both people and furniture. If the indicator decreases, moisture begins to evaporate from the skin. Because of this, the material becomes hard, brittle and shows traces of crumbling paint.

Safe products and tools

Use special soft cloths: they do not scratch the surface.
Leather is a delicate material, so only special products and tools are used to clean it. Here you can choose the following devices:

brushes with soft bristles - hardware stores sell special brushes for cleaning leather products;
microfiber cloths (can be replaced with flannel rags) – it is recommended to always keep on hand for regular furniture care;
cotton pads and swabs - used only for cleaning small stains;
special cleaning wipes - used for their intended purpose (for leather upholstery), since they are impregnated with a cleaning solution;
washing vacuum cleaners - used immediately after a stain has formed on the surface of the furniture.

At home, you can use a steam cleaner, but be very careful. Everything is explained by the dangerous effects on the skin of high temperature steam.

Safe chemistry: what components to pay attention to

The safest means for cleaning a sofa of this type include a soap solution. When it comes to furniture in a nursery, it is better to use laundry soap, which is grated on a coarse grater and dissolved in warm water. This will prevent the development of an allergic reaction in a child if there is a predisposition to it.

If the soap solution does not do the job, you can use cosmetic milk or dishwashing gel. It is noteworthy that dishwashing gel will eliminate problems with greasy stains. And cosmetic milk acts as a delicate stain remover.

The products used should not contain chemicals, acetone or solvents. You should also avoid milk containing scrubbing substances that can damage the surface.

Folk remedies: why are they better or worse than chemical ones?

Folk remedies will not harm the structure of leather fabric and will not remove the top protective layer, unlike chemical solutions. Effective cleaning agents include:

table vinegar - removes most types of stains, but can only be used if there is a white surface;
milk and egg white - the white of one egg is mixed into 100 g of milk: it can be used to clean a leather sofa of any color;
baking soda – 30 g of powder dissolves in a glass of warm water – use carefully on dark surfaces;
ammonia or medical alcohol - dissolved in water in a ratio of 1:15 or used in its pure form;
toothpaste - helps to cope with the removal of most types of stains with a timely response to the problem, applied with a soft sponge.

Cleaning leather furniture is easy if you follow the recommendations above. It is enough to clean in a timely manner - until the stain is absorbed into the fabric.

How to choose detergents

To extend the life of expensive leather furniture, you should use special products designed for this. Premium household chemicals, which contain animal and vegetable fats, do an excellent job of this task. They maintain the new condition of the furniture by delicately processing the material.

Dark

Caring for leather products also depends on the color of the leather. It can be dark, colored and white.

If it is dark, care is carried out as follows:

Color

When cleaning colored leather furniture, you must follow the exact instructions for use and apply the dosage indicated on the packaging. It is important to choose the right product that will be suitable specifically for the colored product. Otherwise the upholstery may be damaged.

White

White leather requires special care, it is easy to spoil, and it will be very noticeable. To clean such a product, experts advise using natural cow's milk.

Milk should be low-fat (no more than 2.5% fat). It is heated a little and then the surface is treated with it. A cotton swab or sponge is moistened in warm milk and the product is gently wiped.

You can also remove different types of stains on white leather furniture. To do this, take an ordinary rag, soak it in milk and lightly wipe the stains. Finally, wipe the leather dry and polish it with conditioner. If you don't have a wax conditioner, you can replace it with regular vegetable oil.

Care products

Leather furniture is a luxurious purchase. Therefore, there should always be “emergency help” for the product in the house in order to remove any contamination in a timely manner. To maintain the upholstery in proper condition, it is enough to carry out preventive cleaning 3-4 times a year. The chemical industry produces a large variety of products and devices for the care of leather furniture.

Basic care products:

Neutral soap;
Flannel fabric;
Sponges;
Special shampoo;
Dirt-repellent wax balm;
Color restorer;
Stain remover.

Caring for furniture should begin with two basic rules:

Do not place leather furniture in direct sunlight;
Place furniture away from heat sources.

By following simple tips for caring for furniture, it will retain its appearance for a long time. And all the guests of your home will be amazed at the luxurious condition of the furniture, which has retained its original appearance.

Daily care rules

Once you purchase new leather furniture, you should learn how to properly care for it. After all, leather is a specific material.

How to properly wash leather furniture and sofas

When it comes to caring for a leather sofa, you need to follow the basic rules:

stains are wiped with soft rags or sponges in a circular motion;
special attention is paid to cleaning seams and folds;
the use of products with abrasive substances, as well as tools with hard bristles, is prohibited;
You cannot use tap water when caring for a leather sofa - only filtered water;
It is prohibited to use cleaning products containing acetone, turpentine or solvent.

Each time after cleaning the upholstery, you need to dry the surface with napkins. Do not use a hair dryer or other blowing tools.

Features of stain removal

Before removing stains from a leather product, you should find out about the nature of their origin. Stains from brilliant green are removed using some means, greasy stains - using completely different ones.

Fat

If the greasy stain has just appeared, you can sprinkle it with salt and leave it for about 10 minutes. Then you need to shake off the salt and wipe the surface with a soft cloth.

If the stain was placed a long time ago, table soda will deal with it. To do this, dissolve soda in warm water (1 liter of soda per 1 glass of water) and mix. Use the prepared solution to wipe the grease stain until foam appears. They wipe it and repeat these steps again. Do not rub a fresh stain with a wet rag. It is better to use dry one instead.

Blood

Fresh blood can be removed with cold water and soap. Do not use warm water. It helps the stain adhere to the leather surface. After this it will be almost impossible to clean it.

If the spots have appeared for a long time, you can use an aspirin tablet, dissolving it in a glass of water.

It may not be possible to remove the blood stain the first time. In this case, re-treatment should be used.

Paints or felt-tip pen

To get rid of felt-tip pens or paints on leather furniture, you can use an alcohol solution. To do this, take a cotton pad and carefully wipe the contaminated area. Do not use acetone to clean leather. He can really ruin her. Thanks to the alcohol solution, the fat evaporates. After using it, you need to anoint the coating with cream or moisturizing conditioner.

Traces of tea, juice or coffee

If drops of coffee, tea or juice get on a leather sofa, you can use perfume, rubbing alcohol or vodka. Necessary:

Wipe the surface with a dry cloth, removing excess moisture.
Sprinkle with salt and leave for a couple of minutes.
Remove salt by going over the stains with a cotton pad soaked in an alcohol solution.

Wax or gum

You can remove wax or chewing gum from a leather sofa using an ice cube. It must be wrapped in a thin rag or plastic bag and applied to the stain for 15 seconds. After this, remove the wax or chewing gum using a knife (blunt side).

Mold cleaning

Mold on furniture appears due to the harmful effects of high humidity in the room. To clean leather furniture from it, you need to use a solution with vinegar.

To prepare the vinegar solution, you need to mix:

water (100 ml);
vinegar (1 tbsp).

Wipe the dirty surface with a cotton pad soaked in this mixture. Remove any residue with a dry cloth (before it is absorbed). Vinegar can be replaced with an analogue - a special anti-mold agent, which is sold in any furniture store.

Mold is more difficult to remove if it has been on the leather surface for a long time. Therefore, you should constantly check your furniture for mold.

Get rid of stains immediately

It is advisable to remove them immediately so that they do not have time to be absorbed deeply into the skin. Do not use bleaches, abrasives, laundry soap or ammonia-based solutions for this. First try any chosen product on an inconspicuous area of the upholstery. After cleaning, treat the stained area with a protective cream or conditioner.

How to get rid of everyday stains on leather upholstery

These are stains from dirt, low-fat food and spilled liquids. They are the easiest to deal with.

Dampen a cloth with a cleanser suitable for the type of leather the furniture is made from, or with a solution of warm water and mild soap.
Wipe down the upholstery, working small areas at a time. Be careful not to get the skin too wet during the process.
Wipe with a clean, damp cloth until any remaining product is removed.
Wipe dry.