Despite what a lot of people think, genuine leather doesn’t last forever. Over time leather loses moisture and is exposed to dirt. Leather will begin to fade and crack if its left in the sun day after day. A Natural material like leather needs to be looked after and maintained with careful cleaning and repairs. In this post i discuss the various methods to clean or repair cracked leather.
Leather can be cleaned using a mild soapy solution or saddle soap, which is applied to the surface with a clean cloth. Leather can be rejuvenated by using leather conditioner approximately every 6 months. This helps replenish any lost oils and moisture.
As leather is so expensive it’s important to make it last, hopefully this post will help guide you on the best methods for cleaning leather. Let’s take a look
How to clean leather.
Firstly, cleaning leather will help it remain in a good condition for longer. If leather is cleaned every few weeks with a mild soapy solution it will last longer. It shouldn’t take longer than about half an hour to clean your sofa/ lounge suite. Allow it to dry naturally for a few minutes after it cleaned.
There are different techniques, soaps or cleaning agents you can use depending on the type of leather that you are cleaning.
In this article I only refer to cleaning genuine leather and not suede or pigmented leather or any other kind of leather. It is always best to make sure the item you are cleaning is in fact genuine leather. Usually it will have a tag on it somewhere displaying that it is genuine leather.
It’s always best to be on the safe side and if you are going to apply alcohol or cleaning agent or a soapy solution to leather. So always test the solution on an area that is not easily visible. Maybe the side or back of a sofa that is not visible. Or if you have a spare piece of leather first test the solution on that before applying to the actual item.
How often must leather be cleaned.
It depends on what item you are cleaning, how often its used, how it’s used and what kind of condition it’s exposed to. A sofa situated inside a house which isn’t exposed to direct sunlight will naturally last longer as the natural oils in the leather are not being depleted. Continuous sun exposure will cause the leather to crack over a period of time.
Cleaning leather can be as simple as running the vacuum over your sofa once a week or removing stains, grease and grime that might build up over time from general usage. You should clean or apply a soapy solution at least once every 4-6 weeks. This helps remove dirt and grime and will maintain your leather and keep it free of harmful dirt.
Please note cleaning leather is different to conditioning leather and I will discuss that later on in this post.
Always do a cleaning spot test before cleaning the whole sofa to see if there is any kind of damage or reaction from the solution you are using.
What can I use for cleaning leather.
Usually Saddle soap is used to clean leather. Saddle soap can be purchased online or at any leather supply store. You could also use a light soapy solution like dishwashing soap but it should be mixed to a ratio of 1 part soap to 8 parts water. You also want to avoid a wax or oil based cleaner if you are also going to repair parts of your leather. Wax or oil can prevent fillers or compounds from sticking onto your leather.
A slightly damp cloth can be used and rubbed onto your leather in circular motion to get rid of any dirt. Repeat this process a few times to make sure you cover /clean all the areas. Once you have completed this process dip a clean cloth into clean water and rub it over the leather to make sure all the soap is removed.
You don’t want a soapy build up on your leather. Allow your leather to dry naturally. Do not use a heater or blow dryer on your leather as it can harm it and cause a reaction.
How to Remove stains from leather.
Removing stains from leather is a bit more tricky than cleaning it as it depends on what kind of stain you are trying to remove. Try a light diluted solution of rubbing alcohol first to a test the area. Please be careful as the alcohol may damage your leather. If possible the stain needs to be rubbed off as quickly possible before the stain has a chance to sink in.
How to clean a leather surface with conditioner.
Repairing a leather surface will require the use of a leather conditioner. Conditioner is applied when your
leather sofa or couch etc. has lost its natural oils due to age and exposure and has started drying out. Leather conditioner moisturizes leather and makes it more supple. It also helps protect it from the sun and dirt and grime build up.
You should condition leather at least once every six months in order to provide good protection. This will preserve the leather and therefore you won’t need to clean or repair cracked leather as often.
There are various types of conditioners on the market and they all work fairly well. It’s a matter of your own personal preference and how they are applied that makes the difference. A Natural based conditioner that is effective and highly absorbent and non greasy should be used. The liquid conditioner can be rubbed on with a clean cloth. eg. Leather Honey is a good example of a conditioner. Here is a link to Amazon so you can check out the price
You also get solid conditioners which contain beeswax. These need to be rubbed into the leather which then seals the moisture into your leather. Buffing your leather with this kind of conditioner takes more time and effort but is well worth it. EG. Paul Pails All Natural Beeswax Leather Conditioner.
In conclusion.
Hopefully the above post explained the different procedures that you can use when cleaning leather. By maintaining your leather and cleaning it regularly you will be adding many years to the life of your sofas, jackets, bags and shoes. It is well worth spending the time every few months to preserve your well loved items. I hope you found the above information useful and please check out some of my other posts on cleaning maintaining leather here.