Leather Furniture Maintenance Tips

Furniture is a very important thing for every home. Proper maintenance is most important for every furniture. Arranging the furniture gives good look to the area where we position them. But maintaing them frequently gives more elegance to them. Apart from entertaining the guests, they also give pleasure to us if we maintain them in a good way.

There are several reasons for the wearing out of furnitures like, scratches, stains, cracks, etc. Spillings from the eatables totally devastate the look of furnitures. They should be cleaned then and there. Apart from this, dust plays the major role in spoiling the furnitures. Even though cleaning them is easy, if we do not clean frequently (at least thrice in a week) they will stick to the furniture and give very dirty look to the furnitures.

The next most reasons for furniture to get damaged are keeping rough things on them and children/pets using them as play area. We can always avoid these damages by handling them very politely or taking care of them in a daily basis. Moving the furniture frequently from one place to other makes them wear out soon.

Use of Leather Furniture gives very elegant and classic look to your Living room/Drawing room. Not only that; it adds stylish beauty than using the normal furniture. They are very durable. Popularity of leather, as an interesting element of interior design, has grown steadily, primarily, owing to its versatility and durability. You feel the cozy comfort in soft Leather Furniture. It gives added comfort since leather is flexible basically.
It adds to the aesthetic appeal of the space when we use Leather Furniture. It has an exotic appeal and heightens the luxury quotient of any given place.
Generally, we get Sofas, couches and recliners/chairs in leather in different designs, variety of shades & colors and textures to suit the taste and budget of any individual. While Leather furniture has longer life and it complements the total ambience of the place where it is placed, we need to keep them clean frequently to look as good as new.

Here are some simple ways to keep your Leather Furniture as good as new one for ever:

Firstly, leather furniture should not be exposed to sunlight or any form of heat. It tends to fade when exposed to sunlight directly. Sitting on the arms of any furniture or the back of it may cause some damage to it. So, use them gently. Even though most of us know these details, while using the furniture it will not strike our mind. Leather furniture typically comes with some kind of basic instructions from the manufacturer with regards to cleaning and maintenance. It is very important to follow these directions very carefully, since different kinds of leather require different types of attention, depending on the types and treatment it has already been through.

Regular maintenance is important when it comes to this kind of furniture. Dusting and vacuuming regularly can make the furniture look fresh and new. It can help reach areas that the dusting cloth might not be able to, such as crevices and edges. Each year you should treat the leather with a good quality leather conditioner as well.

Sometimes stains are unavoidable; if the furniture happens to get a stain, take great care to use appropriate cleaning methods and solutions. It is suggested that you first test any cleaning methods in an inconspicious area. This allows you to test the method, ensuring that it will not damage the rest of the furniture.

Through use, scratches are sometimes unavoidable. However, scratches are easily remedied. There are several ways to remove scratches such as using a damp cloth (Do not use wet cloth; It will destroy the texture of leather completely)or even your fingers.

Never leave spills or liquid on leather furniture. Clean them up immediately by drying the spill and cleaning any residue that may be left over. Never completely wet the leather. Always use only a damp cloth for this purpose. Avoid using any cleaning agents that are harsh and could potentially damage the leather. Abrasives can cause damage to leather furniture.

Do not use saddle soap or mink oil. Some people insist that saddle soap or mink oil is the best way to clean or condition the leather regardless of what type of leather you are using. However, oil-based cleaners will stretch the leather near the seams, changing the color and pulling the leather away from the stitching.

Leather acquires a patina. i.e., a shiny or glazed surface as it ages. This is a natural process and not a defect in the workmanship of your leather furniture. This changing patina of your leather furniture is the charm of the material and what makes it very valuable. Therefore, even it you clean and condition it regularly, you will eventually notice that the color changes as the piece ages. Unprotected leather is susceptible to spotting from water and other liquids; a newly purchased leather item should be treated immediately to prevent permanent stains. The use of too much oil and wax, however, can clog pores, causing leather to lose its ability to allow air in and moisture out.

As I mentioned earlier, in a dry environment, regularly condition the leather furniture in order to prevent from drying out and cracking.

Do not use waxes, or silicone formulas or other leather preparations that impair the ability of the leather to breathe.

Never use caustic household chemicals to clean leather. Also avoid leather preparations that contain alcohol.

Avoid turpentine and mineral spirits as they can pull color. Use of mink oil or other animal fats will darken the leather furniture.

You are also welcome to share your experience in keeping the leather furniture look new, just to benefit me and also the others, here in the comments column.