Leather Sofa Care.

scotgirl

Afternoon all - hope this is the right place to post!

We bought a leather three piece sofa from Harveys at the beginning of Feb. They offered us a leather care kit for £30 to protect it. Well being a dedicated MSE I thought 'No Way - we will get cheaper elsewhere' but I have been unable to find anything.

So, my questions are...

1. Do I need to use a protector to stop them cracking etc?
2. Where is the best (cheapest!) place to get something?

Many thanks or any replies.

Baby_A

Baby wipes are fantastic! I have used them to wipe the sofa down for years, and they do a wonderful job!

Dennis99

When leather is manufactured a certain amount of oil and fat is introduced into the hide and, (with the exception of one or two complex situations) this is where it stays. It does not evaporate or migrate or leave the leather by any other means.

What does leave the leather is moisture (water), and it is this that needs replacing. Which is why baby wipes work! Another reason they work is because many modern leather suites are "coated" with a plastic-like coating which also wipes over easily.

Dry leather is more susceptible to a whole range of problems. The most obvious is cracking, both of finish and fibres. Next is raised absorbency levels which means body oils containing fats and acids will more readily soak into the leather (ever seen those dark areas on head rests and arm ends) eventually destroying finishes and the leather itself. Dry leather will be a sponge for spills, tea, coffee, red wine, ink, any product with colouring once soaked inside leather will leave a permanent stain, which depending on leather type may or may not be fixable—at a price.

Some hide foods and conditioners if properly formulated and used correctly with leather type taken into account will not damage the leather, others particularly if they contain waxes and silicones are likely to do more harm than good. Personally I would recommend avoiding all so called "foods".

Leather protectors are available, a good one comes from Leathermaster and should only need applying once or twice a year after cleaning any grubby areas.

http://www.lttsolutions.net/products2.asp?ID=34

Daniel_B

Hiya - great thread, we are expecting some new sofas/chair in a few weeks, all leather.

Baby wipes sound fine, but doesn't it stink of that 'baby smell' afterwards, and put you off your dinner?!

The protector sounds more like it to me :-)

Dan

Pink.

Hi scotgirl,

Some of the replies on this Old Style thread might help:

Leather 3 piece suite

Or you might find something useful on these older threads:

cleaning leather suite

Cleaning a Leather Sofa

Leather Cleaner

How can I clean cream leather suite Help

Remove Biro mark from Cream Leather HELP!

ruined leather suite


Gosh that should keep you busy for a while


Pink

scotgirl

Many thanks for all the replies! Got lots of good tips to try!

code-a-holic

Never use baby wipes on leather as your main cleaner! The odd wipe maybe....but even the gentlest wipes contain some chemical and will break down the leather.

smudger1964

I have had a leather suite for some 5 years and it looks as good as new with no dryness or cracking.I use a leather feed product called tableau leather food.It comes in a 250ml jar .You apply it twice a year with a cloth and buff it off it feeds and protects the leather i would say applying it twice a year 250ml will last you about 5 years.I have a 3 seater,2seater and a lounging chair and a leather stool and apply this product in the spring and autumn.

check out the website at tableaurpm.co.uk I think it is £3.45 for a jar

saving-grace

Dennis99 wrote:

Leather protectors are available, a good one comes from Leathermaster and should only need applying once or twice a year after cleaning any grubby areas.

http://www.lttsolutions.net/products2.asp?ID=34

Thankyou for this info Dennis99!
When we bought our leather suite it came with "Leathermaster leather protection cream impregnated cloths". Same brand as you've just recommended. So now I can buy some!

Mikeyorks

Wheelers Traditional Leather Balm, from Morrisons is also good (the wife tells me).

Used it on a leather suite we had made over 20 years ago. And it was still in excellent condition when we got rid last year, owing to downsizing.

Never use baby wipes on leather as your main cleaner! The odd wipe maybe....

.... agree with that. Baby wipes are versatile, but don't contain the appropriate waxes. The 'slippy when wet' you get with babies ....is not wax!;)

singlehouseholder

I've always used saddle soap on my leather sofa and chairs, bearing in mind that my leather is from the late 60's early 70's you'd e amazed at the condition its in. It had some wear but its only to the front of the seat pad. I bought a tin of "carr day and martin" think thats it, saddle soap, give it a good clean with that, then every 6 weeks or so I give it a feed with some of the same brand Leather oil- its incredibly rich and gloopy and goes a very long way. Both products have served me well and last a long time. Might be worth a shot??