How can i clean a leather suite / sofa

ixwood

welshflipper wrote: »

animals are part of the family would you stop children on a sofa as they are just as bad, i have had my leather for 10 yrs and wipe it over with baby wet wipes and still looks good no fading or dryness

If they had claws I probably would!!

Part of the family or not, they're not human and shouldn't be on the furniture IMO. My dogwas never allowed up and didn't think twice about it, cos that was it.

Doesn't it end up smelling of dog and get all hairy and scratched? Not to mention fleas and the like. Let me guess, your dog has daily showers, doesn't ever smell and had nice manicured claws?

Sporticus

Hi all

I'm fairly new around here but trying to be very good with my money saving.

We've got leather sofas and a greyhound pup (he's 10 months old but a really terrible thief;) ). Yesterday he nicked ds carton of fruit juice and took it onto the sofa to drink.

I then had to come along and clean up. Now usually I use just a damp cloth to wipe up spills etc as soon as they happen but yesterday I got the full cleaning stuff out and went over the whole sofa. I'm ashamed at how dirty it was . Obviously I'm either not cleaning it regularly enough or the damp cloth isn't enough.

What do others do and what it the best way of doing a thrifty clean on the sofa?

TIA

HariboJunkie

I just use a damp cloth on mine. But they are dark brown and don't show the dirt.

parsonswife8

My daughter-in-law has leather sofas and she was advised to clean them using ordinary baby wipes!
Seems to work quite well.
Just use 2 or 3 together.
:j :j

Sporticus

HariboJunkie wrote: »

I just use a damp cloth on mine. But they are dark brown and don't show the dirt.

LOL! Mine are dark green and that's what i thought too!

MRSMCAWBER

Hi there sporticus.....

when i had a greyhound he was a thief too.... 2 kilo bags of porridge oats thrown around the living room, whole tubs of marge stolen, eaten and paddled into the carpet...they are bright creatures.... mine also mastered opening the oven door.... as i found out when i came in and found the roasting tin on the sofa - minus any trace of the whole chicken :eek: ..and him lay there looking very contented - if somewhat guilty...

A baby gate across the kitchen door would be a good idea, although i had to put one on top of the other as mine was a huge ex racer...and virtualy stepped over one :rotfl: ..and have you tried one of those balls that you put food in...they work to keep em occupied for a while...until he figures out that he can lie down and just rock it with his paw...minimum effort - maximum reward :rotfl:

Anyway enough rambling... i have the leather cleaning kit.that last ages, but for quick clear ups i always use a damp sponge and then a soft duster to make sure it is dried of well....

Have fun with the PUP... they are the most adorable breed aren't they:D

pigpen

I have a dark brown suite and a cream sofa!!! The dark brown one I whizz over with a damp cloth and pretend it is cleaner than it is!! The cream one I have a kitchen sponge.. you know the ones with the green scrubby stuff on one side and a squirty bottle filled with stardrops solution and I do it with those.. and it is permanently filthy!!!! I need it to be self cleaning teflon coated and impervious to dirt

Irisheyes648

A nail brush and some soap (dove is good) give it a gentle scrub then wipe down, brings it up a treat as the nail brush gently lifts the dirt out. hth

buckrogers

There are lots of ideas on these older threads that may help:

leather cleaner


saw this in another post
and as some people use these i thought i post it.

For general cleaning you need to use a good quality water based foam leather cleaner.
With light coloured leather dye transfer from clothing can be a problem although using a good quality leather protector will help inhibit this.

DO NOT use anything containing oils, waxes or silicones. (Most 'conditioners' contain waxes or oils) and furniture polish contains silicones. DO NOT use mink oil.

BABY WIPES are the worst thing you can use as they will destroy the finish on your leather. They are very strong alkiline cleaners to neutralise urine (acid) on babys skin so they are not the right thing to use on leather.

Saddle soap is too harsh to use on todays leathers and saddles need treating in a different way to furniture.
A lot of leather wipes contain chemicals which will also destroy the finish or leave residues on the leather which will damage it. They are not cheap in the long run as you would need a lot to clean a whole leather sofa. A bottle of foam cleaner should do your furniture 1-2 times.

Fairy liquid contains more salt these days to get dishes clean and this will break the finish down on your leather. This has been verified by the manufacturers (as with the baby wipes).

You should also follow cleaning with a good water based leather protector which will act like a 'scotchgard' and inhibit dirt and stains from being absorbed and make cleaning easier the next time.

Dry leather needs rehydrating with water and oils and waxes should not be used as the natural oils do not dry out of leather. Wiping over with a damp cloth regularly will help to do this.

It is important to maintain a regular cleaning regime cleaning dirt off the surface regularly and inhibiting the absorption of body oils into the leather with a protector is the best way of doing this.

The alternative is a brand new product on the market called Lazy Leather. This is the latest technology in cleaning and combines an effective cleaner with a protector. It is quick and easy to use and should be used as a maintenance product once your suite has been cleaned or from new if you have just bought it.

Using household products may appear to work but will in the long run deteriorate the leather finish quicker and it may tehn be impossible to restore. May seem cheaper to use products from the supermarket but if they do not work or damage the leather then it is a short sighted saving.

BartGirl

I've got leather sofas and would like to know the best MSE way to get them all shiny and clean.

I'd been buying expensive leather wipes but they're exactly that - expensive; and with a toddler i'm constantly wiping and cleaning them so the wipes run out quite quickly.

Any ideas anyone ?