How can i clean a leather suite / sofa

zippychick

ive merged this with our thread on cleaning leather sofas

Zip

judyb

minniemaus1970 wrote: »

try Pears glycerin soap. 69p and it feeds the leather ( it contains oils)

MM

Modern leather does not need 'feeding' with oils and using oil based products can lead to problems.

beemuzed

I'm sure someone here will have the answer!
DH has a lovely leather recliner, but the headrest is not clean any more! I know this is why the Victorians had antimacassars - but I just need to know how to remove the dirt.
Suggestions welcomed!

judyb

It depends what is causing the dirt. If the dirt is on the surface of a finished leather then it should clean off with a good deep cleaning leather cleaner. A foam cleaner will give the best and safest clean.
If the dirt is caused by head oils ( this will have caused a dark patch on the leather) then simply cleaning will not usually be enough and the area may need to be degreased using a professional degreasing product (beware of DIY products and household hints when doing this) After this process colour may be lost and will then need to be rectified which is best left to a technician to do.

Hope this helps
Judyb
Leather Care Consultant

zippychick

we have a thread on cleaning leather sofas . Let us know what works and ill merge this later

Zip

asparagus1968

my 14 year old sofa is,well,yukky to be fair.
its dark brown (should be mid-brown!) aged leather. I love it though ,and would like someone to recommend a REALLY good leather cleaner and also tell me what sort of cloth/ sponge etc to use.
I will pay a substantial amount for a product as the cost is still going to be less than getting a new one!:j

thanks

pigpen

stardrops and one of those microfibre mitts.. and for the stubborn bits... a nail brush.

My mothers is cream and she has 5 dogs and hers comes up lovely.

judyb

Household cleaners shoud be avoided when cleaning leather to avoid costly mistakes

The first thing to do is to establish what type of leather you have.
Test by putting a drop of water on your leather - if it soaks into the leather you have an Aniline style leather - if it sits on the surface you have a protected or finished leather.

For protected leathers:
Keep your leather clean by protecting it with a leather protector and then regular cleaning.
Adding 'conditioners' which generally contain oils and waxes will change the appearance of your leather over time as dirt will build up on the surface and cause a sheen.

Using the correct care methods and products will not alter the factory finish.

This type of leather is 'coated' leather. This is essentially a 'painted' leather
with a clear coat finish over the top. The leather may or may not be dyed through with aniline dyes prior to the finish coating.

Essentially it is this top coating that needs looking after.
Cleaning is vitally important as the top coat will wear away if allowed to become dirty.
Dirt on the surface will also become ground into the finish by constant abrassion.

'Conditioners', balms, feeds etc (traditionally oil and wax based) cannot penetrate this finish so are not worth applying - they can also leave behind residues on the finish which will only attract more dirt if allowed to remain. 'Conditioners' will not do any protecting on leather even if they say they do as there will not be enough active ingredient in them to do anything.

A protector will make the finish easier to clean.

Leather however finished has to remain breathable and it will allow the movement ofmoisture back and forth (transpiration) so the use of water based cleaners and protectors will keep the leather correctly hydrated which is essentail to keeping it in good condition.

The routine for correct care should be

Protect from new
Maintain with a regular clean or maintenance product
Deep clean with a foam leather cleaner once or twice a year

Simple steps of cleaning & protecting will prolong the life of the finish on the leather

If you have an Aniline style leather:

Use a very good quality leather protector to help inhibit staining from dirt and most importantly body oils and then clean on a regular basis with a specifically formulated Aniline Cleaner which will not be a detergent cleaner and will not soak into the leather.

Hope this helps
Judyb
Leather care consultant

tori.k

I use saddle soap and elbow grease on mine looks as good as when I brought it to be honest

yorkieorchid

Hi Judyb, thank you for your very useful post. I wonder if you could advise please, what is the best course of action to use on my setee, as the top coating appears to be wearing away in some places. Thankyou.