Dark 'suede' cushions on pale leather sofa - will the colour transfer??

theradfords

I keep looking at fantastic dark brown cushions which are suede effect, these would look fab on my very pale leather sofa. However all the labels on the cushions say, do not place on pale furniture as the colour may transfer.
I have looked at many different types of cushions, and they ALL seem to say this now.
Has anyone ever actually had a problem with this?

Pipkin

I had a pair of aubergine coloured faux suede cushions which said the same on the label..I did not use them on a light coloured suite, but I can say that when I removed the cushion inners to use with different covers the dye had transferred from the cushion to the inners a LOT.

Based on that I would heed the advice printed on the label.

kittiwoz

I would think dye would transfer to something absorbent like a fabric cushion inner much more easily than to something with a sealed surface like leather. If you soaked the cushion covers in a salt solution and then gave them a cool hand wash that should help seal the dye and also you would be able to see how easily the dye leached out into the rinse water.

Pipkin

I don't know - my friend had a white leather suite and every time she sat on it with her jeans on the dye transferred from her jeans to the leather!

It did come off after scrubbing the suite, but it was a problem, so I imagine with the cushions it would be the same.

Washing them I would be careful of, because the finish of the suede alters when it gets wet - it did when I tried to wipe mine.

kittiwoz

Yeah. You definitely shouldn't get suede wet but the cushions aren't suede, they're suedette, i.e. fabric with a suede effect nap so I reckon a cool hand wash would be OK. You'd just have to brush the nap back up after.

The dye in jeans is pretty strong stuff and also not very run proof, plus sweat would provide a medium for transfer. Not that I'm saying your friend is very sweaty but dye generally needs a bit if moisture (though not a lot) to leach and the cushions would be dry unless it gets humid in the room where the sofa is.

I reckon it would probably be OK but it is just an opinion and I could be wrong. Personally I'd try it and keep an eye out for transfer so if it did happen I could catch it early and clean it up with saddle soap and ditch the cushions. Having said that I don't think I'd ever buy a white sofa. I suppose it depends on how important it is to you keep the sofa pristine.