leather sofa cleaner

JennyW_2

I've had leather sofas for years and have always used equestrian saddle soap/leather care. Never had any problems. The saddlesoap will remove general dirt and grime. You can then use a leather cream afterwards if you want.

daveyjp

emweaver wrote: »

that wont ruin the leather?

Whether the leather gets ruined is more down to the leather quality than the product.

I can confrim that Stardrops has not ruined an M & S leather sofa - circa 10 years old or a Natuzzi sofa circa 6 years old.

wolfehouse

i've been using this from lakeland
http://www.lakeland.co.uk/product.aspx/!4505
it's a 2 step process- cleaner first and then 'feed' for the leather.

(i've got lots of spare ink remover though)

rustyjemma

Saddle soap. or URAD tenderly to replenish moisture.
I love there products. Saves all the buffing

judyb

Using household products and 'old wives' remedies are very short sighted when it comes to cleaning and caring for leather and can become very costly in the long run as problems they generally cause will be costly to put right.

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. For dye transfer and ingrained dirt you may need a much stronger cleaner (this should be used with caution)

DO NOT use anything containing oils, waxes or silicones. (Most 'conditioners' contain waxes or oils) and furniture polish (pledge) contains silicones which will eventually destroy the finish on the leather. Most car cleaners also contain oils or waxes so should not be used as they leave residues on the surface of the leather which attract more dirt which eventually leads to cracking.

BABY WIPES are the worst thing you can use as they will destroy the finish on your leather. This has been verified and proved to be the case. They are actually a very strong product and this is why they break down the finish. Leather is not like skin and should not be treated as such.

Saddle soap should never be usd on upholstery leather or garments it is meant for saddles which are very different from todays finished leathers.

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 bottle of foam cleaner should do your car about 3-4 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).

Magic Erasers should not be used unless you are going to renew the finish on you r leather. We have tested these recently and they sand away the top finish on the leather.

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. Conditioners are totally unnecessary and only a product push by manufacturers.

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 only 'moisturizer' a leather needs is from water.

Using incorrect care products is usually the cause of deterioration in the leather and unfortunately most car care products contain waxes and oils or silicones which do not do the leather any good so these are not good to use.

Leather care consultants to the furniture and cleaning industries
Professional knowledge

emweaver

Can you recommend both a good cleaner and protectior?