Furniture in general is a big investment, but if you’ve made the decision to add a leather sofa or armchair to your décor, that investment is even greater. It goes without saying then, that good and ongoing maintenance is important to keep that investment looking its best for years to come. Thankfully you can do just that with these hand tips.
Weekly wipes and monthly vacuums
To keep dust from building up on your leather furniture, incorporate a quick wipe of it into your weekly cleaning routine. Be sure to use a clean, dry, soft cloth, like this Genuine Joe General Purpose Microfiber Cloth.
For more stubborn dust, dampen the cloth with a little water. That’s “dampen,” people. You don’t want to saturate your leather with a soaking wet cloth. A little moisture will go a long way to rid your sofa of dense dust and other grime that might accumulate throughout the week.
Speaking of “other grime,” do yourself a favour and once a month, or once every few months, remove your sofa’s cushions and grab your vacuum. Use its hose attachment to suck up all those rogue popcorn kernels and other random grit that has made its way into your sofa’s nooks and crannies. This is a good rule of thumb to stick to regardless of the type of sofa you own.
Stay on top of spills for optimal leather sofa care
This might be a no brainer, but the second anything is spilled on your leather sofa, blot it away with a microfiber cloth as soon as possible so it doesn’t have time to soak into the leather.
If your spill is of the non-water variety, you may want to use a touch of gentle soap with warm water, and very, very gently rub the stain. I highly recommend you test the soap you use on a part of the couch that isn’t visible before you tend to the stain just to make sure it won’t make the stain worse, or discolour the leather itself. Better yet, use a cleaner specifically designed for leather as detergents, cleaning sprays and even furniture polish can all damage leather. When in doubt, consult a professional.
Condition your leather sofa regularly
Leather has a tendency dry out and crack over time, so it’s important to keep it conditioned. Think about it, leather is animal skin so needs some of the same kind of TLC human skin needs to avoid dryness and cracks. That said, you don’t need to “moisturize” your sofa daily. Applying a conditioner once or twice a year with a soft cloth is ample to keep your leather furniture in pristine, healthy condition.
Similarly, to keep your leather furniture looking its best for as long as possible, don’t place it where you wouldn’t place yourself. By that I mean that you wouldn’t voluntarily prop yourself in direct sunlight for days and days on end, nor would you likely want to spend every waking minute in front of an air conditioner–okay, maybe you would, but humour me here. Again, going back to the whole “leather is animal skin” thing, to keep it looking its best, be mindful of where you place your leather sofa. You don’t want premature cracks or fading to happen because you’ve placed it in an area that rarely gets shade.
Just like you would likely take your car in for regular maintenance, keep it clean, and tend to scratches so they don’t rust, you want to take care of your leather furniture so it stands the test of time. Because it’s prone to absorption, cracking and drying out, it’s important you keep leather clean, tend to stains immediately, and condition it at least once a year. If you do, your leather sofa will be part of your home décor for many years to come.
Looking at adding a leather sofa or armchair to your décor? Check out all the options available at BestBuy.ca.
Main image courtesy of HouseBeautiful.
