Leather is one of natures most luxurious yet practical materials. One of the first things people do after looking at a leather sofa is touch it. The way leather feels to the touch is called the "hand-feel" or simply "the hand". As a general rule, the softer the hand, the better the leather quality. There are many influencing factors that affect the quality of leather. Under normal
usage, regular dusting and vacuum cleaning in crevices and seats will be necessary while cleaning leather sofas. For spots and spills wipe any excess liquid immediately with a clean absorbent cloth or sponge. Do not use soap, or
soak the stain heavily with water, as this may cause more damage than the stain itself. Moreover, we request you not to use saddle soaps, cleaning solvents, furniture polish, oils, varnishes, abrasive cleaners, detergent soaps, or ammonia water.
These are recommended methods of cleaning leather sofas. Always test any cleaning method in a hidden area first to convince yourself of the results. We are not responsible for any damage incurred while cleaning. This advice applies to anything leather, be it boots, handbags, sofas, jackets anything really. There are so many types and different finishes, what method of care and cleaning to use can be hard to ascertain. Assuming the item is tanned and pigmented (as opposed to patent, suede, etc.) you can try these techniques. If the leather has become discolored, there are available leather sprays that can restore color to the item. Simply match the color as close as possible to the original. Leather is a natural product; therefore it needs reasonable care
during normal usage. Do not expose the leather to sunlight. We do recommend frequent dusting to eliminate clogging of pores.
Professional assistance is recommended when cleaning leather sofas. Never use traditional dry cleaning methods to clean leather products as cleaning leather differs from fabric cleaning in several ways. Unlike fabric, leather has natural oils that protect and preserve the appearance and life of a garment. Removing these oils reduces the hides suppleness. The chemicals used to clean
leather frequently remove the natural oils as well as the undesired dirt. A professional leather must restore these oils cleaner. Dont try cleaners,
solvents and other usually normal cleaning solutions on leather. It is by nature a very porous material and often cannot be completely restored. You should also consider using a specifically made leather cleaner. If the piece
has cleaned up to your satisfaction then treat it with a conditioner to restore its luster and replace the leathers natural oils.
There are several types of leather out there. The first step is to determine what kind of leather is on the piece you want to clean. If you dont know what type of leather it is, its best not to use a cleaning product on it.
Here are specific guidelines if you know the type of leather you have.
"Bicast" leather is fairly new on the market, but coming on strong. It is an all split leather hide where the exposed surface is finished in Polyurethane. This leather requires no upkeep other than dusting. If anything gets spilled
on it just use a damp cloth and wipe it off.
"Semi-Aniline Dyed" leather is a fully dyed hide with a varying degree of protective coating to the surface. Unlike bicast, a leather cleaner should be used once or twice a year depending on the use it gets. There is no need to use a separate leather conditioner on it.
"Fully-Aniline Dyed" or "Pull-up" leather is generally a more expensive type of leather even though there is no correction to the surface to eliminate hide marks like there is on semi-aniline dyed leather. It is a fully vat dyed leather with most of the natural oils still in the hide. This type of leather will show scratch marks, but they can be rubbed out with your finger. This type leather is not for everyone due to the marking that can occur and it will stain or "shade" if something is spilled on it. With this leather you do not use a cleaner, but there are some conditioners on the market that can be used.
Care should be used if doing this, however. Always test in an out of sight
area first!
There is a fourth type of leather is the "painted" leather. Rather than dying the leather the surface gets painted. This means the color is only on the surface. Of course, cleaning is not recommended with this type of leather.
About The Author
Jeremy Wilson has run his own successful business selling leather furniture for over 20 years. He has also been a consultant to numerous home interior magazines where he has written numerous articles on selecting a leather sofa.
You can find out further information such as his choice of the internets top leather sofa retailers by visiting his website at
http://www.leathersofadvice.com