05th January 2017
Christmas and New Year can play havoc with leather sofas. If your leather sofa, leather Chesterfield or leather suite is suffering from the aftermath of the thrills and spills of the festive season, and you can’t bear to spend the whole of 2017 looking at it, here’s how you identify which stains you can tackle yourself and those that are best left to the experts.
Grandson tried out his new sets of colouring pens on the wrong subject matter? Your first instinct may be to wipe it off with a soapy cloth. However, the degreasing ingredients in washing up liquid can permanently damage the coating on the leather surface. Use a soft sponge and leather cleaner instead.
Inadvertently polished the sofa cushion instead of your nails? Impulse may tell you to reach for the nail varnish remover, but don’t underestimate the damage caused by acetone. If applied, nail varnish remover will remove the leather sofa, and leave a bleached spot far larger than the nail varnish stain. Use a soft sponge and leather cleaner instead.
Guests dropped cigarette ash on the couch? Whatever you do, don’t attempt to rub it out or blend it in, you’ll only make the problem bigger. When leather gets damaged by heat, the only solution is to call in a professional. They will be able to repair or replace your leather sofa.
A new dog for Christmas, complete with claws to test on your leather sofa? Don’t be tempted to perform touch-ups with shoe polish as it only makes an ugly sticky mess. Reduce the visibility of the scratch by snipping off any visible cotton interior strands that often get pulled out when leather gets picked. Then use some gentle heat from a hairdryer and massage out the scratches with leather cleaner. Seek professional help for large scratches and holes and this isn’t a job that is easily solved by DIY methods.
Sister-in-law drops her takeaway and spills her fifth glass of wine all over your leather loveseat. By far the most common culprit for causing chaos over leather, food and drink should be mopped up immediately with a slightly damp towel, using a dry towel to finish the job. Fully-finished leather is pretty much waterproof, so a little spill shouldn’t hurt as long you don’t give it time to soak through.
If you have a Thomas Lloyd leather sofa, leather chesterfield or leather suite, then you can give yourself complete peace of mind when it comes to protecting your investment. Offering five year cover against all spills, stains and accidental damage, Thomas Lloyd’s ‘Premier Care’ leather furniture insurance can cover up to ten seating units and comes with a free leather care kit. No matter how much we take care of something, accidents do happen. Staining, scratches, rips and tears will naturally detract from the beauty, life and value of your suite, so insuring yourself against future disasters is a great way of prolonging the life of your leather sofa.
If the worst has happened and you find yourself in the market for a new leather sofa, leather chesterfield or leather suite this year, then why not browse the Thomas Lloyd Sale, and get yourself a great deal on a brand new leather sofa.
