24th March 2016
Caring for a leather sofa doesn’t have to be a time consuming task. Most homeowners spend hours on end cleaning their homes, but spend little to no time on caring for their furniture pieces. The right maintenance is essential if you want to protect your leather sofa and keep it in prime condition. There are various types of leather, all of which require different types of care and cleaning methods.
Before you start cleaning your leather sofa, it’s important to determine what type of leather you are working with. You will usually find this information located on a tag attached to your furniture or in written materials that were distributed with your furniture. If you can’t find this information in the places listed above, it’s definitely worth contacting the manufacturer; they will recommend the most suitable cleaning methods and products.
Isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol) is the best solution for removal of ink stains. The fresher an ink stain is, the easier it is to remove, while older stains may require multiple treatments. Leather is a porous material so the stain can penetrate deeply into the hide. Many people will recommend using hairspray, as good as this might be for removing stains, hairspray contains a number of harmful ingredients which can cause staining and various other problems.
To remove mildew from your leather sofa, pour one cup of rubbing alcohol and one cup of water into a bowl. With a cloth dipped in diluted alcohol, wipe the mildew area then allow it to dry. If the mildew is persistent, use soapy water that contains a germicide, and then wipe it off using a slightly damp cloth.
Using a clean cloth, blot any excess grease off the leather sofa. The next step is to apply talcum powder to the stained area and then leave the leather to dry for five hours. When you have done this, wipe away the talcum powder using a clean cloth, this will lift the grease stain. The next step is to apply a conditioner to the leather, try and avoid using conditioners that contain harsh treatments.
