How Do I Clean Leather Furniture?

Saddle soap is really the only thing to use for a good cleaning. It's easy to apply and remove and it preserves the oils in the leather to keep it supple so it doesn't dry out and crack and split.

Saddle soap is available in the shoe polish section, but it would behoove you to find a tack shop that has a wide range of leather care supplies. There's a terrific old fashioned hardware store in NRH on Precinct Line RD called Foreman's that is like a general store. They will probably have it. Also some place like Shepplers would probably have it or a feed and farm supply store. They'll be more reasonably priced and larger sizes of product there. They will probably have experienced folk who work with leather tack and saddles and boots which go through extreme conditions. Besides, they're fun to walk through.

I love my leather furniture! Dusting and damp cloth to wipe off daily is good. The place you bought the furniture should sell a leather polish, you'll want to do this every 3 months or so. (Or check HOme depot or Lowes) It conditions the leather so it will stay soft. We own a professional carpet cleaning company, and we clean leather furniture as well. So I'll have my company do it once a year, but honestly I would just do it when you see you can't get that subtle look and feel you want. But the professional cleaning get's so much more off than I can - it's amazing how black their rags are when they finish. It makes a big difference. I've seen leather furniture neglected and it get's cracked and ugly looking. Just keep it moisturized and take clean and you'll have it for years. Mine is 11 years old and looks brand new. The nice thing about investing in leather is holds up longer and the maitenance is cheaper than upholstery. Congrats on the new furniture!

Two days after we got our leather couch, we were babysitting two cats for my SIL and over night they scratched the bajeebies out of the arms of the couch. We were soooooo mad. So, I would say, since you have cats, to make sure you protect the couch over night if they are scratchers. I am wishing I would have asked your questions when we got our couch....I didn't know how to take care of leather either and now the couch is totally thrashed. This is good info you are getting and I will remember it for my next couch. I will never go back to upholstery....that's for sure! Leather is the best!

Hi S.,

I use Weiman leather wipes, which I get at Target. Don't know if that's "the best" but they get the job done! Would be curious to hear what other Mamas use.

Congrats on your new furniture...what fun!

M.

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I use Weiman Leather Wipes. They come in a container that sort of looks like a Lysol wet wipes container, but the Leather Wipes have a brown label and brown top. They are very handy and I don't need them often. Probably the biggest problem you will have is not with keeping them clean, but with keeping them from getting scratched. If it is a light scratch, it will probably disappear when you rub it with the leather wipes. A deep scratch will always be there. I'd suggest trying to make sure the kids know not to scratch it and trying to keep the animals off of it (if possible). Good luck!

I use warm soapy water.

It depends on what type of leather it is. NEVER use soapy products on leather (or any upholstery or carpets) as it will leave a residue and attract dirt. Don't use any household products (wipes etc) on aniline dyed leather either. Make sure it is SUPER protected when you have it delivered. If it is not, we can come protect it for you. When something does happen, don't ignore it , get it taken care of right away. We clean a lot of leather and are Leather master trained to clean and restore all kinds of leather. Please feel free to call us with any questions you might have. Randy is our leather expert. Cornerstone Chem-Dry ###-###-#### ____@____.com Congrats on the new furniture!
E.

Oh, you'll love it! It is super easy to keep clean, especially with pets and children!

I use regular baby wipes I get on my routine trips to Costco. Then I use the vac for between cushions, etc. We'll never use anything but leather in the future!!

We got ours at Leather Sofa Company ( formal room), Natuzzi (game room) and Dillards (evsryday room). Yes, we have 3 different sets and it is worth it!!!

Enjoy!

I got a new leather couch from Haverty's 6 yrs ago and disappointed in it. At the time I thought I would be living alone. I since opened a home day care and have my granddaughter living with me. We also got a puppy now three years old. I had just clipped her claw and she ran and jumped on the couch to retrieve it and tore a hole in it. Now the kids lick or have fingers in their mouths and touch my couch all over it.It leaves marks and anything wet on it turns the color from burgandy to white. My granddaughter also got on it with a wet bathing suit even though she had a towel under her it turned the color. The deal I was told was no matter what happened to it for 5 yrs the warranty would cover it and I told the truth my dog tore it. So it was not covered. I love the couch but not the leather. Others have said it is cheap leather. So beware. Run a little spit on it and see if it changes colors. I had a piece of something on it and wet my finger and it left a mark. Good luck and also the dog gets up there and scratches it. I am going to have to replace it some day here.
Also join newcomers and have a ball.
G. W

We've had our leather furniture for years and love it. We have cats and dogs and while it does get scratched, it wears well and to me just adds to the character. We'll replace it someday, but with a 5 year old boy, I'm not in a hurry to do that!

As far as cleaning, I just use a warm washcloth. Baby wipes work great too. I've used the leather wipes, but didn't notice a huge difference. You can use very diluted soap if there's a big problem, but most of the time if you wipe up spills pretty quickly, you'll be fine.

We have had leather furniture for almost 20 years and love it--it has weathered pets, kids and still looks new. To clean it use a damp cloth. To condition it, use the Weiman leather spray and a clean lint free cloth 3-4 times per year. Enjoy your great new investment!

If it comes down to it, there are professional services that can provide this. We have a leather couch and once a year I give it a good rub-down with leather cleaner and conditioner (Saddle Soap), usually in November before we turn the heater on and the house air gets really dry from lack of humidity. Our leather is like an old Bomber jacket, so the scuffs add to the charm. But I did want to mention the need to condition the leather, like skin. Too much cleaning to often can dry it out. If you have cats, you can put tin foil on it for a week - cats hate to walk on tin foil and will learn otherwise.

I know you've gotten a lot of feedback already, but wanted to add a couple of points.

First of all, you need to know what kind of leather you have. Painted leather is super-easy to care for. Damp rag and you're done. It will help to have a leather conditioning product to use on it once a year, every 6 months if it's in the sun. If it's an analine dyed leather, then you will benefit from an after-market protection. I work for Fiber-Seal, and we also protect upholstery fabrics in addition to analine-dyed leather by applying a super-fine spray the reduces the absorbency rate of the fibers. This is not a guarantee that sitting on it with a wet swimsuit won't leave a mark, but for the occasional spill and boo-boo, it gives you additional time to blot up the mess. Plus, when you have an item protected by us, you get a 12-month service contract which entitles you to free spot cleans and re-protection on that item, too!

Please call me at ###-###-#### or email me at ____@____.com to get more information. We specialize in fine fabrics like silk, too! Enjoy your new sofa!

p.s. trust me when I say that you'll be at loose ends for the first week or so at home, but then you'll love your new routine. Enjoy the transition from Stay-at-Home mom to Always-at-School mom!

i use the wipes to clean leather that sells at walmart

Have you heard of Rustic Touch?

Make sure you put the Leather Protection stuff on it!!! I made the mistake of thinking it was an "add on" gimmick and I paid the consequenses for it... after a few years of cleaning off all the spilled juice etc, the leather color started wearing off! It was a sage green, so it is very obvious and looks terrible! To have the leather restored is very expensive, I think I'll just live with it until we can get a new one! And yes, it does scratch easily (and we did middle of the line so it would be more durable). I've had it now about 9 years and I would definitely do leather again... I would just protect it and take care of it better! In the beginning, my Mother-in-law suggested I do one of those couch covers until the kids were old enough to be careful... I wish I had taken her advice! I just thought it indistructible - wrong!

leather cpr from sams club. its cleaner and conditioner in one. it works great