Leather Cleaning Tips

Leather is a popular fabric for furniture, jackets, boots and belts. It is becoming more popular every year because of its versatility, strength and ease of maintenance. We have had several leather sofas over the years and they have always lasted longer than their fabric counterparts. One the reasons we have enjoyed our leather furniture is how easy they are to clean. Here are some leather cleaning tips that will help you enjoy your leather for years to come.

Furniture Leather Cleaning

Furniture leather needs special care to keep it from becoming too dry. If the leather dries out it becomes brittle and prone to cracking. To help prevent this you want to use a leather cleaning solution that also conditions the leather. The first step is to determine if you leather is finished. Almost 90% of leather furniture is finished. You can tell by looking at the surface of the leather, if it is rough and nappy like a pool table's felt, it most likely is not finished. This type of material is often called suede or nubuck. If the surface is smooth and shinny it most likely is finished leather. You can double check by taking a small amount of foaming leather cleaner and letting it sit on the surface of the leather. If it soaks in the leather is unfinished.

Homemade Leather Cleaning Solution

If you look at most commercial leather cleaners you will notice the same ingredients used in all of them. Olive oil, lanolin and Neats oil are the most commonly used. You likely have these ingredients at home and making your own leather cleaner is easy. Just mix one cup distilled white vinegar and two cups food grade linseed oil or olive oil. Just wipe the solution evenly over the leather’s surface using a lint free cloth, microfiber works great. Then use a second lint free cloth to buff and polish the leather surface. Use every three months to clean and condition.

Automotive Leather Seats

If you car has leather seats this cleaner will also clean and condition them. You can also take a few steps to protect your car’s seats. Heat is leather’s enemy, so try to park in a shaded area or use a windshield sun shade. If you have small kids, use a blanket under child car seats to protect against scratches and indentations from the seat rubbing against the leather. If you have a dog, a blanket can protect the seat from the dog’s nails.

Removing Leather Stains

Many stains can be removed from leather. Try these on your tough leather stains:

• Toothpaste – Lightly scrub the area with a terry cloth and a small dab of toothpaste.
• Hairspray – Ink stains can be tough to remove from leather. Spray the area liberally with hairspray and use a terry cloth two wipe away the ink. It may take several attempts to get the desired results.
• Mayonnaise – Water rings can be removed from leather by covering the stain with mayonnaise for a few hours. Use a terry cloth to wipe the area clean. Use our homemade leather cleaner to make it look like new.

Related Posts:

• Removing Ink From Leather
• Tips on Cleaning Leather Furniture
• Cleaning Shoes and Boots of Winter Grime

Cleaning Shoes and Boots of Winter Grime

We have been bombarded with winter storm after winter storm over the last few weeks. This has left my shoes and boots covered in a mixture of salt and winter grime. Not cleaning this grime off of your shoes is surely a crime, sorry....The mixture of salt and dirt will ruin your shoes more quickly and can leave your favorite leather and suede brittle, making them wear faster. Here are some tips to quickly keep your shoes in tip top shape.

• Leather Shoes and Boots - To clean leather shoes and boots use a mixture of 1/2 cup white vinegar and 1/2 cup warm water and a soft cloth to wipe away the dirt. Just moisten the soft cloth with the mixture and rub the dirt away. Be sure not to dry leather shoes with heat or leave near a radiator. The heat can make the leather brittle.
• Rubber Boots - You can clean dirt and scuff marks off rubber boots using baking soda and water mixed into a paste. Rinse with the vinegar and water mixture from above to remove all of the salt.
• Suede Shoes and Boots - Water will damage suede so use a kneadable eraser to gently remove any salt and dirt. You can buy a kneadable eraser at any art supply store.
• General Care of Suede and Leather - It is a good idea to spray leather and suede items with a water repellent at least once a year. I like to use ReviveX Water Repellent Spray.
  

Homemade Leather Cleaner

We just brought up some furniture from the basement to rearrange our living room. One of our leather chairs had gotten something on it. I wish I could tell you what it was, but I can't. Our normal leather cleaner didn't take it off so we tried a new recipe. We mixed 1 cup white vinegar and 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the stains and dirt wiped right off using a microfiber cloth. Be sure to test in an inconspicuous area first.

Tips On Cleaning Leather Furniture

I love my leather furniture. I like the soft warming feel of leather and how well it stands up to our abuse. Leather furniture is very easy to care for. For general cleaning of finished leather, first mix a few drops of mild dish soap into a large bowl or small bucket of water. Dip a clean terrycloth rag into the mixture and ring out well. Use the wet terrycloth rag to wipe down the furniture. Next, wipe down the furniture with a second terrycloth rag dampened with clean water to remove any excess soap. Finally buff with a dry microfiber cloth. For long term care of leather, it is a good idea to use a leather conditioner or cream on it at least twice a year.

Don't use oils, polishes, or cleaners that contain solvents. These will damage your leather overtime leaving it with a tacky or sticky feel.