Leather upholstery is beautiful and can add a touch of luxury to any home interior. Leather is also a very practical choice, because when cleaned and maintained properly these durable furnishings age beautifully and nobly. Learn how to deal with stains on your leather sofa and how to maintain it in order to prolong its life.

Before You Start Cleaning Leather Furniture

We said leather is a durable material, but it is true, that if you use the wrong product or the wrong cleaning technique you CAN easily damage your furniture. Some types of leather don’t tolerate water, and have to be cleaned only by professionals. The cleaning methods suggested below work well for most leather furniture and upholstery.

But is important to check your sofa’s label and see if there are any specific tips for upholstery cleaning and maintenance. This little step will help you avoid damaging your furniture, no matter what kind of upholstery you are cleaning. If you want to clean a suede upholstery, you can check the post from our blog.

Clean and Refresh Leather Furniture

This procedure will help you remove dust and restore the gloss of your leather sofa. You will need:

  • Vacuum cleaner
  • Mild liquid soap
  • Distilled water (tap water contains chlorine, which can damage leather)
  • Large bowl
  • 4-5 soft cloths (microfibre)
  • Leather conditioner

Vacuum thoroughly your leather sofa. Use soft brush, because the other attachment can leave marks, scratching the leather and even damaging it permanently. Pour distilled water into a large bowl and add a few drops of mild liquid soap. Mix well until suds form. Dip a microfibre cloth into the bowl and squeeze it – it should be damp not soaking wet. Wipe the surface of the leather furniture.

Dip another, clean cloth in distilled water and wipe the sofa to rinse the soap. Use another rag to dry the leather. Take a dry clean microfibre cloth or a soft towel and buff the leather to restore the gloss of the sofa. In the end apply leather conditioner to protect the couch surface.

Removing Stains from Leather Sofa

Before attempting to clean any stain of your leather furniture always check your solution (no matter if it is homemade or commercial one) on a small hidden area of the sofa.

Ink stain: Dip a cotton pad in rubbing alcohol and wipe the ink. Don’t dry the sofa the alcohol will evaporate quickly. If you have to deal with newsprint ink stain, spray it with hair spray and then wipe using rubbing alcohol.

Grease: If you act on time you will need only dry cloth to soak the stain. No need to use soap or water.

Dark spots: Coffee, blood, soy sauce leave dark stains and can be treated with the following recipe. Prepare paste from 1 part lemon juice and 1 part cream of tartar and apply onto the stain. Leave for 10 minutes and wipe the sofa with damp cloth. Dry the spot using soft cloth and buff to restore leather’s gloss. Apply leather conditioner.

The sooner you treat the stain, the better. Old, untreated stains are very difficult to remove, because leather has a porous structure and the stain sets deep into the material. If you have to clean an old stain better turn to professional cleaners.