Leather furniture is among the most stylish, cool and elegant of all furnishing that you can pit up in your interiors and the best part is that it goes well with both the modern look and even the laid back retro style.Leather furniture is sought after both for the class it exudes, for the simplicity of its look and the grandeur it brings to the room. Leather furnishings are more about subtle grace rather than a look that shouts out and begs to be noticed. Just get a leather couch and add it to your home to notice the difference it brings both in the feel of the space and the look of your guests. Neighbor’s envy, Owner’s Pride- that pretty much sums up leather furniture.But how do you take care of your precious leather darling? Well, it’s easier than what most people make it out to be and here is a straight forward guide that will help you preserve the beauty of your leather furniture. Here’s how to take care of leather furniture.One of the most basic steps in keeping that shine on your leather furnishings for a long time is to keep them clean.

This does not mean you tidy up every time a party is around the corner. You need to take weekly care of your leather furniture. Most often a dry cloth and vacuuming will be sufficient in this regard. If you ever spill something on it though, make sure you clean up quickly and aptly.The most common mistake that people make is using excessive water and soap to clean their leather furniture. This is an absolute no-no as it disintegrates the surface and speeds up the cracking and breaking process. Do not use strong solvents and stuff like ammonia on it as they could bleach the leather. Even when there is a stain, use the minimum water required for cleaning up and do not allow the water to remain stagnant on the surface.Some gullible people are duped to believe that suing a conditioner often will keep their leather furniture shining like the sun- forever! You could not be more far off from truth. Use the conditioner judiciously and once every 6-12 months. There is no need to put it on and polish your leather once each month.

Most commercial conditioners are too strong, so make sure you pick something mild. You can always make one at home as well.Remember that leather was once the skin of an animal and just like too much sun and heat are no good for your skin, they are not all that welcome for leather as well. If your leather sofa set sits close to a sunny window, the use a window treatment. Keep your leather furniture away from the fire place and at a spot that is cooler.This one comes both from personal experience and common observation. best way to clean a microfiber chairTake special care of your favorite spot on the leather couch as it will be the first to show signs of wear and tear. air duct cleaning cablesSince you will excessively sue it for reading your newspaper, watching TV and playing your Xbox, it will automatically require extra attention. best cleaning solution for wooden blinds

Switching spots once in a while is cool, but even if you do not wish to, the make sure that the ‘hot spot’ is pampered enough.Whenever you buy leather furniture, make sure you ask the seller about the details of the leather and the suggested ways of keeping it new as long as you can. This will be the best piece of advice you will ever get as leather varies with its place of origin and only by knowing its exact variety can you actually take the right care.Unlike most other furnishing, leather indeed demands a tad bit of extra care and obviously fair distance from flaming heat and sharp edges. best sofa upholstery cleaning productsBut if you can take enough care that is necessary, it will manifold to the beauty of your home!best stick vacuum cleaner 2012Category: Common Leather Problems, DIY, Leather Advice From the Prosvacuum cleaner best hardwood floors

Unfortunately, sun and leather don’t usually mix well. Too much sunlight will do one of two things (and possibly both) to leather furniture and other upholstery– fading and drying. Fading is commonly seen in semi-aniline and aniline leathers, but is a little rarer in fully-finished leathers that have a protective top coat. It’s one of the most common problems we see, and if you put leather furniture next to a window that gets some serious sunlight, you can start to see fading in as little as 4 to 6 months. Drying, on the other hand, is something the sun will do to almost any kind of leather – fully-finished or not. The heat of sunlight causes the moisture in the leather’s natural oils to slowly evaporate, and eventually, it will dry, stiffen and crack. These are both common problems, and no, you don’t have to live with the shades drawn 24/7. There are a few highly effective ways to fight both types of sun damage – it just takes a little preventative maintenance.

How do I prevent sun damage to my leather? The best way to prevent drying in fully finished, semi-aniline and aniline leathers (except Nubuck) is by cleaning and protecting them 3 to 4 times a year.  Here is a quick tutorial on cleaning and protecting leather. Cleaning and protecting is key, but another good idea is to try your best to keep leather furniture out of direct sunlight.  Regardless of how much cleaning and protecting you do, if you put a leather sofa directly in front of a sunny window, you’re asking for trouble. It is helpful to close the blinds during the sunniest, hottest parts of the day. Remember that dark colors absorb more light, and therefore more heat, from the sun.  Leather is no exception, so try to avoid putting dark colored leather in direct sunlight if you can. Like we said, fading is mainly a problem that affects analine and semi-analine leathers. The only true way to prevent the fading of leather from sunlight is to keep it out of the sun. 

Try to place semi-aniline and aniline leather furniture out of direct sunlight whenever possible, and follow the closed blinds tip above if you do have to place these leathers in a sunny spot.  If you need to put a piece of leather furniture in direct sunlight, as most people do, we recommend fully-finished leather because of its durability and resistance to fading – so think about where you’re going to put your furniture before you buy if at all possible. Since the leather in your car is likely to be exposed to a lot of sunlight and heat, car manufacturers use leather that is highly resistant to sun damage in their interiors.  It usually holds up a lot longer in the sun than most furniture leather, but it’s still a good idea to clean and protect it a couple times a year.  You can also try using window shields or a sheer curtain to keep some of the light and heat off your leather if you park in the sun for extended periods of time. What if it’s already damaged?  What can I do?

Once leather is faded, the only way to get the color back is to re-dye and color match it, which you’ll need a professional to do.  The cost varies depending on the size of the affected area and the extent of the problem. The best way to get an idea of cost is to ask a local professional who can do the work for you. Most pros who know what they are doing will give you an estimate for free –we do at Fibrenew. People always ask us, “Can you re-hydrate leather once it has been dried out?”  The simple answer is no; once the natural oils found in leather are gone, they’re gone for good. This is why the cleaning, protecting and preventative maintenance are so important. While it would be incredibly time consuming and impractical for a professional to attempt to re-hydrate dried out leather, your best bet is going to be to patch it, re-dye it and you won’t notice the difference when it’s done. We have seen lots of advice on the internet suggesting that people treat their leather with olive oil to prevent drying.