When cleaning leather furniture, a less-is-more approach is best. Leather furniture should only be cleaned when noticeably dirty, and only those parts that are noticeably dirty should be cleaned. That means that you shouldn’t simply schedule a cleaning for your leather furniture into your household routine. You should, instead, find time in your regular cleaning routine to care for your leather furniture properly and keep an eye out for areas that may need more thorough cleaning. When the time comes for a good cleaning, the following steps will have your leather furniture looking its best again in no time.
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Step 1: Vacuum
Using a soft brush attachment, thoroughly vacuum the area to be cleaned. You should do this as part of your regular home cleaning routine. Switch to a crevice attachment and clean all the nooks and crannies and spaces between the cushions. Be careful not to scratch or mark the leather with the vacuum.
Step 2: Dust
Brush over the entire surface of the leather furniture with a clean, soft, lint-free cloth. This is another task that can be done weekly. This will remove any fine bits of dust or dirt that the vacuum may have missed.
Step 3: Determine the Severity of the Soiled Area
For a general cleaning on relatively soil-free spots, wiping with a damp, clean cloth will suffice. This can be done on a routine basis.
Step 4: Clean Lightly Soiled Areas
Using a damp cloth and warm soapy water (all-natural soap that contains no sodium laurel sulfate), wipe the area. Use a light touch and make several passes rather than scrubbing at one spot. Alternate between passes with a clean, dry cloth to remove excess moisture and any dirt that your wiping has brought to the surface.
Step 5: Clean Moderately to Heavily Soiled Areas
To clean more heavily soiled areas, you’ll need to purchase a good-quality leather cleaner, like saddle soap. Look for a product that contains beeswax and few, if any, petroleum products. Petroleum products can dry out your leather and cause it to become brittle and damaged.Apply the cleaning product with a damp cloth. Move from lesser soiled areas to more heavily soiled areas. Change or clean your cloth often so as not to transfer dirt from one area to another. Finish by wiping down with a clean, damp cloth. This will rinse away any remaining cleaning product. Pass a dry cloth over the area, as you did with lightly soiled areas, to remove any excess moisture.
Step 6: Condition the Furniture
Using an all-natural leather conditioner, go over the entire piece of furniture once it has dried completely. Follow the directions on your conditioning product and use it accordingly.
Step 7: Buff the Furniture
Using a clean cloth, buff the piece all over. This should give the leather a soft shine and make it look like new.
Some Notes and Warnings
• The above directions should not be used on suede or nubuck furniture. These steps are intended for smooth, finished-leather.• Do a test spot in an area not on view—the back or underside, for example—of all products and methods before you proceed with the main piece of furniture. This ensures that the products and cleaning methods will not harm, discolor, or damage your furniture in any way.• Stains should be treated with a stain remover product specially made for leather. You can try cleaning a stain with toothpaste and a soft cloth, but remember, do not scrub as this can damage the leather.• If all else fails, contact a professional leather cleaning service.