How to Clean Leather

The best method for cleaning leather is determined by the type of the stain and the type of the leather. Read How to Treat Stains in Leather for advice on removing specific stains.

The following are instructions for general leather cleaning: Before cleaning leather, determine whether the leather is finished - like luggage, furniture and garments - or unfinished - like baseball gloves, work boots and saddles. Then follow the instructions below to keep your leather looking fabulous.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Leather Conditioners
• Saddle Soaps
• Damp cloths
• Dry Towels
• Sponges
• Leather Protection Sprays
• Leather Cleaning Kits

Finished Leather

1. Place a small amount of a gentle, moisturizing soap such as Dove on a damp cloth and bring it to a light lather.

2. Rub the damp cloth on the leather without putting too much water on the leather.

3. Wipe away lather with a fresh damp cloth. Don't rinse the leather in water.

4. Polish leather with a dry towel.

5. Treat leather with a leather conditioner after it has dried completely.

Unfinished Leather

6. Use a damp cloth or sponge to rub saddle soap into the leather; work soap into a light lather.

7. Wipe away lather and allow to air dry.

8. Oil leather with a leather preservative such as mink oil.

Tips & Warnings

• Consider seeking professional assistance as improper cleaning might damage the leather.

[newyorkminute92]

on 1/16/2009 That's great advice and thanks for the clarification. Would love to have you come answer and comment on some questions we have.

Answeraddict.com Team

[RebeccaC]

on 12/12/2008 i got fingernail polish remover on our brown leather couch and it took out the color. How can I cover it up so it's not as noticeable?

[moniquestattoo]

on 8/19/2008 Can you tell me how to get the smell of mold out of my leather coat?

[Free2bjen]

on 8/15/2008 Help I got a small ink pen mark on my brand new leather couch. I tried to clean it and now it looks like the dye has started to come off in the spot not the ink though. HELP! MY HUSBAND IS GOING TO FLIP OUT!
It's less than a week old.
Desperate and sad.

[JRoo]

on 8/11/2008 Dear Parakeet, Sorry I didn't read your post sooner butjust in case....here is a website for a company that makes an incredible product: www.DooDooVoodoo.com This stuff works absolute miracles ( I know I have cats!) for pet odors and stains. It works for ALL kinds of odors and stains of the worse kind but especially well for animals. They have an extensive FAQ section that should cover any questions you might have so be sure to check them out- I promise, you will NOT be disappointed! Good Luck, Juls.