How to Protect Leather Sofas

With proper care, leather sofas can last many years.

Once damaged, a leather sofa can cost a fortune to repair. Although leather is a strong, durable material, take steps to properly protect your sofa from deterioration. Protecting your sofa is often as simple as cleaning it regularly and properly. You can also apply a special product to your sofa for extra protection as long as it is approved for use on leather. The sofa itself may provide clues as to how you can best take care of it as well.

Things You'll Need

• Feather duster
• Vacuum cleaner
• Cloths
• Distilled water
• Leather protector or conditioner

Instructions

1. Check your leather sofa for a tag with care instructions. It may specify the kind of leather you have, the kind of cleaning methods that are acceptable and the types of products to avoid. Your sofa may have special requirements about which you need to know. Some types of leather, for example, can sustain damage from contact with water.

2. Dust the leather sofa with a feather duster frequently to prevent dust from accumulating.

3. Vacuum the cracks and crevices between the seats and other tight spaces to remove any trapped dust and debris.

4. Remove any liquid spills from the sofa immediately using a clean cloth to prevent them from leaving stains.

5. Dampen a cloth with lukewarm distilled water if staining occurs. Wipe gently in one direction to remove the stain. Blot excess moisture with a dry cloth. Let the leather air-dry.

6. Apply a leather protector or conditioner to the sofa according to the label instructions. You can find these products at furniture or home-improvement stores.

7. Move your leather sofa away from direct sunlight to prevent fading, drying and cracking. Sunlight removes moisture from leather and can bleach it. A leather conditioner can reduce the sun damage, but you can prevent the damage simply by keeping your sofa away from sunlight.

8. Move your leather sofa away from sources of heat, which can crack and age the leather. Such heat sources include vents, fireplaces and radiators.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't use furniture polish, alcohol- or ammonia-based cleaners, varnish, bleach or saddle soap as they can cause discoloration to leather sofas.

• Don't use oils, furniture polish, waxes or silicone on your leather sofa because they can damage the sofa and leave the surface sticky.

References

• How to Clean Stuff: How to Clean Leather Furniture
• Good Housekeeping; How to Clean a Leather Sofa; Heloise
• Apartment Therapy; Will Sun Damage My Leather Baby?; Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan; May 2006