How to Take Care of Leather Furniture

Leather furniture is one of the most popular styles across the country, with many different colours, shapes and variations available.  Leather is also very tough, able to withstand regular use and even pets.  But it does need some care to keep it in top condition and here are tips from experts in restoration and leather recovering in Brighton, based on their experiences.

General leather care tips

Because leather is tough, it is easy to forget that it still needs some care and attention.  There are also things not to do with leather as it can make things look worse, not better.

For starters, it is best to remove dirt and debris from the leather surface because it can lead to scuff marks.  All you need is a soft brush attachment to your vacuum cleaner, and you can use this to collect dirt and debris.  You can use a damp sponge to remove stubborn stains and dry with a cloth afterwards.  You can also use a leather furniture conditioner afterwards to add sheen and keep the leather soft.

Don’t use any general purposes detergents or soaps for cleaning leather as this can lead to discoloration.  One of the top reasons for leather sofa covering in Brighton and around the country is someone using the wrong cleaning product and changing the colour of the leather!  If you do use a leather cleaner, try it in an out of the way spot first to make sure it doesn’t cause discoloration.

Restoring leather furniture

Most of the time, general upkeep will be enough but there can be times when something more is needed.  This is where experts in furniture restorations in Brighton come in – but what kind of repairs can be done?  Some of the most common problems that can be easily fixed include:

• Removing stains – leather doesn’t stain easily but some substances can cause a stain or discoloration. The first step is to identify the stain then decide what the is best way to remove it, so the furniture is restored
• Treating discoloration – like stains, this can be caused by different things and the job of the expert is to restore the leather so that all of the furniture is the same colour
• Fixing cracks – if the furniture has been in warm, dry conditions such as near an open fire, you can get fine cracks in the leather. These can be fixed with special conditioners that revive the dried, brittle leather
• Repairing rips and tears – perhaps the most common task is fixing those rips and tears that can happen to any piece of furniture and restoring its appearance

Sometimes, the problem may be more comprehensive, and an entire reupholstering might be needed to get the furniture into top condition.  An expert can do this no problem with the majority of leather furniture and it often works out more cost effective than buying something new.  Plus, you retain furniture you like or gives new life to antique or heirloom pieces that you don’t want to part with anyway.