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Leather furniture is classy, stylish and long lasting, and this makes leather furniture one of the most popular upholstery materials. It is more durable than fabric and as a result it lasts longer. It is even great for families with children because the material will stand the test of drips and spills, children's climbing, and all of their rough house kind of activities. It needs to be kept out of direct sunlight and away from heating vents to retain its beauty. Direct sunlight and the heat will break down the natural oils in the leather, making it more likely to crack. To last long and look good your furniture requires regular care and cleaning. While professional cleaning can be quite costly, you can get the same effect at home by following our tips on cleaning leather furniture and doing the cleaning yourself.
The first thing that you need to do to clean your furniture well is to identify the kind of leather upholstery that you have. Different types of leathers require different cleaning methods so knowing the kind of leather that you have is extremely important before you start using any kind of cleaning products. Leather that has been protected with surface finishes and coating is the easiest and simplest to clean. However, colored yet uncoated leather like aniline and suede and nubuck, which are also commonly used as upholstery, will require special leather furniture cleaners since they have a different cleaning process. In most cases, you will find the exact description on the factory tags and labels that your furniture has come with.
Once you have identified your type, stock up on leather furniture cleaners that are created specially for it. Suede and Nubuck are the hardest to maintain since they absorb water, dirt and grease very easily. The only way to keep your suede or nubuck furniture clean is to use a product that protects the leather against spills. This is something like a Scotchgard for leather and is available under different names from different companies. Apart from protecting your suede furniture from moisture and stains, make sure that you blot off any spills instantly and use only non-water based leather upholstery cleaner for it. Regular use of a nap brush will make your nubuck or suede furniture keep looking new for a long period of time.
Cleaning aniline, which is pigmented but not heavily finished or coated is different from suede and nubuck cleaning. After vacuuming your leather furniture, you can use a mixture of water and a PH balanced soap to clean aniline. Special aniline leather furniture cleaners are available for cleaning your furniture upholstered with aniline or similar leathers. You can clean leather couches and other furniture with a soft cloth dipped in cleaning solution. Make sure that you dry off your furniture with a hair dryer in order to avoid watermarks.
After cleaning leather furniture, make sure that you use a conditioner. Leather conditioners replenish your upholstery with natural oils that will keep them shining and looking like new. Conditioners also act as a protective agent and inhibit staining of leather furniture.
Carry out a cleaning and conditioning regime every three to four months. This will not only ensure that your leather furniture is clean, but that it is not damaged by the sun, heat or humidity. Regular care and cleaning of your leather furniture whether it is done professionally or you do it yourself will ensure that it remains looking like new for years and years.
Jim Thornton has over 30 years experience cleaning leather furniture. Having used many different methods of cleaning has achieved the best results using dry foam extraction with a leather lather solution. Adding a conditioner after cleaning the leather sofas will rejuvenate the leather. For more information go to http://www.bubblesandsuds.ca
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