It is not uncommon to find a leather armchair or sofa in a living room. This is a must in interior design, which brings both cachet and character to a room. But leather is not material like the others.

Made from animal skin, it must be cared for as much as possible in order to age properly, retain its shine, and not deteriorate. For optimal longevity, it is, therefore, necessary to maintain your leather sofa.

It will be understood that maintaining a leather armchair or sofa is a real challenge at all times. If your leather sofa captures bad odors, it is possible to eliminate them by letting baking soda act for a few hours.

Here are some tips for cleaning and keeping your leather sofa as long as possible!

1) Do not wet the leather

When you spot any stain, you are often tempted to clean it with a damp cloth. In reality, leather is not very fond of water, and it is thus useful to favor simpler alternatives.

Leather requires a lot of delicacies, and sometimes a dry cloth can be enough to clean your sofa. Be careful however, it is important to dab and not rub too much, at the risk that the color of the sofa may get faded from the fabric. If so, stop everything! There are other alternatives to clean your leather.

2) Respect its fragility

Leather is fragile, so it is important not to rub it with an abrasive sponge. Do not leave this material too close to a heat source such as a radiator, it may shrink. Do not use too much water even if you stain your lovely sofa, especially if it is full-grain or unprotected leather. It could damage it.

Finally, do not use chemicals or solvents, unless the seller has recommended it. Some leathers tolerate them better than others. With stain removers too, it is better to test on a hidden part of the leather to see its reaction.

3) Clean it daily

To remove dust, you can simply vacuum using the flat nozzle, on the seat and backrest, and also under the cushions.

On the other hand, do not use an anti-dust spray, which could leave traces. If you find that your leather sofa is graying or slightly dirty, prefer the use of a slightly damp microfiber cloth.

4) The case of white

White leather is particularly vulnerable. They are easy to get stained, and it is very difficult to clean them. Apply a cotton ball soaked in claystone to the stains.

Then, when the sofa is dry, sprinkle it with talcum powder. Massage the lather, leave on for about an hour, then clean off the excess with a soft cloth.

5) Feeding

There are, of course, commercially available nourishing products for leather. Expensive and sometimes very chemical, they can be replaced by some common and completely unexpected items.

Cleansing milk, for example, works wonders for reviving leather. Soak a cotton ball with a few drops of white vinegar so that the make-up remover penetrates better and passes over the surface of the sofa with circular gestures.

6)  Clean your leather sofa regularly with natural remedies

Certain combinations of ingredients have proven themselves when it comes to cleaning a leather armchair or sofa, and in particular smooth leather.

First of all, when there is a stain, it is important to be reactive and to clean it as soon as possible. It will be understood, at first, that the dry cloth (especially microfiber) can be enough to remove a non-greasy stain.

You can also use a surprising mixture, beaten egg white, mixed with hot sour beer. Hot sour beer is prepared by pouring beer into a container in the open air and leaving it near a heat source for several days. This recipe, if effective, does not allow you to clean a leather sofa on the spot, since it requires a little preparation time.

You can also rub in a circular (and delicate!) way with a cotton pad soaked in cleansing milk or baby milk. The milky solution removes streaks, while the cotton will grab the dirt.

7) Clean a stubborn stain on a leather sofa

There are, however, certain traces that resist rags or sour beer. Stains that should be carefully observed, so as not to damage the leather unduly by rubbing it too hard.  You can always call a professional sofa cleaning service for help when there is any sort of staining you need to be removed. 

With this in mind, these homemade recipes are ideal:

Oil-limestone liniment

Soaked with a cotton ball, this very greasy product will gently remove stains. Be careful however, the color of the leather may darken slightly if used in too large quantities.

Cleansing milk and vinegar

Applied to a cotton pad, this mixture makes leather look newer than ever.

Don't forget to shine with a clean cloth to finish.

Ammonia

The most stubborn stains, such as ink, will leave if you use a cloth impregnated with ammonia, and diluted in water.

Explosive mixtures are to be used with care and sparingly. Because a leather sofa remains a fragile object, which should be protected with delicacy.

8 ) Keep the leather sofa away from the heat

If the sour beer is prepared near a heat source, a leather sofa, on the other hand, fears the latter.

It is best to position it in the room as far as possible from the heating, so as not to make it shrivel too quickly. The overexposure of the leather sofa to the heat makes it dry and age more rapidly.

9) Moisturize your leather sofa

To take care of your leather sofa in the best possible way, good hydration is essential. Just like the skin, leather needs maintenance, and this is also the reason why it is not forbidden to polish it with a soft cloth and moisturizing cream for its everlasting shine.

Indeed, apart from the specialized maintenance products for leather, it is also possible to find homemade alternatives.

Vegetable glycerin is also a great tool for repairing dry spots on a leather sofa. The latter is very greasy and gently repairs each crack. It is enough to apply some on small cotton and to lightly tap the places to be repaired.

Conclusion

Anyway, leather (no matter if it's a sofa or shoes) requires regular maintenance if you want to keep it longer. All the advice given above should be done with soft cotton or microfiber cloths or soft washcloths or simply a small cotton ball.

Also, remember to dust it before each cleaning with chamois leather. By insisting a little on the seams and other folds of your sofa.

Other tips to enjoy it longer, you will avoid putting your sofa next to a heat source such as radiators or even worse inserts and fireplaces. Indeed, the heat input halves on average the lifetime of the skins used in the manufacture of your furniture.

Finally, the last tip and not the least: before cleaning your entire sofa, test your product on an invisible part to avoid ending up with nasty stains.