Expensive and luxurious leather furniture is not only comfortable, but also durable. A leather sofa is in demand with the rest of the furniture. It harmonizes perfectly with any interior and gives the room the status of wealth and style. However, without proper care, any furniture loses its original appearance, scuffs and stains appear.
Many housewives believe that a leather sofa can only be cleaned by dry cleaning, but this is not true. At home, you can not only maintain the appearance of the product, but also remove stains.
General recommendations
When caring for white upholstery material, you should adhere to general recommendations that allow you to maintain cleanliness and prevent stains from appearing or spreading.
- Try to clean dirt on your skin as soon as you notice it. If the stain is left for a long time, it will dry out, be deeply absorbed into the surface of the skin, and then it will be much more difficult to remove. If you just planted the stain, blot it with a sponge. Oily dirt can be sprinkled with starch, traces of blood can be washed off with cold water. Place a piece of tape on the fresh ink from the pen; the adhesive tape will collect most of the dirt and prevent it from rubbing onto the upholstery. Traces of food and drinks are removed with a cloth soaked in a solution of laundry soap or vinegar.
- Leather is a natural material; it is not recommended to use household solvents to clean it. Avoid using acetone, nail polish remover, gasoline and turpentine.
- It is permissible to clean a sofa made of light leather with chemicals that cause discoloration of this material - alcohol, ammonia, vinegar. But first, it’s still worth testing the product on an inconspicuous area.
- Be careful when cleaning leather . The coating should not be rubbed too hard, otherwise you will leave cracks in it. Over-watering can lead to damage to the coating and the formation of mold.
- Wipe your leather sofa with a dry cloth once a week. This will keep it clean and allow you to detect stains in time if they suddenly appear. When not in use, a leather sofa should be covered with a sheet. In general, such a piece of furniture should be kept away from heat sources and sunlight. They can dry out the skin or cause discoloration.
Folk remedies for cleaning leather furniture
If it is not possible to purchase a commercially produced stain remover, you can clean the sofa with simple mixtures prepared by yourself. Inexpensive powders and liquids used in them can always be found in the household. In terms of effectiveness, they are often inferior to real cleaners, but their action is time-tested.
Table vinegar
Vinegar effectively cleans white leather upholstery.
This product can remove most stains on white leather furniture, but even 9% vinegar must be diluted before use. The exact proportions depend on the properties of the sofa leather, so it is recommended to test the effect of the prepared solution on a small, inconspicuous area of the surface. The ratio in the mixture with warm water should be at least 1 to 1.
Vinegar is effective in removing bright colored stains on a white background - from wine, ketchup, felt-tip pens. In addition to dirt, it eliminates the persistent smell of cat urine.
Milk with egg white
Proportions before cooking – 1 egg per 100 g of slightly warmed milk. Add only the protein and beat with a stirrer or mixer. Apply the finished composition with a cotton swab and then wipe the stain with light circular movements. Finally, be sure to wash off the residue.
Milk with protein is most effective on fresh contaminants. It does not leave streaks on colored leather surfaces, but it is better to use it on light-colored sofas.
Baking soda
Mix in the proportion of 30 g of powder per 200 ml of water. Use this solution to wash the area of contamination using a cotton swab or soft sponge. After cleaning is complete, wipe dry.
Baking soda is suitable for any leather furniture.
Ammonia
Ammonia diluted with water cleanses the skin well.
It is an effective, but not safe, remedy. It is dissolved in water in a ratio of 1:10 or 1:15. But even a diluted ammonia mixture with prolonged treatment can dry out the leather of furniture. Therefore, you need to act quickly, without delaying wiping. Immediately after removing the contamination, wipe the entire coating with a damp cloth to remove any ammonia residue and dry with a soft cloth.
For old stains, a strong solution is recommended: 25 ml of ammonia, 50 ml of vinegar per 200 ml of water.
As a last resort, when other means are powerless to clean serious contamination, you can try a mixture of ammonia with acetone or white spirit. This composition can remove even old blood or iodine stains. But they can easily damage the leather covering itself.
To remove difficult stains, it is safest to order dry cleaning of leather furniture from professionals with a home call.
Medical alcohol
The best product for removing paint stains, ballpoint pen and felt-tip pen marks on natural leather or leatherette. Undiluted alcohol will dry out the upholstery and make it brittle. You only need to use a solution of this substance.
The stain should be treated with moistened cotton pads without applying force, otherwise the stain will spread over the surface. Change cleaning swabs more often.
Starch
If greasy products come into contact with a leather sofa, it is recommended to immediately sprinkle it on the stained area. You only need to remove starch after 5-10 minutes so that it absorbs most of the fat.
To quickly eliminate such traces, you can pre-mix this powder in equal parts with soda and talc or baby powder. This composition should be kept close to the sofa so that it can be immediately poured onto the area where any food or liquid comes into contact. If it does not remove the stain completely, the residue will be easier to wipe off with other means.
Aspirin
One tablet dissolved in a glass of water will help deal with blood stains on light leather sofas. You just need to moisten a cotton pad or napkin with this solution, and then wipe without pressure, changing them often.
Toothpaste
Suitable for quick cleaning of small dirty areas. Apply to a soft-bristle brush, which is used to rub the detected stain. After 1–2 minutes, wash off with cold water.
For white and simply light sofa leather, a paste without color additives is selected. And it should not contain abrasive particles. This can be easily checked by rubbing the paste between your fingers.
Lemon juice
This safe cleaner should never be used on light leather furniture. It will certainly color the treated surface yellowish.
Professional products
If you have purchased a white leather sofa for the first time, you should buy something with it that can be used to clean it. You will need the following tools and accessories:
- A product for cleaning genuine leather products that can remove a variety of stains. Such compositions are produced under the brand names HG, Flat, Astonish, Bagi, Leather Ultra Clean, etc. The composition is applied briefly to the contaminated surface and removed without the use of water.
- A cream for the care of leather surfaces that will nourish the material and protect it from the negative effects of sunlight and high temperatures.
- A soft brush that is convenient for rubbing products over the surface.
- Napkins or soft rags that are used to remove residual cleaning products and apply cream.
- A foaming bottle into which you can pour the cleaning product. Some formulations are sold in containers with such a nozzle.
First cleaning
It is best to perform the first cleaning of a leather sofa immediately after the product is delivered to your home. Spray a small amount of cleaner onto the brush and spread it over the upholstery using gentle, gentle movements. There is no need to rub too hard - the composition will work just fine, but the brush may scratch the skin. Wait the time specified by the manufacturer (usually 30-60 seconds), and then wipe off any remaining product with a soft cloth. Mentally divide the surface of the sofa into sectors and process a not too large piece of leather at a time, then proceed to the next one. And so on until the entire sofa is completely processed.
After 5 minutes, when the furniture has dried a little after using the cleaner, it will need to be treated with cream. Squeeze a small amount onto a clean, soft cloth and spread over the leather surface. The cream is absorbed within 10 minutes, creating a protective coating. After this time, you will be able to sit on the sofa. Subsequently, the cream will prevent the sofa from getting dirty - you will be able to wipe off the remains of food, drinks, pasta, grease, and dust much easier from the skin.
In the future, the sofa needs to be cleaned as it gets dirty. Typically, cleaning is repeated every 1-3 months. But with all the tools described above, it takes up to 10 minutes.
Read also: Effective ways to clean furniture at home
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Home methods
Folk care products for leather furniture will cost several times less than professional ones. But it is worth remembering that their use can be labor-intensive, and in some cases not entirely effective.
- A solution of laundry soap or dishwashing detergent. Used for light stains. Dissolve soap or detergent in water. To enhance the effect, add ammonia. In this case, prepare a solution of 0.5 tbsp. warm water, 1 tbsp. ammonia and 10 g of soap. Dip a sponge or soft cloth and gently rub the solution over the surface of the sofa. Act without pressure, as the skin does not tolerate friction well. Wipe off any remaining soapy water with a dry cloth, and then blot the upholstery with a flannel cloth, which should absorb as much moisture as possible.
- Warm milk . Heat cow's milk to a comfortable temperature, pour it into a convenient container, dip a clean rag in it, wring it out and wipe the sofa. Blot off any remaining residue with a dry cloth. Milk will remove light impurities and give your white skin a glow. Some housewives mix milk with beaten egg whites and apply it to the skin in this form.
- Onion . Cut the onion in half and wipe the halves over the surface of the sofa. When the bulb becomes dirty, cut off the working layer and continue cleaning. After treatment, wipe the sofa with a soft cloth.
- Cosmetic milk . What is suitable for human skin can also clean leather products. For example, cosmetic remover milk can be applied to a cotton pad and used to treat the dirt, and then remove the residue with a soft cloth. But it is not advisable to use such a product to regularly clean the entire surface of the sofa.
- Try different methods, and you will definitely find a simple and affordable way to clean a leather sofa at home. The main thing is to remember to care for your piece of furniture regularly.
How to care for a leather sofa
If you decide to purchase a leather sofa, it is important to follow simple rules for caring for it.
If you are not sure of the positive results of the detergent, do a test cleaning in an area that is not visible to prying eyes.
Appearance, condition, service life depend on the following conditions:
- Furniture with leather upholstery must be installed away from radiators, fireplaces and other appliances that emit increased heat. The skin will dry out and may become cracked.
- Direct rays of the sun (ultraviolet) have a harmful effect on furniture. The upholstery fades and white stripes appear on it.
- Use the sofa for relaxing, not for eating. The soft material can be accidentally torn by a dropped fork or knife, or various drinks can be spilled on it. You can wash it yourself, but to repair the damage you need the help of a specialist, which entails additional costs.
- It is necessary to remove stains and dirt immediately before liquid or grease is absorbed into the material.
- Periodic use of protective products will save you from scuffs and increase the elasticity of the upholstery material.
Entrust complex stains or abrasions to specialists.
Use flannel material, microfiber, foam sponges, and soft-bristled brushes to clean leather surfaces. The above information will help leather sofa lovers keep their furniture in perfect order without much effort.
Don't use a lot of water when cleaning your leather sofa.
If you find it difficult to deal with old stains or attempts have ended in failure, order a dry cleaning service at home, and specialists will solve the problem.
