How To Care For Leather Sofas: A Complete Guide

Leather sofas have a unique ability to add elegance to every living room. No matter what interior decor you have, there’s a leather piece that can match up wonderfully. While you may not get as many colour options as you would with other materials, leather is extremely sleek, chic, and never goes out of style. 

With the right leather care, your seat can remain soft and comfortable for decades. In this post, you’ll learn all the essentials for leather care and cleaning your sofa. We’ll also touch on what makes leather an excellent material choice for your sofa!

Make A Habit of Frequent Cleaning And Sofa Care

Leather hides are like wine; they get better with age. 

That said, they can start to look old and worn out quite quickly if you don’t keep up with regular maintenance. 

Like most pieces of furniture, you should clean your sofa at least once per week. If you use your sofa a lot, two times per week may be ideal. 

When cleaning your furniture, make sure you check the entire surface for smudges, stains, or discolouration. Otherwise, your upholstery may end up patchy!

If this is your first time owning a sofa made from hides, here are a few expert cleaning tips to make your life easier:

1. One of the first things you want to look for is dust. You can take a soft cloth or brush and gently wipe the sofa’s upholstery to remove any debris that may be gathering around your seat.
2. After you wipe the upholstery free of debris, you can use a damp cloth on the sofa to remove any compounds that may be stuck to the surface. However, be conservative with your water use, since hides aren’t exactly water-resistant. You can find specialised cleaning products designed for hides, but you only need to use them every once and a while.
3. Let your sofa dry out completely before using it. If you sit on it before it dries, you risk adding creases to the surface.

The way you clean your hide also depends on what kind you’re working with. For example, aniline leather doesn’t have a natural coat for protection, so you’ll need to use a brush that can soften the dirt and grime from the surface. A dry cloth or damp towel won’t be enough to clean the aniline. 

Keep Your Sofa Away From Direct Sunlight

One thing that makes leather unique compared to fabric is that it contains natural oils. The oils are what give the hide its sleek and smooth appearance. If your sofa is positioned under direct sunlight, the sun can evaporate the oils and cause the hide to crack and dry out. 

If possible, keep your sofa away from windows or anywhere it will get excessive sun exposure. As a result, your hide should retain its elegance much longer. 

Plump Your Cushions 

Anyone in the furniture industry will tell you that soft cushions are what make a great sofa. While you want to do everything you can to make your furniture look amazing, the cushions should also provide you with serene comfort and support so you can wind down and relax. 

What’s more, plumping and cleaning the cushions won’t take too much time. The little bit of effort it takes will completely transform your sitting experience on your new leather sofa. 

Remove Stains Right Away

When it comes to leather sofa care, there are different techniques to remove stains. What’s most important is you take action right away to remove spills on your seat. If it’s an oil or food stain, blot the spills liberally with a dry cloth. Make sure you let the spill settle in a bit before using your sofa. Then, you can use a bristle brush to remove the rest of the compounds. 

If you don’t use a soft cloth and take care of stains right away, they can get too deep into the material and become increasingly difficult to remove. Make sure to always use a clean cloth to prevent any further smudges.

Give It A Weekly Once-Over With A Vacuum Cleaner

If you have some dust or crumbs on your sofa, you can easily clean them using a simple vacuum cleaner. 

You should run your vacuum over your sofa at least once a week to ensure there are no bits and pieces stuck to the leather! 

Keep Your Leather Sofa Safe From Other Damages

Spills, stains, and dirt aren’t the only things your leather seat’s upholstery is vulnerable to. Even things that may seem harmless can cause damage to your hide over time. If possible, avoid putting clothes, cloth, pillows, and other items that carry dirt on your sofa.

Leather cushions don’t retain their colour as much as other materials, so it’s incredibly easy to transfer colours onto your sofa if you’re not careful. Wet clothes, towels, or even blankets can jeopardise your sofa’s surface, so avoid using them while you sit. 

Once your leather seat settles in, it becomes much more resilient to stains and discolouration. 

Use Leather Conditioner

Above, we mention how hides contain natural oils. However, these oils dry out over time, so you need to replenish them every once and a while for your sofa to shine. 

To help keep the essential oils, you can use a specialised leather conditioner that will make your seat look good as new all year round. 

The right conditioner will preserve your upholstery material and prevent your sofa from cracking. Leather conditioner is transparent, so you won’t even notice it’s on. What’s more is that it provides an extra coating that will make the hide more resistant to spills and stains.  

What Are The Benefits Of A Leather Sofa?

When searching for a cosy new sofa, leather may not be at the top of your list. However, leather sofas come with various advantages over fabric that take your home comfort (and style) to a whole new level. 

Learn why here!

They Are Timeless And Classy

No matter where you position your new leather sofa, it’s going to enhance your interior decor and make your house appear extremely classy. Depending on your home’s colour scheme, you can get leather sofas in various shades to match the rest of your furniture. Aniline leather uses soluble dyes to cover its natural surface.  

You can go with a classic black leather if you want a conservative look, or a vibrant hue if you are looking for something more contemporary. Every time you look at your leather sofa, you won’t help but notice the beauty of the design and natural grain patterns. 

They Are Incredibly Durable

Durability has to be one of leather’s most reliable characteristics. Any high-quality leather sofa will last for ages as long as you provide it with proper love and care. You can find old homes containing even older leather seats that have withstood the test of time much better compared to fabric models! 

Furthermore, leather upholstery is exceptionally soft and flexible, making it difficult to break or crack. This factor makes leather sofas incredibly easy to clean and maintain.

They Provide Ultimate Comfort 

The natural fibres in leather make it incredibly soft and comfortable. You and the family can enjoy your sofa for several years without it losing its comfort or wearing out. 

Leather also provides excellent breathability. You can enjoy your sofa while feeling cool on a warm day.  

They Smell Good

Leather has a natural scent that adds a nice touch to the room. The tanneries that produce hides use a wide variety of oils and perfumes that give leather its distinctive smell. 

Since humans have a strong connection between smells and memories, the smell of leather is extremely familiar and will always remind you of home. 

Give Your Leather The Best Care

Leather care may seem like a daunting process, but it’s surprisingly simple. As long as you develop a routine to clean and maintain your leather furniture, you can enjoy it for several years to come. Today, you can even pick up some leather cleaner that’s specifically designed for sofa care. 

Remember, take care of spills and stains using a dry or damp cloth right away and always clean the upholstery at least once per week. If possible, never leave your sofa in direct sunlight or else it will dry out faster and lose its quality.

Here at Chill Sofas, we offer some of the most comfortable and soft pieces of fabric and aniline leather furniture on the market. All of our pieces are durable, elegant, and incredibly easy to clean. 

Browse our collection today to find your living room’s brand new centrepiece!