Keeping Your Leather Sofa In Top Condition
Your leather sofa came with a hefty price tag, right? Well, it was worth it. After all, these durable sets of furniture are both elegant and comfortable, adding to the aesthetic appeal of the interior space, and bringing style and a luxurious touch to the room. It’s no surprise that they are widely popular. They can last for long too, as long as they are properly maintained. Afterall, no furniture is completely invincible. It will still come under attack from everyday wear and tear, but with the right steps you can ensure that you prolong the life of your set, and get to enjoy it all through. Here are measures that you should undertake in order to protect your set:
- Regular dust and vacuuming
One of the main threats to the leather sofa is the abrasive dust that accumulates in it. As the dust particles settle on the upholstery over time, the threat increases. Regular usage of the sofa will result in the dust particles getting grinded against the upholstery, and the resultant friction wears down the material. When allowed to continue unabated, this quickly takes away that soft nature of the sofa, making it uncomfortable to use. It also brings the sofa one step closer to disuse, a point at which you’ll be forced to budget to purchase a whole new set. This is not how you want things playing out.
Vacuuming is particularly vital in reducing the rate at which the loose debris piles up in the furniture. When vacuuming the sofa, ensure that you pay particular attention to the crevices where more dirt accumulates. It can also be dusted, using tools like microfibre cloths that can pick up even those particles that are too small for the eyes to see. Note that this is not a replacement for the regular sofa cleaning. They are complementary measures needed to protect the set.
- Don’t let spills to settle
Sure, one of the benefits of leather sofas is that they don’t get stained easily. However, this does not mean that you allow spills to remain on the upholstery. You should attend to them immediately they occur. Here, use a soft and absorbent cloth to blot up the spillage. Avoid rubbing the spot, as this will only serve to work the spill deeper into the leather upholstery.
- Get the leather conditioned
That soft and supple feel of the leather upholstery is largely attributed to the oils and conditioning agents that it has been treated with. However, over time these get depleted, and the unit will need to be reconditioned. It’s just like human skin, where failure to oil it causes it to get all dry and feel clammy. The conditioning can be carried out after the sofa cleaning process.
- Carry out spot tests for any maintenance products used on the sofa
While the durability of the leather upholstery allows it to withstand the demand of heavy usage, it is sensitive to the chemicals that are used on it. Working with harsh cleaners will damage the set. Given that there are also different types of leather upholsteries, it’s imperative that you work with maintenance products that are suited for your particular kind of unit. Simply because it is categorised as a “leather cleaner” does not mean that it will be compatible with your specific type of leather upholstery in your residence. It is recommended that you test it out on an inconspicuous part of the sofa, that way you can check to see if there are any undesirable effects before you proceed to use it on the rest of the furniture.
- Keep the sofa away from direct sunlight
Direct and prolonged exposure to sunlight causes the sofa to get discoloured and start developing cracks. When arranging the furniture in the house, try to position it away from spots where it will be baked by the sun. In the same breath, keep it away from heat sources like the furniture.
- Schedule regular deep sofa cleaning
The sofa will need a thorough wash occasionally, and for this it is recommended that you bring in the professionals. After all, you don’t want to run the risks of DIY sofa cleaning, where a simple oversight can lead to costly losses. From applying the wrong cleaning product to soaking the sofa in too much solution that it ends up ruining the upholstery – these are not outcomes you want for the process. The task itself is also laborious. Researching on the chemicals to use, sourcing for the equipment, and carrying out the actual cleaning as you deal with the heavy dirt build-ups and assortment of stains that are on the unit – it’s not really how you picture spending your weekends. What’s more, you can spend hours on the task and still wind up with unsatisfactory results, where the sofa cleaning will need to be repeated – which ends up costing you more in the process. Cases of stains reappearing on the upholstery, stubborn dirt spots that refuse to budge, to the risks that come with using abrasive tools in an attempt to scrub out the grime – these are commonly witnessed during the DIY sofa cleaning jobs.
Avoid the hustle involved by leaving the task to a qualified sofa cleaning team. Note that for you to get the results you desire, you should be keen on the specific company hired for the task. When carrying out your background research on the firm, go through its social media pages and business directory listings, checking for feedback from other clients about the quality of services that they received from the company. For the complaints that were raised, were the disgruntled clients addressed? Usually, after an issue has been raised and sorted out, the affected client updates their review, which will be further testament to the company’s desire to ensure that satisfactory services are provided. What about the experience of the crew? What kind of training do they have, and how long has the company been providing the sofa cleaning services? Considering such factors will enable you to settle on the optimal company for the task.
