Treat Your Leather Sofa Right
The warmth and style that leather sofas bring to the home is undeniable. They are some of the most sought out after furniture choices. Like all the other upholstered units though, they require proper maintenance for them to remain in optimal condition. Let’s take a deep look at what you should know about the leather sofas, that way you will be well positioned to take care of your unit.
Leather Upholstery 101
Leather, being a natural product sees each individual piece having its unique characteristics. These are features that came with the original hide, like growth marks, scratches, and areas that have different fibre density. Then the animal skin is taken through the curing process – or tanning as it is more widely known, the end result is leather. After the tanning and drying process, the hide gets graded by size, plus the degree of scarring. The hides that have fewer blemishes are used for full-grain leathers, while those with more scarring are taken through light buffing and used for the corrected grain leather.
There are different types of leather that are used for furniture. The most durable is pigmented leather, which features a consistent surface appearance due to the treatment processes it goes through. Its surface is coated with a polymer that contains pigments – hence the name. The surface coating gives it a higher resistance to scuffing, fading and soiling. Technological advancements allow for the different coating finishes as well, where the leather can be printed, embossed, or plain. For a more natural look, you have aniline leather. Here, the extra coating has not been done, meaning that the unique features of the animal hide are still visible. For pure aniline leather, it has only been coloured with dye, and doesn’t have the polymer coating or pigment. While it has a more natural look and feel, the aniline leather will be more prone to soiling and staining, and requires more specialised maintenance in order to keep it in optimal condition. Semi-aniline leather on the other hand amps up the durability by having a light surface coating applied on it, which has a little pigment. Here, one ends up with more uniformity with the colour, and extra protection to the unit.
Measures To Observe When Dealing With Your Leather Sofa
Firstly, ensure that you vacuum it regularly. This is to remove that loose soiling, and dander that is in the furniture, since it is both abrasive to the upholstery, and a health risk to the persons seated on the sofa. You can also use a dry dusting cloth.
One advantage that leather sofas have is their ease of clearing spills, especially when you deal with them immediately. So when that coffee mug or soda bottle has been toppled over on the sofa, take a clean and damp cloth and wipe off the contents from the set. The cloth should be absorbent, and you should take care to blot – not rub, the spot, so as to avoid pushing the spill deeper into the sofa.
Still on spills, avoid treating them with water. Actually, water ends up worsening the problems, since it spreads the spill deeper into the upholstery. You can also end up with a water stain, which only increases your workload during the subsequent sofa cleaning.
Note that, despite its durability, leather is still sensitive to the pH of the cleaning products used on it. Solutions that contain harsh chemicals will damage the unit. Saddle soaps, oils, and waxes end up doing more harm than good to your upholstery. Stick to sofa cleaning products that have been purposely developed for use on leather.
When it comes to positioning the furniture, ensure that you keep the sofas out of direct sunlight. When the upholstery is exposed to the sun for extended periods it fades, which takes away that aesthetic appeal that was definitely one of the reasons why you purchased the set in the first place. Positioning the sofa too close the fireplace can also cause it to dry out and crack. You can easily test the suitability of its location by touching the surface. If the upholstery feels too hot, then you should move it. If it is just warm you don’t need to move it, but it is recommended that you get a leather protector applied, to maintain the moisture levels of the unit. Speaking of which, having the moisturising added to the leather sofa cleaning service you hire will provide your unit with longer lasting protection.
Be particularly careful with sharp objects around the leather sofa. From jewellery to belts, these can scratch or damage the unit. Your pet’s sharp claws also come into focus here. Fluffy or Kitty can easily damage the sofa when hopping on it with the claws all drawn out. It’s recommended that you trim the claws of your furry friend, especially if they spend plenty of time indoors moving from one seat to the next.
Remember to regularly plump up and rotate the cushions. This just takes a couple of seconds, and if done frequently enable the sofa to continue looking good. Any new sofa cleaning products that are to be used on the unit should first be tested on a small inconspicuous area, that way you know exactly what to expect before you proceed to use it on the rest of the unit.
Call In the Professional Leather Sofa Cleaners
To give your unit quality care, bring in the pros. You want your furniture to receive a thorough and deep clean, without having to worry about it getting damaged in the process. Here, by turning to a professional contractor who has both the skills and resources needed for the task, your furniture will get the optimal treatment that you desire. When choosing between the different contractors, look into their past reviews, from the business directly listings with the review section, to the comments left on their social media pages. Feedback from past clients will enable you to gauge the quality of service delivery of the sofa cleaning company in question.
