Leather couches are a luxurious addition to any home, bringing a natural and grounding element to a space. Because its a natural material, it can incur wear and tear with use, like stains, cracking and sun damage. It may feel like a challenge to clean and maintain leather furniture, but with our simple guide, you’ll get yours looking as good as new in no time.
How to clean your leather couch
Leather furniture represents more than elegance and luxury – its an investment into your personal style and way of living at home. Without regular cleaning, dirt, grime and the occassional coffee spill will become ingrained and a permanent feature of your couch, making it look more like a hand-me-down than a sought after piece of furniture. Moreover, a clean couch promotes a healthier living environment (i.e. preventing dust mites, allergen and bacteria build up).
What you’ll need:
- Vacuum with a soft brush attachment
- Soft white or stayfast-colour cloth
- Soft-bristled brush
- Spray bottle
- Leather cleaner
- DIY stain cleaner: Mix one part white vinegar with two parts water
- Stubborn stain remover: Rubbing alcohol + cotton swabs
- Leather conditioner
Cleaning leather furniture
First assess the furniture. Does it have sun damage? Are there any new spills/stains? Are there cracks? Is this a routine or deep clean? When last was the piece conditioned?
Routine cleaning
Ensure you routinely clean leather furniture every week or every second week.
- Remove any pillows, blankets and other items from the couch.
- Vacuum the couch, with a soft brush attachment, ensuring you go over each crevice and corner.
- Fill the spray bottle with a leather cleaner and mist the furniture piece. Using the soft cloth, gently wipe the surface down.
- Repeat this process with the pillows, and place them back into position.
Deep clean
Deep clean furniture pieces when you notice damages (sun/cracks), new spills/stains, or every 6 months.
- Remove any pillows, blankets and other items from the couch.
- Vacuum the couch as you would during a routine clean.
- Mist the couch with a leather cleaning solution and wipe the surface down with a soft cloth.
- For stains/spills, dip a soft cloth or cotton swab into the DIY stain solution and do a spot test. If the stain lifts without damaging or discolouring the leather, continue dabbing the rest of the stains/spills.
- For stubborn stains, gently scrub the spot in circular motions with a soft-bristle brush to dislodge grime or dirt. Then dab the area with a cotton swab dipped into rubbing alcohol.
- Finally, mist and wipe down the surface with a second round of leather cleaner.
- Repeat steps for the leather pillows.
- Follow with a maintenance routine (listed below).
Maintaining leather furniture
Since leather is a natural material that comes from animals, it needs a steady level of natural oils to maintain its lustre and soft feel. This is where leather conditioners come in. Just like waxing a car, your leather couch needs the same treatment – preferably every 6 to 12 months, or after a deep clean. Neglecting this step can make the leather dry and brittle over time, causing those well-known cracks we see to often.
- After routine or deep cleaning the couch, use a soft cloth to apply an even coat of leather conditioner all over. Rub it into the material using circular motions.
- Leave it for a few hours.
- Buff the surface with a dry cloth and voila!
An important note on cracks/damage: if, after a deep clean and condition, cracks or other damages maintain, consider calling in the professionals. This ensures your couch gets the best possible care without risking further damage.
