How To Clean Leather Chairs

How To Clean Leather Chairs

Have you been racking your brain trying to figure out how you will go about cleaning your leather chairs? Or are you thinking of purchasing new ones altogether because of the dirty state of your current ones? Well, leather chairs require more care in order to leave your living room looking elegant and decent.

Leather chairs are an expensive investment as they offer convenience for those who prefer durable furniture. For this reason, your leather chairs need extra care and a special cleansing method in order to guarantee their longevity. Read on to find out how to clean your leather chairs and leave them looking just as good as they did when you bought them. You do not have to go to the extent of buying new seats.

Types Of Leather From Which Chairs Are Made

If you gravitate towards a real simple look for your house, you can decorate your living room with leather furniture. Leather furniture, specifically leather chairs, are very popular nowadays. However, most people buy leather furniture without having any clear idea about the various types of leather.

There are different categories of leather specially produced to make furniture. Before buying your leather chairs, you must have some prior knowledge about the basic types of leather, as this leads to a variation in texture and cleaning methods.

In short, different types of leather chairs need different maintenance procedures, which can heavily influence the type of leather you go for. So, to know how to clean your favourite leather chairs, let’s have a look at the types of leather that can be used to make leather furniture.

Full Grain Leather

Full-grain leather is an original type of leather with no finishing touches or polish done to it. It is made by containing the same texture from which it originated. Furniture from full-grain leather acquires a more elegant look and comfortable usage as time passes. Seeing as it is considered the most expensive type of leather, you need to take special care of your full-grain leather chairs and clean them carefully as often as possible.

Top Grain Leather

It is the most popular type of leather for furniture-making as it has a conveniently soft and long-lasting texture. It is a full-grain pigmented leather that you can maintain very easily. It needs good conditioning after every cleaning process to leave it comfortable and looking its best.

Split Grain Leather

Split grain leather is collected from the under layers of top grain leather. However, this type of leather is not as smooth as top grain leather. This texture makes it quite challenging to remove stains or scratches from it. It is very budget-friendly for buyers, and thus, it is frequently used in making leather chairs.

Nubuck Leather

This type of leather is primarily used in making shoes or bags because of its water-proof nature. It can also be used in making leather couches, chairs, or leather sofas. It gives a velvet-like look to furniture giving off a fancy appearance on a low budget.

Bi-Cast Leather

Basically, bi-cast leather is a kind of split grain leather, but after manufacturing, it gets an excellent finish as it is also dyed with colour. It’s hard texture will provide you with less comfort, but it is pretty easy to clean and maintain.

Bonded Leather

Bonded leather is a thin and cheap type of leather made from various materials, including about ten to twenty percent of leather fibres. You can clean it easily with non-detergent or non-alkaline soap.

Faux Leather

Faux leather is not a real type of leather. It is a combination of manufactured synthetic materials, including rubber and plastic. There are different forms and types of faux leather chairs, and their maintenance is quite easy. If you have faux leather chairs in your house, you will have an easy time removing and cleaning any stains and scars on them.

Royaline Leather

It is a type of real leather that is very expensive due to its durable nature. Royaline leather is very popular in Europe. If you have a product from this type of leather, you need to know that they have a special kind of surface, which you can only clean, polish and condition using cleaning materials endorsed by its manufacturer. Products from this type of leather also require great protective measures to maintain them.

Aniline Leather

Aniline leather is a type of leather made from either full grain leather or top grain leather. During its manufacturing process, aniline leather is dyed, giving it desirable features. The dye results in an aniline leather product being both long-lasting and water-proof, making it convenient for making products that you want to last.

While cleaning any product made of aniline leather, you should stick to the manufacturer-approved methods and materials. It is the only way your product will last long.

Things To Observe While Cleaning Leather Chairs

Leather chairs always give your rooms an exclusive and elegant look, be it your business premises or house. To maintain their elegance, you should know the proper way to care for leather while paying attention to the type of leather your chairs are made from and specific requirements.

Generally, when you purchase your leather chairs, the manufacturer should give you detailed guidelines on cleaning and maintaining that particular type of leather. However, if your leather chairs do not come with cleaning and maintenance guidelines, you can observe the below methods to clean your leather chairs. These are:

Clean Your Leather Chairs Regularly

Just like any other furniture in your house, you should clean your leather chairs regularly. Doing so will prevent the accumulation of dust, grime and other stains on your leather chairs. For daily dusting, you can use a soft and dry cloth to wipe off any extra layers of dust.

In addition to this standard cleaning procedure, ensure that you follow all the instructions given in the manufacturer’s guidebook on how to clean and maintain your leather chairs. Basically, you should not worry if you do not know your chairs’ type of leather or you have no instructions. You can follow these tips to attain the cleanliness of your leather chairs.

NOTE: Generally, you can clean most types of leather with mild cleaning soap and water.

• Vacuum your leather chairs regularly. You can also attach a soft brush to your vacuum to facilitate the cleaning process.
• Once you are done using the vacuum cleaner, follow up with a soft cotton cloth to wipe out all the extra dust.
• After that, you can prepare a DIY cleaning liquid with mild soap and water and use it to clean your chairs. The water should be distilled or purified as opposed to tap water. This is so that you avoid contaminating your leather chairs with elements from the tap water that can damage them.

Remove Stains Instantly

This is a very effective trick to save your leather chairs from damage. Stains and scars withhold the beauty of your leather chairs. The reality is that you cannot always save your leather chairs. However, you can at least try to remove stains as soon as they appear.

Below, you will find a list of the different products you can use to remove different types of stains from your leather chairs effectively.

• Remove any grease stains present using a dry cloth. You should never use water with the cloth as this can make the grease stain set, making it more stubborn to remove.
• If a plain dry cloth does not effectively get rid of the grease stain, apply a coat of baking soda paste in that area and let it sit for a few hours. After that, get a soft brush and use it to remove the paste. You will notice that the stain comes off with the paste. Do it as many times as it takes to get rid of the stain fully.
• You can use rubbing alcohol to remove ink stains.
• To save your leather chairs from discolouration, you can use a mixture of lemon juice and cream of tartar.

Try Alternative Cleaners Occasionally

Apart from the methods mentioned above, you can try alternative cleaners occasionally. However, always find out if the type of leather your chairs are made from is sensitive to the cleaner you are applying. You can prepare the cleaner at home and then use it to clean your leather chairs.

Simply prepare a cleaner by mixing one part of vinegar and one part of extra virgin olive oil. Now rub the mixture onto your chair with a dry cloth wait for ten minutes. It is an effective cleaning method that also brings back the shine of your leather chairs.

You can also use baby wipes if you feel too lazy to prepare the mixture. Baby wipes do a fantastic job of removing the gunk from your chairs. You can also use hairspray, aerosol, or eucalyptus oil. All these products can remove any stubborn stains from your leather chairs, including ink stains. Just spray any of the products onto your leather chair and then rub that place with a soft, dry cloth.

Step-By-Step Guide To Cleaning Leather Chairs

There are loads of ingredients that you can use to clean your leather chairs. Some effective and available ingredients include:

• Saddle soap
• Mild soap
• Dish soap
• Distilled water
• Cotton swab
• Cotton ball
• White vinegar
• Natural oil
• Olive oil
• Soft cotton cloth
• Rubbing alcohol
• Baby wipes
• Damp cloth
• Dry brush
• Leather cream

In addition, you can use any special kind of cleaning product provided by your chairs’ manufacturer. Some specialised types of leather require extra care and caution at the time of cleaning. If your chairs have such a requirement, you should stick to the cleaner provided by the manufacturer.

Leather furniture is preferable to most people because of its longevity and elegance. However, you should ensure that you clean your leather chairs regularly as it’s the only way to give them their expected durability.

While cleaning leather furniture, including leather chairs, follow the steps below.

Step One: Disinfect Your Leather Chairs

Disinfection is the initial stage of cleaning your leather chairs. There are various types of disinfecting liquids available in the market. You can use a mild one to apply to your leather chairs. Make sure your leather grain is not sensitive to that ingredient. You can either spray the liquid using a spray bottle or gently rub it with a dry cloth.

Step Two: Assess and Deal with Any Stains

You should assess the type of stain on your chairs so that you can apply the correct technique and ingredients to remove that particular stain. To get rid of ink stains, you can rub alcohol onto a cotton ball and gently rub it for a while. In case of grease and oil stains, apply baking soda to the stained area. Let the oil absorb and wipe it away after a couple of hours. You can use baby oil or any mild oil to diminish the scratches.

Step Three: Remove All Loose Dirt from Your Chairs

After assessing and dealing with the stains, let the chairs dry, then deal with the loose dirt. You can use a dry cloth or a hairy dry brush to eradicate all dirt or filthy particles.

Step Four: Prepare and Apply the Cleaning Solution

There are different ways to prepare cleaning solutions. For this step, you need to know the type of your leather and apply the suitable mixture. The preparation process has been discussed earlier in this article.

Step Five: Allow Your Leather Chairs to Dry Naturally

Let your leather chairs dry naturally after the whole cleaning process.

Step Six: Condition and Deodorise Your Leather Chairs

Conditioning and deodorising are essential steps that you should observe to complete your cleaning process. Conditioning gives your leather chairs a fresh and new look. You can make a conditioning mixture by mixing vinegar and lemon oil in equal proportions. Apply the mixture to your chairs using a cloth, and then wipe away gently.

For deodorisation, you can use baking soda or enzyme spray. This step effectively gets rid of any foul odour from your chairs.

Things To Note While Cleaning Leather Chairs

• While applying any cleaning mixtures or products, test its compatibility with your leather chairs in a hidden part of one chair. This is important as it prevents unwanted reactions between your chairs and cleaning products.
• Always keep your leather chairs far from your house’s fireplace and direct sunlight.
• Use distilled water to prevent the contamination of your leather chairs by metallic particles and other substances found in tap water.
• Try to remove all stains immediately so that they do not sit permanently on your leather chairs.

Clean Yourself Or Call A Professional

Your home reflects your choice and taste. Furniture is a significant part of decorating your home. Leather furniture always has an extra value to those who are fond of showing elegance. Many people assume that it is difficult to clean or maintain leather furniture, which is a misconception.

Hopefully, this article has given you an insight into how easy it is to clean and maintain your leather chairs. However, if you would rather get professional help, you can reach out to a trustworthy local cleaning company to clean your leather chairs for you. After all, if you clean your leather chairs regularly, you are bound to enjoy the time spent on them.