What Household Products Can You Use To Clean Leather?

What Household Products Can You Use To Clean Leather?
What Household Products Can You Use To Clean Leather?

What Household Products Can You Use To Clean Leather?

If you are keen enough, you will find out that you have a wide range of leather products in your house, from jackets, leather couches, shoes and even skirts or wallets. Leather materials need special attention to maintain their vibrancy and durability. Despite its sensitivity, you can clean leather effectively and safely using a lot of household products. Below you will find an outline of some of the products that you can use.

The cleaning tips provided below on cleaning leather furniture and products are guaranteed to give them a vibrant look. The good news is that you probably have most of the necessary household products in your pantry at the moment, saving you a trip to your local grocery store. However, even if you do not have any of the products, they are pretty easy to acquire and affordable.

Household Products You Can Use To Clean Leather

Olive Oil and Vinegar

Did you know that you can use olive oil and vinegar to clean your leather couch naturally? All you need to do is sponge some vinegar onto any stained parts of your leather couch and let it sit for a while. Afterwards, dab some olive oil on the same parts using a soft material to make your leather couch supple and soft.

Another method you can use is to blend the olive oil and the vinegar in a bowl by mixing them nicely in equal proportions. Using a plain clean, soft cloth or towel, dip into the mixture and rub it gently onto the leather. After you are done, use a clean paper towel to remove the excess oil for both methods.

Soap and Water

Mild dish soap or hand soap can serve well when cleaning your leather chairs and materials. Simply apply an appropriate amount of soap in warm water and mix them. The amount of dish soap depends on the amount of water you use. Use a piece of cloth to clean off dust and dirt from the leather. You may also use a vacuum cleaner to get rid of loose debris. Using a clean and soft rug, dip inside the warm water and soap mixture. Ensure that you wring the rug to get most of this soapy water out of it.

In short, the rug should be damp as opposed to wet. Now use the rag to wipe down your leather. Wipe it the second time using a soap-free damp rug, and then use a clean and dry cloth to buff it dry soon after.

Alcohol as a Stain-Busting Solution

To remove most of the stains on your leather furniture or possessions, you can make use of rubbing alcohol from your first aid box. Spritz some rubbing alcohol on a white cloth and apply it over any traces of stains such as mildew on the leather to get rid of them effectively.

You can also apply rubbing alcohol on cotton and remove ink stains from your leather. Beware not to rub the ink; rather, dab and blot the cotton ball over the ink gently. Proceed to use a fresh rubbing alcohol-laced cotton to repeat the process until you have gotten rid of the ink. Make sure the alcohol you are using is compatible with your leather.

Cold Cleaning Your Leather Using Ice

Ice can do magic when it comes to cleaning your leather. If you want to handle stains such as chewing gum, taffy or candle wax stuck on your leather, get some ice cubes from your freezer and stack them inside a zip lock bag. Now place the bag over chewing gum, candle wax or taffy for around 20 minutes.

Afterwards, use the cap of a spoon, credit card, your fingernails, or any other plastic card to pick the hardened materials off your leather. Repeat this process to get rid of tough stuck substances.

Note: If you use your fingers, be careful not to hurt yourself or break your nails in the process.

Use Any Mild Oil to Deal with Scratches on Leather

You may use either baby oil or olive oil to take care of scratches on your leather. Simply pour some of the oil on a cotton swab and then wipe and massage the scratches until you have covered them well. Let the oil sit for around 10 minutes, then use a dry clean cloth to remove excess oil from the leather.

Finish with a Nourishing Oil

Do you want your natural leather to regain its lustre? Then look no further than the coconut oil in your pantry. Get some coconut oil and pour some onto a clean, soft rug. Now rub it onto the leather in circular motions. Let it sit and penetrate the leather for about 15 minutes. Afterwards, use a clean cloth to buff off excess oil from the leather. This trick will leave your leather looking great and vibrant, allowing it to retain its lustre.

Tips For Cleaning Leather Properly

Here are some of the best ways to clean your leather clothing. These methods will help you get rid of stains and maintain your leather product in great condition.

Know the Type of Leather You Have

When it comes to cleaning your leather, the type of leather dictates what cleaning method is best for it. Therefore, you need to understand the type of leather that you have in your house. Treated leather (finished leather) has a protective coating over it. In contrast, untreated leather or suede does not have this protective coating.

You can use mild soap to clean treated leather. If you are not sure how to clean your white leather, unfinished leather or suede, you can contact a professional to handle the cleaning.

Get Rid of Any Stains on Your Leather Immediately

Liquid stains, when left to dry, can wreak havoc on your leather. The most effective way of handling them is to get rid of them immediately after an accident occurs. Use a soft cloth to blot the liquid stain to get rid of the moisture. Depending on the stain, you can use a damp cloth dipped inside warm water without soap to clean it off.

Condition Your Leather

It is advisable to use a leather conditioner after cleaning your leather product to moisturise it. To do so, in a circular motion, rub the leather conditioner carefully onto the leather using a microfiber cloth or a sponge.

Dry-Clean Difficult Stains

Makeup stains, grease stains and ink stains which are challenging to get rid of even after doing thorough spot cleaning, may need a professional to help you get rid of them. Professionals use the proper dry cleaning methods and techniques guaranteed to leave your leather products stainless.

Protect Your Leather

Wipe your leather regularly to get rid of grime and dirt. You can use a waterproofing spray on your leather jacket, or you can wax your favourite leather shoes so that they are well protected from water.

Store Your Leather Products Properly

The way you store your leather product dictates its lifespan. Store your leather products away from direct sunlight and moist places to prevent discolouration and mildew development and guarantee their longevity.

Common Household Items To Avoid Cleaning Your Leather With

Wet Wipes and Baby Wipes

Baby wipes have alkaline that is used to neutralise the acid in urine. This ingredient makes it one of the worst home products that you can use to clean any leather product. Baby wipes eventually cause the leather to crack, making them unsuitable for cleaning any leather product.

Hair Spray

Hair spray is another product that you should avoid while cleaning your leather products. Apart from being sticky, which makes it easier to attract dust and grime, hair spray also contains a lot of alcohol which can damage natural leather.

Steam Cleaner

Steam cleaners are a very wet and powerful cleaning method. Steam cleaning will cause more damage to your leather than you think. The wetness from the steam cleaner can get absorbed into the leather’s layers, making it swell and distorted.

The wetness will also cause the leather to give off a foul odour. The leather may also turn hard once you dry it. Last but not least, steam cleaners can result in the discolouration of your leather products.

Washing Up Liquid

Leather has a pH of about 4, while washing up liquid has a pH of about 8. These contrasting pH levels can result in a violent reaction when the two come in contact. Your leather will peel or crack if you use washing up liquid to clean it.

Window Cleaner

If you attempt to clean any leather product using a window cleaner, then you are messing up. Although some window cleaners can be considered mild, they are not suitable for cleaning your leather products. Window cleaners have alcohol in them, which will most definitely destroy your leather over time.

Using a window cleaner to clean your leather sofas can result in their discolouration. Window cleaners tamper with the coating of finished leather, causing the leather to crack. They also break down the leather’s fibres.

Cleaning Your Leather Might Require Professional Cleaners

Indeed there are a lot of household products that many people use to clean their leather products. They may seem to be working, but they can cause a lot of harm to the leather over time. Therefore, you need to beware of these leather cleaning products. The perfect way to clean and maintain your leather is to use the outlined safe leather cleaning products. You should also shun commonly used products that are potentially harmful to your leather.

If you want to revive the vibrancy of your leather, contact a professional leather cleaning company to clean it for you safely and thoroughly. Call professional cleaners to do thorough deep cleaning for your leather couches at least twice a year. This way, you will prolong the lifespan of the leather.

There are a lot of good local leather cleaning companies that can provide you with top-notch services at a very friendly rate. If you love your leather products and are unsure of the best way to keep them clean and well maintained, just contact them, and they will provide you with excellent cleaning solutions.

Do not rely heavily on DIY methods if you do not trust yourself to follow the outlined instructions to a tee. However, in the event of a staining accident, the DIY tips analysed in this article will prove to be very useful. And here’s a tip for you; keep in mind that the best way to attain clean leather will be with the help of a professional cleaning company.