subject: Best Way To Clean Leather - How To Get Good Leather Cleaning Results [print this page] Best Way To Clean Leather - How To Get Good Leather Cleaning Results
If you are looking for the best way to clean leather upholstery, here are some important tips to help you get the best results. After all, the last thing you want to do is attack your much loved leather with products which can potentially ruin it.
Leather has always been regarded as a mysterious product which is probably why people tend to shy away from treating it. After all, the last thing you want to do is attack it with products which can potentially ruin it.
For many people, leather is a complete mystery and it's not surprising when the tanneries, seem to keep their knowledge tucked away behind closed doors.
There is an abundance of readily available advice floating around on the web in regards to leather cleaning. But, much of the information can leave you wondering if following this advice will help or harm your upholstery.
The truth is, cleaning leather is really simple to do. And once you have the right products and you know how to go about it, you'll be surprised at how easy this task is to do.
It is important to note, there are many different types of leathers used in upholstery, ranging from unfinished (suede-like), to fully pigmented or top-finished leathers used in cars and the majority of leather furniture. This article will be dealing with the latter, top-finished leathers.
Before I outline the cleaning process, here are 3 very important points your need to consider:
Leather has a micro-porous finish
Unlike bench tops, vinyl floor coverings or other household surfaces, the finish on your leather is micro-porous. It is a pigmented, polyurethane film finely sprayed over the surface. This film is not completely sealed like normal household surfaces. It is micro-porous. What this means is, any products used on the leather can penetrate through the finish and into the substrate below.
Household cleaning products can damage your leather
Many websites are recommending the use of soaps, detergents, wipes and other house hold cleaning products. These may appear to work well in the short term but independent leather testing has revealed that these products will leave a residue on the surface which will eventually eat into the polyurethane finish, causing accelerated wear.
Only use an approved leather cleaner
If you don't want your leather to wear out prematurely, make sure you use a cleaner, that has been tested and approved by an independent leather testing authority.
Once you have an approved product, here is the leather cleaning process:
Step 1: Test the cleaner on a hidden area for colour fastness.
Step 2: Spray the leather cleaner over a section of your leather
Step 3: Gently scrub the leather with a leather cleaning brush
Step 4: Wipe off the cleaner and soiling with a clean cloth or towel
Step 5: Apply a leather conditioner to replace the natural leather oils and a leather protector to improve the wear-ability of your leather finish.
