subject: Best Leather Cleaner – Choosing The Best Cleaner For Your Leather Upholstery [print this page] If you have leather upholstery, in your car or your home, you will almost certainly be interested in keeping it in good condition and prolonging its life-span. Leather is often marketed as a bullet-proof upholstery covering which will, supposedly, last a life time with very little care or maintenance.
This is not only false but also very misleading.
To avoid damaging your leather, here's what you should be aware of before you buy any leather cleaner.
1:- Leather Upholstery Has A Micro-Porous Finish
Unlike ordinary household surfaces such as bench tops, floor coverings and even the paint work on your car, the color, or the finish on your leather is micro-porous.
In simple terms, this means, the finish is not completely sealed like other surfaces but is more like a fine pin-hole-like membrane giving leather the ability to breathe. This is why it feels warm in cold weather and cool in hot weather.
2:- Leather Needs Regular Cleaning
Without proper cleaning, leather will rapidly deteriorate, leading to expensive restoration work and eventually complete re-upholstering.
Dirt, grime, sweat etc can be harmful to your leather. If these contaminants are not regularly cleaned away, they will leave an acidic residue on the leather finish, etching into the surface and eventually cause permanent damage.
3:- Some Cleaners Will Destroy Your Leather
Another thing you should be aware of is, many household products such as soaps, detergents, silicone, waxes, petroleum-based products and even products marketed for leather cleaning, can have a detrimental effect on the life of your leather.
These contaminates will not only penetrate through the pores of the leather finish but will also leave an acidic residue on the surface resulting in accelerated wear and tear.
4:- Don't Use A Cleaner Which Hasn't Been Tested
So, how can you tell which cleaner is suitable for your leather? The only safe way to know, with absolute certainty, is to choose a cleaner which has been tested and approved by an independent leather testing authority.
They are able to test each product with wear-and-tear simulators, and can tell if a leather cleaner is helping or harming your leather.
Best Leather Cleaner Choosing The Best Cleaner For Your Leather Upholstery
