When you own a piece of leather furniture for any amount of time it is bound to pick up dirt and grime. There is no way around it. You must clean your leather chairs and ottomans periodically. However, there is an abundance of misinformation out there. There are many cleaning methods and household remedies that on the surface will work, but if used over a long period of time will destroy your leather. The following tips should help you eliminate any chance of destroying your luxurious leather.
Do not use home made cleaners. They are not recommended on leather and the results could be disastrous to your leather furniture.
Cube Ottomans
The only 100% safe method to clean your leather is a water based foam leather cleaner.
Leather dyes can get stuck on clothing and cause problems. If you use a good leather protecting agent this can be avoided however.
The following are things you should not use on leather. Anything that is made of oils, silicone or wax. Most conditioners will contain wax or oil. Furniture polish contains silicone. Mink oil is a definite no no.
Do not use baby wipes! You may hear a lot of people say otherwise. They will work good, but at the cost of your leather. It will eat away at the finish of your leather so stay away from this solution.
Don't use saddle soap! You may have heard of this home remedy. But here's why it should never touch your leather: Saddles need to be treated in a different way than leather furniture. Saddle soap wipes are made with strong chemicals that are in no way shape or form good for the finish of your leather. It will leave a residue that will cause damage. Not to mention the fact that saddle soap is not the cheapest and you would need a lot of it to do a whole chair or sofa set. Stick with foam leather cleaner.
Fairy liquid is rumored to work on leather but because it is designed for dishes it contains a lot of salt. This will break down the finish of leather. Similar to the baby wipe method, don't do it!
It is highly recommended to apply a leather protector after cleaning to act as a sealant and prevent further stains. Keeping a regular cleaning schedule is very important as well. Getting dirt off the surface along with stopping body oils from absorbing into the leather will prolong the life of your chair or sofa.
There is a new product on the market called Lazy Leather that combines a leather protector and cleaner into one product. This is great for new chairs and sofas as well as old chairs in need of maintenance.
Do you see a theme here people? Stay away from household products! They will kill your leather in the long run. Don't be fooled as they will appear to work in the short term. Use a leather foam cleaner. You'll be happy and so will your furniture.