How to Clean Leather Sofa: 5 Easy Steps to Make Your Sofa Look New

What You Will Need

• Paper towels

• 1/4 cup of vinegar

• 1/4 cup of olive oil

• 10 drops of lemon or orange essential oil

• Water-based leather conditioner/protector

• Small bowl

Steps for Cleaning

1. Begin with vacuum cleaning your leather sofa to get rid of any piece of dust or food lurking around. Then use a damp paper towel to gently wipe the sofa.

2. Mix the olive oil and vinegar in a small container and whisk well to blend. The densities of the two liquids will prevent them from mixing thoroughly together. The vinegar cleans up the leather sofa, while the olive oil takes care of breaking up the stains and dirt even as it conditions the furniture. The addition of essential oil adds a nice fragrance to the furnishings.

3. Dip one small towel in a homemade cleaner and rub it on a small area of the leather to test its efficacy. Allow it to dry for about 2 minutes before checking for discoloration before you coat the furniture. Wipe down the furniture using a dry paper towel. Work in a circular motion, get the entire piece coated, and rub the cleaner into the leather sofa. Wipe down the leather sofa with a dry paper towel to remove the leftover oil.

4. Ensure you treat the surface with leather conditioner/protector depending on then instructions on the product pack. You can now sit back and enjoy the freshness of your newly cleaned leather.

For Stains

• Ink Stains: Get rid of stains by dipping a cotton swab in non-acetone nail polish remover or rubbing alcohol. Rub the spot gently until every trace of the stain disappears. This might not happen in a single try, and blow dry using the lowest setting. If you are dealing with a stubborn stain, apply a thick layer of non-oily and non-jelly nail polish remover on the leather. Let it stand overnight before gently wiping the stain using a damp cloth.

• Dark Stains: Protein-based dark stains such as food, mud and blood can be easily removed by forming a paste with one part lemon juice and one part tartar cream. Apply a paste into the stains and let it stand for 10 minutes. Add a new layer of the paste, actually rubbing it into the stain before using a damp sponge to remove it. Use a soft cloth to rub the leather until it is dry.

• Water stains: You can easily get rid of water stains and rings with a mayonnaise. Simply apply the condiment in one thick layer and give it time to stand for some hours. Clean off the mayonnaise along with the stain and water using a damp cloth and leave the leather to dry.

Considerations Before Cleaning Leather Sofa

• Before you try to clean your leather sofa, make sure you know the type of leather you are dealing with. The tags attached to your sofa should contain this information, you can also find it in the flyer distributed alongside the furniture. Or better still, contact your furniture manufacturer for the information you need.

• The tag and every other written information should contain details and tips on how to clean leather sofa.

• It is often recommended that before you follow the procedures outlined in this article for cleaning your sofa, you should first adhere to the manufacturer's instructions on cleaning.

• If your furniture maker had provided you with certain furniture cleaning products as at the time of purchase, make sure you use them before attempting to use the suggestions in this article on how to clean leather sofa.

Use a clean white cloth to clean up your sofa at least once per week. Apart from removing dust and debris, the white cloth ensures no dyes are left like washclothes would. It is also easy to know when all traces of the stain have been removed.

Vacuum your furniture at least once per month or so to get rid of any grime or deep down dirt.

To keep your leather nourished, form a mixture with one part of white vinegar and two parts of linseed oil. Whisk the mixture thoroughly. Apply some of the mixture on a soft cloth and use it to gently wipe your leather sofa surface. Keep working in a circular motion until you have covered the entire surface. Allow the furniture to stand for at least 10 minutes and get the leather buffed with a very soft cloth until it gets a shiny look.