How To Protect Leather Couches: Tips & Ideas
Leather couches may be an elegant, stylish, and classic furniture piece but it also requires proper care and maintenance to ensure it lasts a long time to retain their beauty and value.
Unlike fabric or microfiber couches, a leather couch is more susceptible to damage and tears due to the material.
However, not to get all gloomy or stress you out, there are a number of ways, techniques, and tips you can use that will help protect leather couches and maintain their vibrant quality.
If it’s your first time owning a leather couch or maybe you want to extend its life, I’m confident you’ll find these tips helpful and easy to follow.
Below, we’ll go deep into exploring the various dos and don’ts with the general cleaning tips that will help you maintain a regular care and protection routine.
If this sounds good, let’s begin.
Table of Contents
Ways To Protect A Leather Couch
Keep Away From Direct Sunlight
One of the best things you can do to protect a leather couch is to keep it away from direct sunlight.
If the couch is exposed to prolonged and direct light, this will lead to the leather fading and losing its natural luster.
The leather will start to heat up and this can easily cause damage to the couch. Keeping it away from the sunlight or near windows can help maintain its original quality.
If you don’t have a choice in the positioning of the couch, then consider installing blinds, curtains, or a UV screen block to cover the windows and this will reduce the impact.
Cleaning The Couch
Cleaning is also a fundamental necessity for protecting a leather couch.
Creating, exploring, and maintaining a cleaning process and routine will ensure the couch is well cared for.
There are many ways to go about it but here’s what you need to know when cleaning a couch:
Testing Products
Before trying out any cleaning product or new home remedy, it’s best to test it out on a small inconspicuous spot before applying it to the entire couch.
This way, if the product or technique does not take to the leather surface, it won’t damage the entire couch and this can be easily fixed.
Harsh Products
Products that could potentially damage the couch should be avoided at all costs.
This could be something like using harsh, abrasive chemicals, bleach which can dry out the leather and lead to cracking, or materials like sandpaper or steel wool that aren’t designed to be used on leather.
It’s best if you stick with a gentle cleaner or one that is designed and formulated to be used on your leather couch.
Clean Up Spills
Leather absorbs liquids like no tomorrow and this can easily lead to stains that are hard to get rid of.
The best step you can take is to clean up stains as they occur.
Use a dry cloth to blot the spill and then proceed to wipe any remaining residue with a gentle cleaner.
Vacuuming
To prevent dirt, dust, and debris from accumulating in your leather couch, it’s best to vacuum it every so often to keep the leather couch clean and neat.
You can use a vacuum attachment hose to go deep in between the seats to remove the dirt particles.
Never use a harsh brush that could scrape or tear the material of the leather seats.
Buffing
A specific technique you can try to protect and maintain the leather’s shine is to buff the upholstery with a soft cloth or a microfibre cloth.
This can also reduce the appearance of surface scratches and marks while maintaining that beautiful natural shine.
Always Air Dry
This might be obvious but heat and leather do not gel well together. This is why, avoid using a hair dryer or any heat tool to dry a leather couch.
Stick with air-drying the couch to prevent damage to the couch.
Use A Leather Conditioner
A leather couch does require regular moisturizing to maintain its quality and protect the leather as this will prevent it from drying, cracking, and fading.
Invest in a high-quality leather conditioner that is formulated for your couch to maintain that excellent quality shine.
A good treatment of the leather will make your couch feel smooth and soft again but it can also revitalize a dead leather couch.
You’ll also want to pay careful attention to the manufacturer’s instructions and that of the cleaner when applying it to the couch.
As mentioned earlier, always test a small area on the couch before committing to the entire thing.
Plump The Cushions
To maintain the shape, aesthetic, and general life of a leather sofa, giving the seat cushions a good plump will help it look great.
This protects it from creases and maintains its overall appearance. You can do this once a day or a couple of times a week.
Invest In Protective Covers
For protecting a couch that is as delicate as a leather couch, using protective covers goes without saying.
This is a worthwhile investment that can add a number of years to the lifespan of the couch.
Also, in a home with pets and kids, this can save you so much frustration and stress as the covers will prevent any damage to the actual couch.
You can also wash the protective covers as often as you need and this should also ensure a clean couch.
Pets
Pets are the last thing you would want to have on a leather couch.
With their claws and sharp nails, the potential and risk of having the leather seats torn are quite high.
It’s best if you can prevent the fur babies from going anyway near the leather couch and encourage them to sit in a more suitable spot.
Seek Professional Help
The last thing I’d like to suggest is considering professional help when it comes to protecting a leather couch.
This could be seeking out their services for yearly maintenance and care to extend the life of the couch.
You could also seek their help for cleaning the couch when need be or fixing any tears or stains that may have occurred already and this will prevent the couch from damaging further.
This can be really useful and worthwhile but it depends on your budget and what works best for you.
Either way, professionals with experience will more likely know exactly how to fix, clean, and protect your leather sofa and couch.
Conclusion
Protecting a leather couch should be taken seriously and following through with just a few of these tips and methods listed above can add years to the lifespan of your favorite leather couch.
Simply avoiding harsh products, keeping the couch out of sunlight’s reach, maintaining a cleaning routine and process, using a leather conditioner designed for your specific couch, and investing in protective covers are definitely the key tips one should maintain.
Of course, every couch may differ in regards to specifics but you can get plenty of value from these suggestions.
I hope after trying out and using these tips, you’ll be able to notice a positive difference in the condition of your leather couch.
Besides, protecting the leather couch, you’ll also save way more in the long run since you won’t have to purchase an expensive leather couch every few years as your current one will look as great as it can be.
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