The leather couch is considered an exquisite and bold choice that can give any room a stylish and contemporary look. Although leather is a sturdy material, its surface is porous, which means that it picks up oils, and all kinds of dirt can stick to it. If you don’t cover or take care of it, you may end up with a white leather couch with a sloppy look that will surely not do justice to your interior decor.
If you’ve just ordered your new leather sofa, now is the time to be excited – you’ve just invested in something that will last a lifetime, and look better and better as the years go by. You can look forward to welcoming a stylish piece of furniture into your home that will only grow in character with use.
To ensure that any type of leather sofa retains its timeless look, you’ll need to give it the attention it deserves and take care of your couch. Leather is a high-maintenance material, but with the right approach, you can keep your sofa in excellent condition without having to resort to expensive cleaning or rejuvenation. You can just have a regular cleaning.
For this reason, our leather couch cleaner experts have prepared this guide to clean your leather sofa perfectly. Follow the tips given here to learn how to clean and keep your sofa or chair looking like new for years to come.
In fact, in order for your leather sofa or couch to maintain its timeless appearance, you will need to give it the care and attention it deserves. Leather is sometimes considered a high-maintenance material, but with the right approach, you can keep your furniture in good condition without having to clean or rejuvenate it.
Use a dry towel
If you do spill something on your leather couch, make sure you take care of it immediately because the longer the stain stays, the harder it will be to remove. Needless to say, it will ruin the visual impact of the leather couch, and no one wants to think about what to do with a stained couch.
As soon as this happens, take a dry paper towel to soak up the liquid and wipe off the remaining substance.
Sometimes, immediately adding more liquid will only make it worse. This is especially true for oil-based substances, so always use a test towel first. Once you’ve completed this step, you can try other methods to remove the stain.
Soap and Water
A mild hand or dish soap serves as a common cleaner for leather furniture. A little soap in a bowl of warm water, mixed together, cleans basic dirt and dust.
First vacuum the furniture to remove loose debris, then dip a soft white cloth into the soapy water, wringing out most of the water so that the cloth is damp. Wipe the entire leather in this manner, then re-wipe with a damp white cloth without soap. Then polish it immediately with another soft white cloth.
For an area that is too dirty, apply a drop or two of mild soap directly to the damp cloth and then rub the soapy cloth over the stain. Wipe the leather again with a damp cloth, and then dry it.
Vacuum or wipe off dirt
First, physically remove any dirt or grime from the surface of your leather sofa. This will prevent them from being inadvertently rubbed onto the sofa when you wipe it down with the cleaning solution. A good solution is to use the soft brush of the vacuum cleaner to prevent scratching.
Treatment of small spots and spills
Anti-Stain Solution
Rubbing alcohol, which is available at the drugstore, can remove many types of stains that accumulate on leather furniture. Spray some rubbing alcohol on a damp white cloth and blot it on the mildew to remove the mildew stains. Apply the alcohol to a cotton ball to dab the ink.
Do not rub the ink stains, as this may smear the ink. Simply dab, using a fresh area of the cotton ball, until the ink is gone. Test the alcohol on an inconspicuous area of the leather first to make sure the alcohol is compatible with the leather finish.
Cold Cleaning
Chewing gum, candle wax or chewing substances such as caramel should not create a stain on furniture. Place several ice cubes in a zippered sandwich bag and lay the bag over the area to be cleaned for a few minutes. Remove the hardened material with your finger or with the outline of a plastic spoon, it should leverage. Reapply the ice pack as many times as necessary to completely remove the stains.
Wipe off oil stains with a dry cloth. Adding a solvent or other cleaning solution to the leather sofa will only improve the accumulation of stains. It is necessary to treat these stains quickly so that they don’t have a chance to grow.
You should sprinkle baking soda on them as soon as possible. Leave it on for a few hours to allow the grease to soak up the baking soda. Then wipe it off with a towel. To treat ink stains, use rubbing alcohol. Take a cotton ball and dip it into the rubbing alcohol. Rub it on the stain until the ink is gone. If the stain is particularly large, you may need to deal with more than one cotton swab.
Mix lemon juice and cream of tartar to treat dark spots. Add equal amounts of each ingredient and make a paste. The amount of paste you need to make depends on the size of the area you want to clean. Apply the paste to the stain, and then let it sit with a damp cloth for 10 minutes before wiping it off.
How to Clean a Stain on Your Leather Sofa?
Leather has a reputation for being more durable than other furnishing materials, and rightly so. However, it’s still vulnerable to stains when liquids or foods are spilled. Fortunately, by reacting quickly to a spill and cleaning it up the right way, you can greatly reduce the chance of stains on your sofa.
So it’s essential to always have the right know-how and items on hand to quickly clean up the spill.
The first thing to do is to take a soft cloth or cotton swab or a piece of paper towel and carefully blot the spill area – be very careful not to wipe, as this can encrust the liquid and moisturize the leather. If you are quick enough, most of the spill can be absorbed by the cloth before it penetrates the upholstery, avoiding a more thorough cleaning of the leather.
A protective treatment, such as the moisturizer we discussed in the section on conditioning, can also slow down staining. If you need to do a little more than blot, you can apply a damp cloth gently. However, note that greasy or oily stains can get worse with water, so avoid doing this. For more serious stains, you can use specialized leather cleaner, which can often solve the problem without a stain forming.
How to Deal With Accumulated Leather Stains?
Unfortunately, there will be times when you don’t get there in time or aren’t aware of what’s going on around you, and the result will be a stain that is difficult to get rid of. In the worst-case scenario, it is often based on what has been spilled that you could determine what action to take. Let’s look at a few everyday stains and the best way to remove them:
Ink stains
Dropping a pen on your leather couch can sometimes create an unsightly ink stain. You can easily deal with it if you follow the tips already mentioned above. However, if you are not able to clean everything and the ink gets stuck, it is better to hire the services of a professional cleaner, who can use effective methods for sofa cleaning and couch cleaning.
Soap and water for grease stains
Grease and oil stains can be made worse by the application of water, making them one of the most troublesome stains to remove. We recommend using a professional fabric couch cleaner, as there are often effective treatments that do not use water for the removal of these types of stains.
We’ve already explained that grease and oil stains can be made worse by the application of water, making them one of the most difficult stains to treat. We recommend using a professional cleaner, as they often have effective treatments that do not use water to remove the stain.
Grease stains are notoriously difficult to remove and have ruined a lot of clothing and upholstery in the past. If you find yourself in a tough spot with a grease stain on your white leather sofa, your first line of defense is dish soap. This is a mild soap designed for grease.
Removing Wine Stains
You can remove wine stains by dabbing them with a clean cloth, then mixing a solution of water and mild soap to create a rich lather. Use a sponge to apply the foam exactly to the spill area before dabbing it with another cloth and letting it dry. Next, apply a protective product to your sofa over its entire surface to keep it looking nice and even. If the wine stain is still visible, it is advisable to call a professional cleaner to remove it.
Tips for preventing stains
Quick reaction: When a stain appears, take immediate action to increase your chances of getting rid of it.
Condition after cleaning: Cleaning with a water-based product can cause the natural oils in the leather to dry out, which can cause cracking and even destroy the shine of the leather. Revitalize the leather after cleaning. Whether it’s coconut, lemon, or some other kind of smooth oil, it will help replenish lost softness.
Clean regularly: Ironically, to avoid the hassle of cleaning up stains, the best thing to do is to clean regularly! This is because most of the stains you see on leather are actually the result of dirt accumulation over a long time. Taking a few seconds to wipe down your leather sofa with a soft cloth once a week will help prevent stubborn accumulation.
Remember to limit water use: If you want to stick to an all-organic leather couch cleaning solution, you can easily make one at home by mixing equal parts natural ingredients and water. Once you’ve created the solution, it can be easy to get excited about all the good you’re doing and even easier to overdo it by applying too much solution.
If you need more information, contact Cleaning Imperial right now!
Maintenance of your Leather Fabrics
Skip the homemade potions. When it comes to leather cleaning, keep it simple and avoid home remedies. Homemade solutions with mayonnaise and white vinegar are best reserved for salads and sandwiches, not the leather cleaning menu.
Remember, warranties can be voided if the wrong cleaner or conditioner is used on leather furniture. Most importantly, avoid applying anything that is not professionally approved.
Cleaning Equipment:
- Vacuum cleaner with brush
- Distilled water
- Mild non-detergent liquid soap
- Soft white microfiber cloths
- Cover or protective canvas
- Commercial leather conditioner
- Steam cleaner
Cleaning of Unprotected Leather:
Some furniture manufacturers recommend simply dusting unprotected aniline leather with a clean, dry cloth and vacuuming regularly with a soft brush. Others recommend gently wiping the surface with a cloth lightly moistened with distilled water, or cleaning with approved leather cleaner.
The natural look is susceptible to scratches and stains, so care should be taken when cleaning. Consult the manufacturer’s cleaning instructions or leather cleaning professional before using a product, and test it on a hidden surface first.
Spills, Marks, and Stains
Colored leather or white leather is very sensitive to spills, especially liquids. It is therefore necessary to remove them from the surface as soon as possible to prevent them from soaking in and forming a trace that is difficult to remove. Contact us to have your sofa cleaned, our service area based in St. Hubert Street… or anywhere on the South Shore.
Tips for sofa cleaning
If your sofa is splattered with red wine or curry sauce, take care of the spills immediately by using clean water first. In the case of small spills on a fabric sofa, it is important to avoid the instinct to rub on the stain as this only pushes the stain deeper into the fabric, making the sofa obviously more difficult to clean.
Instead, wipe lightly with a damp (not wet) cloth, and then dry immediately with a soft, dry cloth. Also, be aware that it is probably worthwhile to call in professionals for this type of cleaning.
Also, if you opt for stain removers, follow the manufacturer’s instructions and test on a hidden area to make sure the fabric does not fade. Do not use solvent-based cleaners. Even if your sofa hasn’t been in an accident, daily use can make it dirtier than you think.
For a good cleaning, you can mix baking soda with water but only do this if your sofa is waterproof. Once you’re done, you can wash the couch cushions by removing the covers and putting them in a washing machine.
A good couch cleaning, every 12 to 18 months, should help your couch last longer and in good condition. For best results, contact a professional cleaning company like Imperial Cleaning.
We also offer upholstered furniture cleaning and carpet cleaning!