After thousands of years in use, leather furniture remains a classic. Whether you are talking about fashionable Italian sofas or other high end Italian furniture, leather furniture adds class and style to any home. Some people are concerned about how easy if may be to take care of their fine European furniture but the truth of it is that leather is easy to care for and maintain. When homeowners properly maintain their items, they can last a long, long time. Here are some tips to keeping leather furniture looking great.
- Get to spills quickly. While leather can withstand some water for brief periods of time but it should not be left to hang out on fashionable Italian sofas for a while. Left too long, liquid can cause damage to leather. It does not take much to deal with spills on high end leather furniture. All it takes is a cotton cloth. Wipe up the spill and then let the area air dry. This should leave your leather furniture without a stain.
- Be careful with what tools you use on your leather furniture. You should never use anything other than a cloth or soft brush to get dirt and dust off of your furniture. When you have leather furniture, you want to keep it free of dirt and dust because both can lead to scratches when you clean with any liquid leather cleaner or try to condition the piece.
- When you clean, use a damp cloth and nothing else. Leather furniture such as fashionable Italian sofas by using harsh chemicals such as alkaline substances or ammonia. These products will destroy the leather and the furniture pieces. If a piece is dirty enough that it needs soap, care should be taken to find as gentle as possible. Even after having done that, the product should be tested on an indiscreet area before you use it anywhere else. Guidance can be obtained from any leather store.
- There are a few things that can be done when scratches happen. They will happen. Small scratches that are very new should be dealt with merely by rubbing it with a finger because the oil’s from the finger are enough. The scratch will be completely erased. For larger or stubborn scratches, many people have found considerable success using shoe polish. There are also oils that can be purchased. Any leather store can offer guidance about products like this that can be used on 100 percent leather sofas.
- Be careful with the placement of the high end leather furniture. As nice as it is to show off fashionable Italian sofas by placing them in view of the front window so passers by can see or on the sun porch, this is not a great idea. As durable as leather furniture is, it does not play well with sunlight, which can cause it to fade and age prematurely. That does not mean it needs to be in a darkroom but should be kept out of direct sunlight.
- Condition the couch every six to 12 months. Great leather conditioners can be purchased at any leather store. Most high end leather furniture has tags on it that gives the instructions for the correct procedures for conditioning the piece. When that tag is absent, the company that produced the piece can provide appropriate guidance.
- Treat stretching with a hairdryer. While leather furniture is durable and can put up with a lot, like scratching, stretching happens. There is something can be done to remedy the situation. Heat the affected area and then let it cool. As it cools, the leather should shrink to the shape and size it held when it was first purchased. Good as new!
- There are professionals who can help. While most problems can be prevented or dealt with at home, sometimes even the sturdiest leather furniture becomes stained or damaged in a way that is too much for homeowners to deal with at home. There is very good news. Homeowners who have damaged their leather furniture but do not want to toss it and start fresh do not have to. There are leather professionals who can work their magic.
Leather furniture can upgrade and augment the look of a home for years.