Leather is a luxurious material that can be used for many different things. One of the most common uses for leather in people's homes is as upholstery. The issue with leather upholstery is that it's problematic to maintain, as it's a sensitive material that needs to be treated exactly right in order to stay in good shape without miscolouring or breaking. In order to maintain your leather upholstery properly and increase its lifespan, there are a few things you should think about.
Cleaning
You should avoid getting the leather wet as much as possible. Use a soft brush to get rid of dirt that can wear on the surface on the leather and a soft cloth to get rid of stains, but avoid using water unless you absolutely have to—for example, to clean dried-in stains. You should also be careful with what detergents you use on your leather upholstery. Avoid all substances that contain ammonia, and only use products that are especially adapted for soft leather. Make sure you clean all the detergent off and that you dry the leather with a soft cloth. If you let it air dry, the leather can harden and darken in colour.
Placement
Keep in mind where you have placed the leather furniture in your home. Leather is sensitive to direct sunlight. If you have a sofa or a chair with leather upholstery, you should make sure to keep it away from windows. You should also keep it away from the kitchen and the kitchen door. The fumes and grease that accumulate in the air in a kitchen can damage the leather and distort it. It can also become discoloured, and any protective substances that have been applied on the leather by the manufacturer can be sensitive to grease and dissolve when put in contact with it.
Upholstery repairs
Upholstery repairs should preferably be performed by a professional, but you should examine your leather upholstery regularly so that you can catch any damage early on. Keep an eye out for scratches, even if they aren't very deep. They might have broken the layer of sealant that was put on the leather by the manufacturer and made the upholstery especially sensitive. Call a professional furniture repairman to have scratches filled as soon as you spot them. The risk is that it will deepen over time and create a hole in your leather upholstery, which is much more complicated to repair. For more information on upholstery repairs, contact a company like Action Upholstery Services.
Share31 March 2016
I really want a cool old fixie like some of the people at my university have, but they are actually more expensive than I had first thought. Then I was going through the shed at home, and I found a really old rusted bike my dad used to use. The bike needed a lot of work, so it's been a project for the last few months to get it working properly and get it looking great again. This blog has all of the repair and restoration steps that I have used, and pictures of my progress as the project progressed.
