Four Handy Tips for Leather SOS Leather furniture may be the apple of your eye, but to maintain the same, requires a hawk’s attention. Practically, it is inhumane to do so. In a universe filled with mischievous pets, playful kids and accidental slips and spills, leather mishaps are bound to happen. Here are four handy and instant tips for your leather SOS issues. STAINS Things you’ll need: Non-Solvent based Soap, Cloth, Water, and Leather Conditioner. Got an ink spill on your furniture? Or your favourite leather couch got blemished accidentally? Grab the above items and you are good to go. Most of us wouldn’t have time to go to a leather retailer and order a saddle soap, during which the stain is likely to penetrate deeper into the fibers, which will make cleaning the stain challenging. Grab a non-solvent based soap and mix in water. Solvent-based soaps will be harsher on your furniture, hence check out for details on the soap package. Soak a clean cloth and gently wipe it on the stain. Make sure the cloth is damp and not saturated with water. After drying, apply conditioner to restore the oils back on the affected spot. SCRATCHES Things You’ll Need: Iron, Soft Cloth, Shoe Polish, and Olive Oil. Colouring scratches on your leather sofa is probably the last creative thing you want to do during a busy schedule. Treating leather scratches depends on the type of leather in question. For Aniline leather, place a damp cloth against the leather and press a warm iron onto the cloth for a few seconds. This will replenish leather dye in the scratched area. For pigmented leather, use shoe polish that matches the colour of your furniture. Spot test in a hidden area. Apply the affected area with a soft cloth and rub it off quickly. One can also use olive oil instead of the polish on the soft cloth and rubbing it on the scratch. WATER Things You’ll Need: pH-balanced leather conditioner, Cloth. The trick in effectively cleaning wet leather furniture is applying a pH-balanced leather conditioner. Harsh pH conditioners and non-pH balanced products will weaken the leather fibers. When water enters leather fibres, it reacts with the currying oils that were used during the tanning process. When these oils float to the surface, it evaporates, leaving the leather stiff. pH-balanced leather conditioners restore the oils in the fibres through capillary action and make the leather supple again. Do not set the wet furniture to dry in the sun. Start this process immodestly in a cool place so as to avoid loss of oils through further evaporation. PROTECTION Things You’ll Need: Hand Soap, Olive Oil, Cloth, and Conditioner Your leather furniture is as good as its durability. For habitual protection to keep it durable, try this cleaning method. Vacuum the leather thoroughly. Dampen the cloth with water; do not saturate it. Apply a little soap and squeeze out the excess water. Rub the
cloth against itself and rub the lather gently onto the area until it appears clean. After this, dampen another cloth to clear any soap residue. Top it off with a conditioner to restore the natural oils in the leather. Again put a small amount of the oil onto a cloth and rub it into the leather. Need professional help in cleaning leather? Visit: http://sydneyleathercleaners.com.au/