A leather sofa will fit into any home thanks to its versatility and timeless style. Nothing adds quite the same je ne se quoi that leather does. Leather’s simplicity marries perfectly with its inherent grandeur and will make for a talking point whatever company it’s in. However, the look and longevity of leather come at a price.
Take care of your leather sofa correctly and it will stand the test of time. Like a fine wine, your leather sofa will get better with age. If you don’t take care of it, it won’t be behind the cushions you’ll be losing your spare change but in the cracked leather, as leather can dry out. However, with a little TLC now and again, this should never happen.
So, you’ve cast your eye over the range of leather sofas from sofa.com and decided to invest in style. Here is what you should know about caring for a leather sofa long-term.
Leather is not just stylish but resilient too. However, as with any sofa in regular use, your leather sofa can take a battering. Vacuum weekly, making sure that you remove all crumbs and unwanted detritus from beneath your cushions and down the sides. Even biscuit crumbs contain unwanted oils which can play havoc with the natural material.
Inevitably, things are going to be spilled on a sofa. Leather is popular because you won’t get ugly stains. Wipe clean with cloths using the minimum amount of water possible. Even better, use baby wipes. Leather shares some common ground with skin, and the baby wipes’ non-chemical formula will go easy on the hide.
The most time-consuming cost of caring for your leather sofa is going to be the conditioning. Again, it’s that strange human quality that leather has. Like skin, leather dries out, so to keep it from doing so you’ll need to condition it with hide food every six months. Remember, a leather sofa is for life, not just for Christmas, so look after it!
When it comes to marks and scrapes, some people will want their leather sofa to remain pristine and some will welcome the results of human interaction.
Keep coins, sharp objects and children with their Tonka trucks away from your sofa if you value the unspoiled sheen of your leather. Yes, it’s for the family, but leather scratches. On the other hand, it’s often the imperfections that offer the most character, and gentle nicks and scrapes do add to the appeal of your leather sofa. It is all about personal preference.
Nothing will speed up the demise of a leather sofa like exposure to direct sunlight. Leather can burn so remain aware, even if it means closing the curtains while you’re out during the day.
It may sound strange, but don’t get too comfortable on your leather sofa. If you’re a person that has a specific spot on the sofa, then you may notice the leather discolouring as the body’s natural acids react with it. Swap seats regularly or throw down a blanket to keep it fresh.
So to recap: switch up your seat, condition regularly, clean with wipes and address the question, ‘to scratch, or not to scratch’. Then you will enjoy a leather sofa that lasts.
