Leather Suites: Keeping Your New Sofas Looking New

Buying a leather suite is for most people a big purchase, not only for the large financial outlay but also the fact that leather sofas are large pieces of furniture that will have a huge impact on your interior. There are a few steps you can take to ensure that your new leather suite retains its new look for many years to come.

Buying the right type of leather suite

There are many types of leather available all having their own unique properties and qualities. If you are after a sofa that will last, steer clear of faux (fake) leathers, these are no way as durable as real leather hides and are notorious for cracking and splitting. At the point of sale it is definitely worth asking the sales person exactly what type of leather is used and whether this is suitable for your needs. Ascertaining the best way to clean and care for the sofas is another good idea, outlets with leather suites for sale will often sell cleaning products specific to the leather sofas they sell.

Colour is another important consideration, lighter colours such as cream and white leather sofas will require more frequent cleaning and may show general wear and tear more easily over time. Darker colours such as black and brown leather sofas stand up to spills, stains and marks much better. Lighter colours are therefore more suited to lighter use whilst darker colours are better for families and homes where they are likely to be used more often.

Cleaning and care

As previously detailed, different leather suites require different approaches for cleaning as well as the use of different products. Always refer to the manufacturers guidelines or ask the salesperson to confirm the best method for your particular sofas.

Cleaning your leather sofas often using the recommended products will discourage the build up of dirt and dust. If you spill anything on your sofa it is advisable to clean it as quickly as possible as some leathers are porous and any liquid based spills can seep into the leather.

Conditioning creams are also widely available for leather suites, these moisturising solutions can help retain a leather hides flexibility and stop it  from cracking over time, this is especially important if your leather suite is in a centrally heated environment and will ensure the sofas covering remains soft and supple over time.

Other considerations

The positioning of your leather suite can also be important. Make sure where possible to position your leather sofas out of direct sunlight, although leather does stand up well to sunlight, over an extended period of time leather can fade slightly which can look bad especially if you have another leather sofa in the same room that has not faded as much resulting in a mismatch. Sofas positioned in sunlight must also be moisturised more frequently.

Try  to position your sofas so that you have sufficient room to move around without brushing and rubbing up against the suite, this can lead to scuff marks and also be careful when vacuuming close to your leather suite not to scuff the front edge.