The main reason people prefer leather lounges over fabric ones is their easy maintenance. If you have kids or pets, you may think these lounge seats are convenient, because they don’t stain as easily as fabric lounges. Especially if you opt for darker shades like navies, blacks, and browns..
That said, leather furniture offers style, sophistication, and convenience in a variety of ways. It’s a natural, breathable material, so it works well in most weather patterns. Plus, you only need to condition every six months or so.
Use the Right Care Products
You can find leather conditioners in most supermarkets and furniture stores. Also, depending on where you bought your lounge, it may come with its own branded leather care products. This isn’t just about overpriced marketing. Leather lounges have a large surface area, which means the leather didn’t all come from a single source. Why is this important?
Well, the hidden sections of your lounge (like the inner cushions, back, and bottom) may be made from a different quality of leather. The manufacturer knows this, so their branded product is suitable for all the varied types of leather used. If you opt for a more generic product, you may wonder why one part of your lounge looks moist while another part seems wasted and rugged.
Apart from conditioning, it helps to dust or vacuum your leather daily. This gets rid of surface dirt and prevents it from building up into grime and grease. If anything does pour on the leather furniture, blot it away as soon as possible, preferably with a dry rug. You can wipe off a stain, but wipe towards the stain, not away from it. This prevents the dirt from spreading.
Keep It Dry
This may seem like strange advice, because you want your leather supple and well-moisturised. But as we’ve said, you only need to ‘oil’ your leather twice a year at most. Also, conditioner is oil-based, not water based. This is because water damages leather, so avoid it as much as possible. Vacuum with a hose or brush attachment, and wipe with dry, clean, non-abrasive rags.
The position of your lounge matters too. You want to keep the water away, but you don’t want to over-dry your leather. Yes, it’s the focal point of your décor, but you need to limit its exposure to sunlight, fireplace heat, and air conditioning vents. If your leather is constantly subjected to these three factors, it will soon crack and tear, so face it away from direct light and air vents.
Finally, read the manufacturer’s instructions carefully, especially the fine print. It’s bound to have advice you’ve overlooked.
