How to Look After a Leather Sofa

New Leather Sofa

• 1

  Wet a soft, lint-free cleaning cloth with lukewarm water. Wring out excess water.

• 2

  Wipe the damp cloth over a bar of castile soap.

• 3

  Rub the soiled leather with the damp cloth using firm, brisk motions.

• 4

  Rinse the leather sofa with a fresh, water-dampened cloth.

• 5

  Dry the sofa with a fresh cloth using brisk motions to restore the glossy finish to the leather.

Old Leather Sofa

• 6

  Wet a sponge with lukewarm water. Wring out excess water.

• 7

  Wipe it over saddle soap in a container; cleaning the leather only requires a small amount.

• 8

  Rub the sponge over the old leather sofa in a circular motion. Allow the saddle soap to remain on the sofa for two to three minutes.

• 9

  Rinse the sofa with a fresh, damp sponge.

• 10

  Dampen a soft, lint-free cleaning cloth with castor oil for dark leather or petroleum jelly for light. Rub the oil or jelly into the leather, spreading it thinly over the entire sofa. Wipe the sofa well with a fresh cleaning cloth to dry. Both castor oil and petroleum jelly restore suppleness and shine to leather. Petroleum jelly won't darken the leather as much as castor oil. If the leather is quite dry, repeat this step the following day.