What Should You Do When Your Leather Furniture Gets Wet?

Water and Leather Don't Mix

• Water and leather don't mix. It is important to take care of any liquids that fall on leather furniture as soon as possible, and here's why. When water spills on your leather couch and penetrates the surface, it forms temporary bonds with the oils that are lubricating the leather fibers. As the water evaporates into the air, it brings the oils from the leather to the surface of the furniture. The leather may then feel stiffer to you, and your furniture's leather fibers are more brittle. So, if you do nothing or don't act fast when leather gets wet, you will have more cracks than are natural with this type of furniture.

What to Do Immediately

• The first thing you should do is try to dry the leather with a clean cloth right away. Wipe down the furniture and remove any dirt. If you spilled soda or juice, then not only is the area wet but also sticky, so you may have to use a damp cloth first to get rid of the stickiness. Make sure the cloth is damp--not wet. Then you can dry your furniture with the clean cloth. It will also help with drying if you open the windows in the room and turn on a fan.

Condition It

• The next thing you should do is condition your leather furniture. It is a good idea to do this on a regular basis anyway to keep your furniture looking nice and feeling soft. But you especially want to apply a leather conditioner if your furniture has become wet. You can purchase leather conditioner where household products are sold. Follow application directions carefully on the leather conditioner label to ensure the conditioner works properly on your furniture.

Be Careful

• Do not over condition your leather. This is one mistake that many people make when their leather has become wet, and they are trying to fix the problem. You do not want to strip off too much of the protection that the tannery applied when they made your leather furniture. Too much leather conditioner can make your leather crack prematurely. It is important to condition the furniture after it was wet; but again, make sure to follow the directions on the leather conditioner product you choose.