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How to Clean Leather-Covered Chairs

Leather-covered chairs are both comfortable seating options and provide a more formal look to a room's decor. Over time, the leather chairs will become dirty or stained, just like all other home furnishings. Cleaning leather-covered chairs is quicker than cleaning fabric-covered chairs, but you should keep a few tips in mind. Heavily stained leather chairs require more effort to clean than those that are cleaned on a regular basis.

Things You'll Need

  • Soft, white cloths
  • Baby shampoo or delicate laundry detergent
  • Towel
  • Leather conditioner
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Instructions

    • 1

      Hold a soft, white cloth under a running lukewarm faucet until it is saturated. Wring out the cloth as tightly as possible to remove almost all of the moisture. The cloth should just barely be damp.

    • 2

      Wipe all surfaces of the leather chair to remove light stains and any dust and crumbs.

    • 3

      Rinse the cloth in clean water and apply 1/2 tsp. of a gentle liquid soap to it, such as laundry detergent for delicates or baby shampoo.

    • 4

      Place the cloth over any stained areas on the leather and move it in circular motions to dislodge the dirt and stains.

    • 5

      Rinse the cloth in clean water until no more soap bubbles are formed. Wring it out tightly to remove most of the water.

    • 6

      Wipe the surface of the leather chairs to remove the soap residue.

    • 7

      Place a dry towel onto the chair and press down on it to absorb any excess moisture. Allow the leather-covered chair to dry completely, which can take up to 24 hours.

    • 8

      Open a bottle of leather conditioner and apply 1/2 tsp. to a clean, dry cloth. Wipe the conditioner onto the leather-covered chair using circular motions until the solution is completely invisible. Reapply additional conditioner as needed until you have covered all of the leather.