What Are the Treatments for Leather Lounges?

Treatment for Protected Leather

• Most leather upholstery has a layer of protective coating. This coating helps the leather resist staining and allows for easy maintenance and cleaning. Regularly dust, vacuum and wipe off a leather lounge to keep any crumbs from accumulating or stains from setting. A simple dry cloth will work for preventive care. Somewhat less regularly, dampen the cloth with a mild soap solution and wipe the lounge down, buffing the surface afterward. Water actually enriches and moisturizes protected leather, and regular cleaning with a dampened cloth will keep a leather lounge from drying out or cracking. Every six months or so, apply a specially formulated cream leather cleanser to enrich the leather and remove any stains. If the lounge has leather with a protective coating, water-based leather cleaners can be used.

Treatment for Unprotected Leather

• A small amount of leather lounges and leather-upholstered furniture has unprotected leather, without any protective coating. As for all leather care, dust, vacuum and wipe down this leather with a dry cloth. However, refrain from using water or water-based cleansers, as it can damage exposed leather. Likewise, oil-based cleansers may stain exposed leather, leaving dry buffing cloths as the sole safe treatment for unprotected leather. Since unprotected leather is far more difficult to clean, you may opt to take preventive measures, such as not eating on or near the lounge. To give unprotected leather the best possible care, use a soft buffer to regularly renew its sheen.

Products to Avoid

• While it may be surprising that water can revitalize leather, you may also be surprised to find the products supposedly formulated for leather will not help your leather lounge. Any products containing oil, wax or silicone may damage the leather's surface and cause cracking. Furniture polish or car cleaner should never be used. Baby wipes or any cleansers containing alcohol are too alkaline for leather, and they may abrasively destroy its luster. Saddle soap, originally used by leather tanners in the 1800s, is also highly alkaline and generally not recommended for cleaning leather. While saddle soap was originally used to lend suppleness to animal hides, its popular adoption as a cleanser actually damages leather products.