Leather and fabric upholstery – both add style, comfort, and practicality to any living space. While both options offer unique aesthetics, they also come with different cleaning and maintenance requirements that can impact your decision.
In this blog post, we will cover cleaning and maintenance tips for both leather as well as fabric upholstery so that you can decide which material and solution fits right for your upholstery type and ensure you keep looking its best for years to come.
Leather Upholstery: Cleaning And Maintenance Tips
Leather upholstery is a type of furniture covering made from leather. Leather is a durable, natural material that adds a luxurious and timeless look to any piece of furniture.
Coming in a variety of styles, colors, and finishes, it is best known for its durability and comfort. So, let’s move ahead to explore some tips on how to clean leather furniture and help maintain it.
1. Vacuum Regularly
One of the best ways to clean leather furniture is to vacuum it regularly. A vacuum has a strong suction power that can trap, suck, and effectively remove dirt, dust, and other harsh particles from your leather couch.
If not removed regularly, these harsh particles can accumulate and cause wear and tear to your leather sofa, leading it to age and discolor prematurely.
2. Tackle Spills On Time
Well, practically speaking, leather is not as much porous as fabric. But that doesn’t make it less prone to staining. And the more you delay in cleaning a spill, the more it can seep into the leather, staining it severely.
This is particularly true in the case of spills that contain acidic or alkaline substances, so make sure to clean spills on time using suitable solutions.
3. Use Water Minimally
When cleaning leather furniture, ensure that you use water minimally. This is because too much water can cause the leather to dry out and become brittle. This, in turn, can lead it to crack, peel, and other forms of damage.
Moreover, water can sometimes set stains, which can make them more difficult to remove. Using a minimal amount of water helps prevent such stains from appearing.
Pro Tip: Always use a damp cloth to clean leather furniture so that you can avoid over-saturating it.
4. Invest In Leather Cream
Leather is a natural material that can dry out over time, provided it’s exposed to harsh conditions or frequent use. Leather cream helps to moisturize the leather and keeps it supple, and soft, and also prevents any cracks or splits.
Most importantly, it creates a protective barrier on the surface of the leather and shields it from stains (for a minimum time period) and everyday wear and tear. This preserves the leather’s original color and texture.
5. Buff The Sofa Regularly
Always maintain a habit of regular buffing in your leather furniture care routine. Buffing smoothens out minor scratches and scuffs and also helps restore the leather’s natural shine and luster.
Above all, if you’ve applied leather conditioner, buffing can help to distribute it evenly across the surface and ensure that the leather is properly moisturized and protected.
6. Avoid Direct Sunlight
Direct sunlight is not essentially good for leather furniture. Prolonged exposure to sunlight can cause the pigments in the leather to fade, which results in a loss of color and a less attractive appearance.
Besides, excess heat from direct sunlight can cause the leather to warp or become damaged, affecting both the appearance and functionality of your furniture.
7. Rotate Cushions Monthly
Once every month, make sure to rotate the cushions. Frequent rotation prevents permanent indentations from forming in the cushions, especially from sitting in the same spot for prolonged periods.
In addition, it also helps them retain their original shape and fullness and distribute weight more evenly, improving comfort.
8. Hire Professionals For Deep Cleaning
As time goes by, leather often loses its luster and becomes dull. Traditional cleaning methods, moreover, mainly tackle surface-level dirt. Deep cleaning, on the other hand, removes deep-seated dirt, grime, oil, and other elements that wear down your leather furniture.
But unlike fabric upholstery, deep cleaning leather furniture can be tricky. So having said that, it is better to let professionals deep clean your leather furniture.
One of the major benefits of professional upholstery cleaners is that they have the expertise and experience to use the right cleaning solution and techniques to effectively clean and restore your leather furniture, ensuring that you are satisfied with the results.
Fabric Upholstery: Cleaning And Maintenance Tips
Fabric upholstery is a type of furniture covering made from various fabrics, such as cotton, linen, wool, silk, and velvet. It is a popular choice for many homeowners. In fact, it is even more affordable than leather upholstery.
Fabric upholstery comes in a wide variety of styles, colors, and patterns, allowing for customization and personalization. Thus, let’s delve into some tips and tricks to clean and maintain fabric upholstery.
1. Ensure Weekly Vacuuming
Weekly vacuuming is one of the simplest ways to clean fabric upholstery. Vacuuming removes dirt, dust, and other debris that can accumulate in the fabric fibers and may brittle them over time.
In other words, it helps maintain the overall appearance of your fabric upholstery by keeping it clean and fresh.
2. Invest In Upholstery Protectors
Unlike leather upholstery, fabric upholstery is more prone to damage by spillages. So make sure to invest in upholstery protectors. These protectors, when applied, create a strong barrier that repels spills and prevents them from seeping deep into the fabric
This gives you peace of mind as you are free to deal with the mess later (just ensure not to take too long).
3. Use Slipcovers
In addition to upholstery protectors, slipcovers are also a fine option to maintain fabric upholstery. One of the best advantages of slipcovers is that they provide an added layer of protection, especially against the UV rays of the sun that can otherwise fade your fabric.
Furthermore, they offer a great way to refresh the look of your furniture without the need for costly reupholstering. They come in a wide range of colors, patterns, and materials, which allows you to easily update your decor or change the style of a room seasonally.
4. Tackle Odors With Baking Soda
Fabric upholstery can develop unpleasant odors from a number of sources like food and drink spills, smoke odors, sweat and body oils, and pet odors. To neutralize such smells, simply take baking soda as your handy help.
Baking soda is a natural odor absorber that can help remove unpleasant odors in fabric upholstery. Just sprinkle baking soda over the smelly areas of your upholstery and allow it to sit overnight. The next day, simply vacuum it up.
5. Avoid Harsh Chemicals
When cleaning the fabric upholstery, make sure that you avoid using harsh chemicals. Many harsh chemicals like bleach and ammonia can damage the fabric and cause it to weaken, fade, or even disintegrate.
This can lead to premature wear and tear and shorten the lifespan of your upholstery. Not to forget they often release harmful fumes into the air, which can affect your health.
6. Choose Washable Fabrics
Washable fabrics are often recommended to maintain your fabric upholstery. This is because they are much easier to clean than non-washable ones. You can simply remove the cushions or covers and toss them in the washing machine. This makes it easy to keep your upholstery fresh and clean.
Moreover, washing them regularly also creates a healthier environment by reducing common allergens like pet dander and dust mites.
The Bottom Line!
There are several reasons why regular upholstery cleaning is important, especially in the case of leather and fabric upholstery, for they offer unique benefits but often require different care routines.
So, by understanding and incorporating those cleaning and maintenance tips, you can preserve the beauty and longevity of your leather and fabric upholstery in the long run for good.
You Can Also Read: Tips For Extending The Lifespan Of Your Carpets