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Leather furnishings lend an elegant beauty to your rooms. Aside from being durable, you can’t go wrong with leather furniture because they are versatile. Leather is resistant to harm but you have to take extra precautions so that it will continue to look great throughout the years.

An important factor in taking care of your leather furniture is to think where will you place or position it so that you will get the desired effect while taking care of it. Leather should not be placed within two feet of any direct heat source including fireplaces, radiators and heating vents. Direct sunlight should also be avoided as this can dry out and cause fading over the years. Avoid placing your leather furniture in areas where there is heavy traffic as constant rubbing can cause irreversible marks. Most marks can be removed with leather conditioners but the constant rubbing will cause wear and tear manifestations early which you cannot fix. As maintenance cleaning, a weekly dusting will do. Use a soft cloth when dusting it.

Stains in any furniture are something to worry about, much more so if it is leather. Depending on the circumstances, a leather stain can be easily removed or it can be quite difficult. In dealing with stains on your leather, you have to take note of two important things. First is the type of your leather and second is the type of stain on it. This is because there are specific cleaning methods for each type of leather and stain. Wipe spills immediately so that it will not be absorbed by the leather. A clean soft wet cloth and mild liquid hand soap will do as first aid to spills and stains. General cleaning of aniline and pigmented leathers can be done using good leather cleaner followed by a conditioner and a leather protector.

More serious spills such as blood, urine, grease, wax or ink should be removed immediately and you might need the services of a professional cleaner. For immediate care of spills and stains, you can use the following cleaning tips:

1. Grease and oil
The first step is to use a de-greaser if the stain is from cheesy pizza, body oils or other grease stains. Finish it with a leather conditioner. If the leather is pigmented, you can use leather cleaner to try to remove the leather stain. Spot cleaning a leather stain is always difficult because water and all other chemicals react with it. After you’re done the area may be stain free but look a little different in color from the surrounding surface. If the leather is aniline, you have no choice but to call in a specialist. For suede or nubuck, the procedure to remove a leather stain is much the same except that you’ll use a cloth especially made for suede and nubuck leather.

2. Paint
Getting paint out of leather is a tough business because not much can be done since just about everything used to remove the paint will also take the pigment out of the leather. If the paint is water based, try using water and mild soap. If everything else fails, bring in a professional.

3. Water
Water spots are the most common complaint of leather owners. To blot out the water stain, roll up a piece of white bread and form it into a ball. Blot out the stain be rubbing it gently.

4. Odors
Removing smells from your leather is easy. You only have to use a non-toxic enzyme-based cleaner that is designed for leather. You can even find this at a pet store. The bacteria that live on organic, protein-based substances like urine as well as fecal matter are responsible for the smell. Follow the directions and your leather should come out smelling alright.

As soon as you have your new leather furniture, apply a leather protector on it. A thorough cleaning four times a year will be good. Use a professional leather cleaner and then use a leather protector after each cleaning. The best approach to dealing with any leather stain, especially leather furniture is to prevent it.

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