Leather couches and lounge chairs are a great addition to your home decor. There are several reasons for choosing leather furniture including:

• Durability

  Fabric tends to wear out and age over time. Leather actually gets softer. Experts say that leather can outperform fabric furniture by four to 1 or greater.

• Leather is classy

  Anyone who’s been to an attorney’s office or a plastic surgeon’s office remembers how classy the furniture looks.

• Comfort

  Year after year, leather furniture, if taken care of, will be comfortable

• Appearance

  Well taken care of leather furniture will blend in ways fabric can’t.

With that said, you do need to clean and take care of leather, and most experts recommend giving your leather a good, solid cleaning every three months.

What’s the best way to clean your leather sofa or lounger? Follow these steps:

• 1. Use the right cleaner

  It is critical to use the right cleaner. Leather is a breathable material, and if you use something with either bleach or ammonia, you can ruin your leather.

  Most furniture manufacturers suggest using a leather cleaner, designed to clean leather, but you can easily mix a bowl full of equal parts water and white vinegar to make an excellent cleaning solution.

• 2. Begin by using a vacuum cleaner with a soft brush attachment

  YOu want to suck up any dirt and grime out of your leather before cleaning.

• 3. Mix your cleaning solution

  Use either plain water and leather cleaner or equal parts of water and white vinegar.

• 4. Dip a soft cloth, preferably microfiber into the solution.

  Once you’ve got it wet, wring it out so it is merely damp.

• 5. Clean from top to bottom

  With your damp cloth, clean from the top to the bottom, being careful to get out all dirt. Dip again if necessary, and again wring it out till its just wet.

• 6. Towel dry

  Using an absorbent towel, carefully dry your leather furniture after cleaning.

• 7. Condition

  Mix one part of white vinegar and two parts of linseed oil or flaxseed oil. Then rub in broad, circular strokes, using another microfiber cloth. Then leave it overnight.

  The following day, buff your furniture with a clean rag to bring out the shine.

Additional tips

As you can see, attending to your leather furniture is neither that difficult or time-consuming

But there are additional things to keep in mind:

• Clean once a week with a dry cloth, or use a soft vacuum attachment
• Wipe up stains immediately

  Again, use a mixture of white vinegar and water. If the stain doesn’t come out right away, consider calling in a professional.

• Avoid direct sunlight

  Sunlight drys and cracks leather, so you should avoid placing your leather furniture where the sun’s rays can shine.

• Avoid heat sources

  Again you don’t want your leather’s natural oils to dry out by getting overheated. So make sure your leather furniture is at least 2-feet away from fireplaces and heaters.

Shop Knight Furniture Showrooms for our wide selection of leather sofas.