Why Should Leather Be Cleaned

There is a misconception that leather upholstery does not need to be cleaned on a regular basis.

This is even encouraged by some manufacturers.

From our over thirty years of experience we have found the opposite is true. When you purchase leather upholstery its PH level is normally neutral. With use the leather sometimes becomes acidic. This shows up as excessive creasing, colour loss, cracking (hazing) and splitting. The areas most affected are where the men tend to sit (usually in front of the TV). Men normally have acids that protect their skin and women are usually neutral. Every man is different.

There are occasions where the individual can strip the leather finish in a quick as six months and others where the men cause little damage, even ten years later. When leather is not cleaned or cleaned with the wrong cleaners it tends to start to loss colour in about two years and this escalates over the next year until the leather splits. Wrong cleaners (too strong etc) can even speed up the problem. The steps are:

1. Dirt begins to stick and becomes more difficult to get off; this is difficult to see on the darker colours.
2. You start to see colour on your cleaning cloth where there was none before.
3. Deep creases appear and sometimes there are cracks in the creases.
4. The leather splits and looks like a dried out lake bed. These problems can be slowed or eliminated with proper cleaning and conditioning. This is similar to changing the oil in your car. We suggest that you clean lightly every few months, more often if there is heavy use or soiling. The same for car leathers.

Use the correct products for your leather.