5/29/2008

Selection And Care Of Leather Furniture

By: Sarika Kabra

Want to add class to your home decor? A quick method would be to add a leather recliner. Leather furniture items are capable of making any house decor look posh. Their easy sophistication makes the overall look very trendy and high end. Moreover, they are very comfortable and long lasting, if well maintained. If you have been thinking of getting a leather furniture item for your house, this article will help you in the process by informing you about the various types available and the ways to take care of the material.

Leather comes in different forms. One of the types is naturally finished leather. This is the supplest type available for recliners and sofas. As its name suggests, this type of leather is least processed ensuring that its natural beauty stays intact. Also, naturally finished leather requires minimal care. Another type of leather is brushed leather which has a more polished look and feels luxurious. It does require much more maintenance than the previously mentioned type. Next is the distressed leather that goes through a special process to give it a rugged look. There are subtle color variations and it wears well. Finally there is the protected leather which provides a lot of stain protection and has uniform color.

Whether one of the sectional sofa sets is made of leather or the entire living room set, you will have to ensure that your expensive purchases are well maintained. Leather is available in its natural state in most cases so regular care is very important. In general, caring for leather involves dusting it with a clean and dry cloth. You could vacuum clean the bottom areas of the furniture. The beauty of this material is in its color and feel and too much rubbing or cleaning can cause fading to occur early.

To keep the glaze and beauty of leather intact, use good leather conditioners. Also, keep your leather furniture away from direct sunlight. The color of leather tends to fade with overexposure to bright lights. Clean any spills immediately with a cloth and then wipe off with moistened cloth and allow the area to dry naturally. It is not recommended to use soap or soak leather in water for long as these could damage the quality. Any other kind of household cleaning liquids are to be strictly avoided. For persistent stains, it is better to call a professional leather cleaner rather than experiment with home made solutions.

Any scratch marks can be lightly rubbed. Too much cleaning and enthusiastic rubdowns could affect the leather negatively. Avoid using detergents, oils or varnishes that could rob the leather of its actual finish. Let the material be under as much of protected natural care as possible. As long as deep stains or water do not seep into the material, it will stay beautiful and attractive for many years to come.


The author has added a leather platform bed and a two seater home theatre recliner to her bedroom.

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