Leather furniture has its own style quotient and ca glam up a space considerably. However, if you opt for leather furniture for your home, you will need to know that extra care is needed for the same. If you fail to maintain it regularly, the leather will start to dry out and crack. So here are some simple tips that will help you clean out and cover these scratches in addition to helping you maintain leather furniture better.
What causes cracks on leather furniture?
Leather is a porous material, meaning it can easily soak up dirt, oil and stains. These substances are usually absorbed by the top leather coating, and become abrasive after some time thus causing the leather to crack. Of course, that doesn’t undermine the possibility of damage caused by pets, children and even improper use by adults.
Taking care of Cracks in Leather Furniture
Calling in a professional to remove the cracks can turn out to be expensive. Here are some tips to help you cover these cracks yourself.
Cover the Cracks Using Leather Balm
This can work if the leather is absorbent. All you need to do is apply some leather balm onto a soft sponge and then apply the same over the cracks. However, know that applying a balm will only camouflage the cracks rather than seal them.
Seal the Cracks with this Method
- Use a damp cloth and a little bit of dish soap liquid to clean the leather surface of any dirt or grime. Use tweezers to remove loose threads or hairs that may have got lodged inside the cracks. Wipe off the soap water with a dry cloth.
- Apply a small amount of oil onto a clean cloth. Rub the oil on the edges of the crack in order to make the leather in the area more flexible. In some cases if the damage is minor, this is more than enough to seal the cracks.
- Dab a small amount of glue on the insides of the leather near the ragged edges of the cracks. Glue down the flaps nicely and gently push the edges together using your hands or a pair of tweezers. Wait for the glue to dry (it will take an hour or so).
- Remove the excess glue by sanding the area. Use fine grit sandpaper for the same purpose, being extremely careful that you don’t end up scratching the leather surface more.
- Use shoe polish of the same color and apply a small amount of it on the leather surface using a clean cloth. Wait for it to dry properly. Apply some more polish depending on how well you need to cover the scratched surface. Wait for it to dry nicely.
Essential Tips to Maintain Leather Furniture
Although it looks better with age, leather furniture can become worn down, dirty and cracked if not maintained properly. Here are some tips to help you maintain leather furniture better.
- Don’t neglect leather furniture
It is essential that you maintain leather furniture on a regular basis. Make it a point to wipe the furniture with a damp cloth once every week or so to remove surface stains, oil, dirt and grime. This will prevent these substances from settling in and causing cracks with time.
- Wipe off stains immediately
Stains can be hazardous to leather furniture, especially if they get absorbed by the material. Wipe off stains immediately to prevent discoloration and cracks. Use a soft, dry cloth for the same purpose.
- Choose the right leather maintenance products
There are different kinds of leather, meaning you cannot use the same cleaning products for all of them. So make it a point to choose the right maintenance products for your leather furniture. Test the products on a small portion of the surface (preferably the back where it can’t be seen by others) first before testing it on the entire furniture.
- Keep leather furniture covered
When not in use, consider covering leather furniture using lightweight sheets. In addition to protecting the furniture from dirt and grime, this will also prevent sunlight from penetrating the leather fabric. Using slipcovers to protect the leather surface can also be an advantage in high traffic areas.
Leather furniture can become dirty, stained or cracked with time. Using some simple tips however, you can clean these cracks as well as maintain leather furniture better.
