When I told him that the damage to his new leather sofa was probably not covered by his guarantee, I thought he was going to cry. Or beat me; I couldn’t say which one.
“But I used a leather cleaner,” she begged. In fact, she used a leather cleaner; She bought it in an automotive supply store and said right in the “Leather Cleaner” bottle. If he had read the cleaning code label on his sofa as close as he read the label in the bottle he held, she would have known that his sofa was a cloud leather and could not be cleaned with the same cleaner as the upholstery automatic.
Leather is beautiful and lasting Leather upholstery fabric. It will last a long time if you take care of it properly. The keys to properly caring for your leather are to know what type of leather you have and what are the appropriate cleaning and conditioning methods. These keys will be covered in this article.
Upholstered furniture has a cleaning code
The American Furniture Manufacturers Association recommends that upholstered furniture manufacturers place a label on their products containing the product cleaning code. The label is most commonly in the deck fabric under the chair/sofa cushion or under the chair/sofa attached to the dust cover. The cleaning codes and the characteristics of the leather upholstery are:
- “A” code for aniline leather; also known as bare, natural, and unprotected leather
Analine skins are colored with transparent aniline dyes. Because the dye is transparent, you can see the superficial grain and real marks in the leather. Aniline leather identification characteristics are that it is very easy to scratch; water drops will obscure the color and then dry in their natural color. These leather have very few or no protection treatment applied to them. Aniline leather is especially sensitive to sunlight and should not be placed in front of the windows or under skylights.
- “P” code for protected leather; Also known as finished leather, pigmented or painted
Protected leather is colored by the application of pigments to the leather surface. The leather has a transparent finish applied to the surface, which makes it more scratched. Protected leather identification characteristics are that it has a uniform color and grain patterns, it will not easily scratch and water drops will not change their color. Protected leather is the most common leather; They are found in more than 90% of upholstered furniture and all automotive upholstery.
- “N” code for cloud leather; Also known as a bomber, brushing, polishing, divided grain, or suede.
Nubuck leathers are actually aniline leather whose surface has been brushed to create a texture similar to velvet. Nubuck’s identification characteristics are similar to aniline; It is very soft to the touch, it will scratch or tear very easily, and the water drops will obscure the leather but return to its original color when drying. Although Nubuck is usually very expensive, it is not as durable as the “upper grain” leather.
How to properly clean leather upholstery?
When it comes to cleaning any type of leather, the liquid is the enemy. Turn your foam cleaner before putting it on the leather. Sparkling can be bought in Bed, Bath, and beyond or similar stores. Simply pour the foam cleaner and then pump the trigger; It will dispense the foam similar to the shaving cream. If you do not have foam, pour the cleaner into a sponge and quickly tighten the sponge until foaming occurs.
