Let’s Talk Leather Cleaning
You will hopefully have scanned through our previous post on the different types of leather. If not, we recommend taking a quick look - just to put this post in a little more context! This cleaning process is designed for pigmented leather :)
Overview
Like all upholstery, leather sofas, chairs and other furniture are by no means immune to a build-up of dirt and grime.
Even though leather is a very hard-wearing material, skin cells, hair, clothing fibres, bacteria, dust mites, bits of dead bugs, soil particles, pollen, and microscopic specks of plastic - all these combine with our own (and our pets) natural skin and body oils to cause a build up of soiling over the months & years.
A regular wipe-down with a cleaning cloth or domestic leather-wipe can help remove some this soiling, however over time, this build-up of dirt & grime forms a bond that can’t be removed by only these methods.
Using water (or normal cleaning household chemicals) is rarely a good thing for leather surfaces - causing the surface to dry-out and potentially crack!
Our professional leather cleaning chemicals and process can remove this build-up, and restore your lounge and furnitures natural lustre, and help protect it for years to come!
We’re on a mission to promote and enable clean, fresh & healthy homes for all, so we wanted to share more details on the professional processes and knowledge we utilise - which will help you keep your leather furniture cleaner, fresher & more hygienic at home.
Our range of UCC professional leather cleaning products will shortly be available in our online store, along with comprehensive instructions on how to use - and get the best results :)
Chemistry
As always, leather cleaning is simple chemistry (and a bit of technique).
So, the body oils, sweat, grease, dirt & soiling is ground into the grain of the leather over the months and years.
Soiling, by its nature, is inherently slightly acidic by pH value. (Not an acid - just acidic!). We counter this by utilising a specialist leather cleaning agent, with a naturally occurring alkali pH value that gently softens and breaks down the dirts greasy (slightly acidic) bond with the leather, allowing us to clean it away, leaving the leather clean, fresh and conditioned.
Our UCC leather care product is infused with natural lanolin & beeswax, which deeply conditions the leather, leaving a wax-rich supple, finish that will greatly extend the life of your furniture.
Our process
Our leather cleaning is all done by hand :)
Brush, Wipe & Vac
We stat by cleaning away loose particles and crumbs from the leather surfaces (make sure you remember to do down the back of the cushions!). These easy loose particles will only clog your cleaning cloth later on!
UCC leather cleaner
Remember the chemistry? Our UCC formula specialist leather cleaning agent is sprayed onto the leather. This is allowed to dwell for around 2-3 minutes in order to do its work and loosen the dirt. We may use our UCC leather brush to move the cleaning fluid around & ensure it covers the whole section.
We normally work in sections of around 30cm x 30cm at a time, in a systematic fashion - so nothing gets missed! Don’t forget the back, sides, or parts against the wall!
Agitation
We then utilise our UCC specialist leather brush (with very soft bristles), to gently agitate the cleaning agent and the underlying dirt and grime.
We work with, and against the grain - you’ll be able to get a feel for what works best. Small circular motions, combined with longer lineal brush-strokes - all with a constant, consistent pressure. With fold-lines and creases - it can be helpful to work in a linear fashion along the creases to remove the engrained dirt.
Remember - we are agitating - not scrubbing! The soft bristles will generally ensure that we do no harm by scrubbing too hard. Do not use a brush with nylon or other plastic bristles! These will damage the leather surface.
Removing the dirt
The muddy mix of leather cleaning agent and dirt, grease and grime will build up on the surface of the leather, where it can then be cleaned from the leather surface using a clean, high-quality UCC microfibre cleaning cloth.
Again, work with the leather in varying directions to extract the most dirt. As you take away the dirt, you may find some areas need another spray & agitate, to get the best result. We find the greasy, high-traffic areas where our palms, armrests, backs of knees, backs of necks etc may need extra attention!
When the cloth becomes saturated, it can be rinsed out thoroughly in the sink - however you must remember to wring-out the cloth well - removing as much water as possible - as water is bad for the leather!
The cloth can be laundered after the clean, ready for it’s next use :)
Continue in this fashion across all the sections of the leather - in a systematic fashion to ensure even coverage. Take care in areas of surface cracking and damage - as agitating too hard (even with the soft brush), could exacerbate any existing damage.
Problem areas
Damage - cleaning will no-doubt improve the look of the overall item, however any type of physical surface damage - scratches or cracking of the surface, split seams, creasing or the surface, general wear - these are all areas that won’t really respond to the cleaning process. In this ‘damage’ category, we also include permanent colour-transfers, staining, coffee & tea stains/cup rings etc.
Some of the main culprits of physical damage can be pets! For example, the dogs claws, although probably not very sharp, can very easily scratch the surface over time with the simple act of jumping up and down on and off the sofa!
UV damage - a real problem for UV damage over here in NZ - the sun is so strong across the country we see so much UV damage on both furniture & carpets! UV will cause discolouration, drying out and cracking. You’ll of course see it in the main panels facing the sun. Covering these panels & areas, and regular leather care & conditioning will help slow the onset. But, unless we opt to close the curtains 24/7, its just going to be a fact of life!
Stubborn spots - as you clean, you may find areas that won’t shift easily - dried on spots or blemishes that are more stubborn. It’s important not to scrape away at these areas - or use any item or tool at could cause damage to the surface! Usually, patience and a little more effort is all that is required :)
Colour transfers & stains - these can occur when something is placed on the leather surface that ends up transferring its colour to the leather. This could even be a pair of dyed denim jeans or piece of clothing that end up transferring colour to the pigment. Or potentially food stains that have dwelled a little too long!
These are extremely difficult to remove, as essentially they have ‘dyed’ the leather surface. The cleaning process is unlikely to remove these types of stain! If, after giving the cleaning a good go - it doesn’t shift - you could have a colour transfer situation. If you wish to restore this area or panel - then you’d likely be looking at a repair job - where a specialist repair technician will renew the pigment surface on your leather furniture.
Coffee/teacup rings - we see it all the time - habitually we place or rest our hot drinks down on the convenient sofa arm! Coffee or tea + heat + time = stain! Again, these are really, really difficult to remove. We really recommend protecting your furniture to prevent these types of issues! Dirt we can deal with - these, not so much - as they constitute damage!
Techs Top Tips
Don’t let it dwell! Spills, stains, dropped food - don’t let it sit! If you get to it right-away then you have a much, much better chance of removing the problem before it becomes either a: really tough to remove, or b: permanent! Grab a cloth and get to it as soon as it happens!
Extraction is key. The key is to soak up or extract the problem as soon as it happens. Use absorbent materials - kitchen-towel, tea-towels, cloths, sponges etc to draw the spill. Scrubbing or agitation is to help release the dirt, stain or soiling - if it’s fresh, it’s unlikely to really need too much scrubbing - which could push the problem further in!
Use the good stuff. Domestic cleaning-wipes and leather ‘spray & wipe’ type products can be purchased in most supermarkets & home-improvement stores. In our experience these quick & easy wipes aren’t really the best for getting a good result!
The wipes aren’t exactly ‘loaded’ with cleaning agent and/or conditioner - so don’t generally penetrate to the dirt. Plus, a spray & wipe - without agitation - is also a fairly weak process overall!
The other lacking area is the conditioning phase - in our experience the domestic wipes and sprays don’t have a wax-rich depth to them - meaning they don’t penetrate and deeply condition the leather - rather just sit on the surface. We use a formula infused with beeswax and lanolin, which deeply conditions and protects the leather, leaving it supple and smooth. If you can, look for these ingredients in your leather care products.
Keep it regular! Most people find cleaning & maintenance tedious! (Not us, of course!). However! Staying on top with regular cleaning & maintenance of your furniture will greatly improve the hygiene and health of your home, and will hugely extend the life of your furniture! After all, furniture is really expensive! Protect your investment! A quick regular clean & wipe-down with our specialist UCC cleaning products will reduce the need for deep cleaning - and ultimately save you a whole bundle of cash! This is particularly relevant in busy homes with pets & little ones running around!
Thanks for reading! Here at UCC our mission is to enable & provide clean, fresh & healthy homes for everyone! So we hope you found it helpful and useful :)
For more tips, info and specialist products & techniques, just check out our IG: @theupholsterycleaningco
