Last Updated on November 29, 2023 by LongIslandMaids

How To Remove Stains From Leather Furniture

Everything You Need To Know

When it comes to your furniture, nothing can be more devastating then watching spill after spill leave stain after stain. Leather furniture can be quite expensive, and the last thing that you’ll ever want is a stubborn stain that just can’t come out. Taking good care of your leather furniture means removing stains quickly, before they have enough time to really settle into the fibers and leave a lasting mark, and here at Long Island Maids, we want to help you learn just how to remove stains from your leather furniture.

Before we begin, remember that spills, marks, and stains are inevitable! We live with – and on – our furniture, and accidents are bound to happen! With that said, knowing the right steps to remove stains from leather furniture will be your saving grace!

Always Keep Leather Primer Handy

It’s important to remember that not all leather is created equally – in that there are different types of leather, and each piece of leather furniture you own might be made up of a different type of leather. For instance, there is semi-aniline leather, or pigmented leather – and there is also aniline leather, too.

Prime your leather furniture for cleaning with a non-ammonia or non-alkaline leather primer to ensure that the fibers are prepped for cleaning. Just a few dabs will do.

Basic Cleaning Supplies

Next, you’ll want to grab some basic cleaning supplies. Make sure that you have a nice-sized container of distilled water, along with some white microfiber cloths – the softer the better, some mild non-detergent soap, and a non-ammonia or non-alkaline leather cleaner. All you really need to remove stains from leather furniture are a few trusty and reliable products – this isn’t about reinventing the wheel, it’s just about having the right tools by your side.

Cleaning Protected & Non-Protected Leather Is A Different Process

Again, not all leather furniture is created equal! Cleaning aniline – or non-protected leather – is a different process than cleaning protected leather like pigmented or semi-aniline leather. Analine leather does not contain a protective layer over its surface, which means it looks and feels much softer – which might appeal to the interior designer in you, but it’s surely not the most durable surface, especially when it comes to stains.

Because of this, you should be able to find some information on how to clean your aniline leather sofa in your manufacturer’s manual, guide, or website. From there, follow their recommendations and be sure to use the right types of products.

On the other hand, cleaning semi-aniline and pigmented leather furniture isn’t nearly as intensive. In fact, it’s quite simple! All you have to do is dampen that white microfiber cloth that you grabbed earlier with some of the distilled water that you have handy. Dab the spot and let it air dry – this is your first course of action.

If the stain remains after it finishes drying, it’s time to take things up a notch. Now, mix a little bit of that mild non-detergent soap with some lukewarm distilled water. Dab the spot with your microfiber cloth again, but then dry it with a different cloth.

That should do the trick! That is, unless the stain that you’re battling is an oil-based stain. In this case, you’ll want to begin with dabbing the stain itself dry with your white microfiber cloth. From there, sprinkle a little bit of baking soda on the area and leave it for a couple of hours. After a few hours go by, return back to it, wipe off the baking soda, and see your stain magically disappear.

And with that, you now know just how to clean stains from leather furniture! And as always, give Long Island Maids a call, and our team can come and pay you a visit to give you a hand.

Keywords: Leather Furniture, Clean Leather, Furniture, Remove Stains From Leather Furniture, How To Remove Stains From Leather Furniture, Long Island, Long Island Maids.

This piece originally appeared on porch.com in an article entitle “All about Home Cleaning: Tips from the Experts“