How to clean white leather furniture | Couch, Chair, Seat

Just like fashion, global interior and furniture design trends keep changing every year. Sometimes the old trends revive, sometimes modern minimalism takes over. But, in the dynamic world of interior design and style, we’ve seen the love for leather furniture preserve its evergreen appeal -especially the classic white leather furniture.

From cozy apartments to luxurious high-rise homes, from lavish holiday villas to swanky office buildings; white leather sofas, chairs, and seats can be spotted everywhere. Their elegance and effortless charm always has onlookers swooning over them.

But, maintaining these furniture pieces is not a cakewalk. With time, the pristine white leather can become a canvas exhibiting repulsive stains: food stains, ink stains, wine stains, fingerprints, dust, dirt, pet hair, and cracks, all are a menace to the look and quality of any white leather couch, chair, or seat.

While the supermarket aisles flaunt expensive cleaning solutions and stain removers for cleaning white leather furniture, using them can take a toll on your health due to their toxic ingredients. However, with the following techniques and ‘hacks’, you can preserve the look of your white leather furniture without compromising health.

Cleaning light stains

Leather is a sturdy material, but due to its porous surface, it readily absorbs oil from our hands and skin that turn into ugly marks for its surface. Hence, you need to clean your leather couch, chair, and seat regularly by using a dry microfiber cloth, which could effectively remove smudges as well as light soiling.

Once in a while, indulge in a deep cleaning session. Instead of using a commercial leather cleaner that contains various harmful chemicals, you can create your cleaner at home.

Follow these easy steps to make leather cleaner at home:

• Take warm water.
• Add a few drops of liquid dish soap or Castile soap.
• Add a few drops of vinegar.
• Mix the solution well.

Use it on a small portion of the furniture to check for damage or discoloration. Wait for a few minutes. If the leather surface looks fine, dampen a clean cloth with the cleaner solution and wipe down the surfaces. Do not overuse water as it can damage the leather.

Now, take another clean cloth, dampen it with clean water, and wipe the soap off the surface. Dry it thoroughly.

You can also use half a cup of olive oil and one-fourth cup of vinegar to make a homemade cleaner. Apply this solution to stains, let it stay for at least 5 minutes, and then wipe it off using a clean cloth.

Cleaning ink stains

Ink marks on spotless white leather furniture look extremely unsightly. Fortunately, you can easily remove these marks using rubbing alcohol or nail polish remover.

To remove ugly ink marks from your leather furniture, take a cotton swab and dip it into rubbing alcohol or nail polish remover. Now, start blotting the stain. Make sure you don’t rub it much as it will make the stain worse by spreading the ink. Keep blotting until the stain fades away. Once you have removed the ink stain, clean it using liquid dish soap mixed in warm water. Wipe off the foam using a clean and damp cloth.

Removing oil or grease marks

White leather furniture is quite susceptible to receiving oil and grease marks. To remove these marks, use baking soda or cornstarch. As baking soda absorbs oils and moisture, it effectively cleans any type of stubborn stain marks that tarnish the beauty of white leather furniture.

To remove oil stains you can even sprinkle some baking soda or cornstarch on it and rub lightly. Leave it for some time, preferably overnight, and wipe it off the next morning using a soft cloth. The spot will be gone.

Another way of using baking soda for cleaning white leather couch is by making a cleaning solution using one tablespoon of baking soda, one tablespoon of Borax, and 100ml of water. Use a clean cloth or a sponge to apply it over the stain. Gently rub the area to dissolve the stain marks. Make sure you don’t scratch the surface with vigorous rubbing.

If the spot is in any tighter area (crevices or stitches), clean it using a soft-bristled brush. Once the stain is gone, wipe the leather sofa with a clean and dry cloth.

Removing dark stains

So your guest accidentally spilled wine on your new white leather furniture, and you can feel a rush of panic rushing over – DO NOT WORRY. You can easily remove dark stains from your white leather chair using a mixture of lemon juice and cream of tartar.

Take equal quantities of both these ingredients and make a paste. Apply it over the stain and let it stay for at least half an hour. Dampen a sponge and wipe the surface. The mild bleaching effect of this paste will lift the stain in no time.

This is one of the best hacks for cleaning white leather chairs, seats, and couches.

Dealing with scuff and scratches

No matter how much you take care of your white leather furniture, it eventually gets scuff marks and scratches. You can easily hide these marks using easily available ingredients like mild oils.

To get rid of surface scratches, use mild oil, like baby oil or olive oil, and rub it gently over the scratch. Let it stay for five minutes, and then clean the excess oil with a dry and clean cloth.

Cleaning yellowed white leather furniture

White leather furniture tends to get a yellowish tint over time. Elements like dust, heat, and humidity interact with the clean white leather surface and break down its fibers making the furniture piece appear a faint yellow.

The aforementioned process, known as oxidation, takes its toll on every type of leather sofas, and sadly, the process is inevitable. Unfortunately, people spot the change only when their couch, chair, or seat has already yellowed beyond revival.

However, with some easy tips, you can decelerate the process and enhance the longevity of your immaculate white leather furniture.

Regular cleaning and moisturizing leather is a precautionary measure that delays the process of oxidation. Use leather conditioners (like leather milk) to keep your leather furniture well oiled.

Applying a leather conditioner also prevents surface dehydration, i.e. keeps the surface from cracking or drying out. Moreover, conditioners lend a nice sheen to the furniture piece, and also, make their surface stain-resistant.

Dealing with mold and fungus

Mold and fungus growth on leather furniture is a common sighting, especially if you live in climatic conditions characterized by high humidity. Hot weather and poor ventilation also contribute to mold and mildew on leather.

If your white leather furniture has become a breeding ground for mold and fungus, call professional leather dry cleaners to deal with the situation. Professional leather and carpet cleaning services offer anti-fungal treatment using strong industrial chemicals that arrest mold and fungus growth on leather and upholstery.

The bottom line

If the thought of cleaning white leather seats, chairs, and couches has kept you from buying these gorgeous furniture pieces, you no longer need to worry. These hacks make cleaning white leather an easy task.