No matter how careful you are with food, drinks, pets, and everyday use, leather furniture will still experience wear over time. One often-overlooked issue is that body oils damage leather furniture when they build up on frequently used areas, such as armrests, headrests, and seat cushions. With regular care and the right protection, you can help prevent stains, cracking, and long-term leather damage.
How Body Oils Damage Leather Furniture?
Everyone has natural body oils present on their skin. These oils are helpful to your body, but are made up of salts, enzymes, and acids that, unfortunately, can be damaging to leather over time. As body oils accumulate on leather furniture from daily use, they can weaken the leather’s fibers. This type of slow accumulation of damage can result in something as small as a dark spot on your furniture, to your leather actually cracking and tearing.
How Can I Prevent Damage?
Leather furniture owners who have either already noticed the effects of body oil on their furniture or who are aware of the potential damage will likely want to prevent further damage. Generally, the best way to keep your furniture safe is to take proper steps before damage occurs. Preventing problems is often best accomplished through two methods: protection and regular care.
Protection
The furniture pieces most likely to be damaged by exposure to body oils are usually couches and chairs, because they are used frequently and in a variety of conditions. If you come inside fresh from the Texas heat and collapse into your favorite chair, your sweat could damage your furniture. Here are some tips for protecting it:
- Covering your furniture is a good way to protect it from body oils. You can use a specially made furniture cover or a simple blanket. You don’t have to cover your entire couch, just the parts that are frequently touched, such as the armrests.
- Using a protection product is also a great way to prevent unwanted damage to leather furniture. Many companies offer such products.
Cleaning
Another important part of protecting your leather furniture is cleaning it regularly. Not only can cleaning prevent the effects of aging and keep your leather furniture looking new, it can also prevent damage from exposure to body oils. Here are some tips for how to clean leather furniture:
- Make sure to dust leather furniture regularly. Dust can accumulate quickly, especially in furniture seams, and can cause premature wear to the furniture. Use a soft cloth, or purchase a specially made dusting cloth from a reputable company.
- Consider using a leather cleaner occasionally on your leather furniture. This isn’t something that must be done as often as dusting, but it’s still good to do regularly. A product such as Guardsman™ Clean & Renew for Leather should do the trick when you’re learning how to clean leather furniture.
What If the Damage is Already Done?
If you’ve started noticing dark stains in highly trafficked areas of your leather furniture, such as seat cushions or headrests, your furniture may already have a buildup of body oils. These are often body oil stains on leather furniture. In this case, you may have to take some steps to remedy this before real damage occurs.
Deep Clean
To get body oil stains on leather furniture out of your leather, you’ll need a serious leather cleaner. Before using a new cleaner on your leather furniture, take some time to look up both the type of leather your furniture is made of and the manufacturer’s cleaning recommendations. These precautions will help keep you from using something that might accidentally stain or discolor your leather furniture. In some cases, you may need to deep-clean leather furniture to restore its appearance.
Condition
In addition, after using a thorough cleaner on leather furniture, it’s a good idea to apply a leather conditioner. Leather cleaner removes damaging bodily oils from furniture, as well as the lubricants that occur naturally in leather. A conditioner will help restore the leather’s previous look and feel. As with a cleaner, make sure to check the recommendations for your type of leather before using a new conditioner on your furniture.
Because body oils damage leather furniture over time, regular cleaning and protection are important parts of leather care. If you have already noticed dark spots, cracking, or worn areas, the right cleaner and conditioner may help reduce the damage and protect the leather going forward. For more information about caring for leather furniture, or to view a selection of heirloom furniture pieces, visit Amish Oak in Texas at one of our showrooms or contact us.
