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Does Leather Furniture Stain Easily? 

27/01/2023

Although leather sofas are excellent in resisting stains, spills and other mess, your leather couch or sofa might still get an annoying and hard-to-remove stain. In other words, leather is not 100% stain-resistant. It’s especially the case when ink or grease comes into contact with leather. A stain will likely result if it’s not immediately cleaned up. 

With these things in mind, we realise that it’s still important to properly care for our leather couches. Aside from spills and stains, we also have to protect the leather from sunlight and heat. This way, they can last long and remain stylish for years to come. 

Immediately cleaning up your leather furniture 

Whatever the spill, you should clean it up right away. That’s because when a spill dries up, the mess can get solid or even penetrate deeper into the leather. This makes it harder to clean up and might even become a permanent part of the furniture. 

When you clean up the spill, the key here is to be slow and gentle to avoid damaging the leather surface. You can use some water and a microfibre cloth to gently remove the dirt or spill from the leather surface. The principle here is to somehow loosen the dirt or spill first and then wipe it all off. 

You might also want to try using a mild vinegar solution (vinegar mixed in equal parts with water). Wet the damp cloth with that solution and then apply a gentle circular motion on the spill or dirty area. For your peace of mind, you might want to try it out first on a hidden spot of your leather furniture and wait for the effects (and then apply it on the actual spot that’s more visible). 

For removal of stains, some have found success in applying or formulating household solutions (e.g. lemon juice, cream of tartar, baking soda, rubbing alcohol). The solution to use depends on the type of stain. For example, using rubbing alcohol can be effective in blotting out ink stains. For dark stains on light-coloured leather, a special paste or specific cleaning solution can be used to remove the stain and prevent it from spreading further. 

But if you want to ensure a clean and excellent outcome (as well as bring back your leather’s original glory and characteristic new smell), you can contact us here at LCS Sydney. Since 1972, we’ve been specialising in professional upholstery cleaning. We will thoroughly remove the dirt and tough stains from your leather furniture.