How to care for your leather recliner chair
As I mentioned in an earlier post, a leather recliner chair is much easier to clean than a fabric-covered one, which makes it a great choice for your home.
However, like with any kind of furniture, you have to know to clean it properly, otherwise you could end up doing more damage than good.
Here are my top tips for looking after your leather chairs and sofa. Remember, I’ve been a fan of leather furniture for many years, so I’m giving you the facts, backed up by my experience.
Dust your sofa and chairs when you do your normal house cleaning. You can use a soft cloth, or a feather duster as you please. The main point is to remove the build-up of dust that happens in every house.
- If you need to clean any marks or stains from the leather, you can try dabbing it gently with water. Don’t rub, just dab! Tap water is OK for this, but distilled is even better as it contains less impurities. Don’t wet the cloth too much, and certainly don’t soak the leather, as this will put too much water on, which can cause permanent staining. Once you’ve done this, leave it until the patch is completely dry (usually takes at least until the next day) before doing anything more to it. It’s very hard to judge how effective the cleaning was when the skin is still damp.
- If your leather chair gets a grease mark on it, use a neutral soap, as this will cleanse without marking. Only use a very small amount of soap, and dab gently with distilled water as above. Don’t ever use regular furniture cleaner, bleach, washing up liquid, solvents, polish or similar on leather furniture as this will ruin them. Under no circumstances should you use baby wipes, as the chemicals in them will ruin the leather. The best thing to do is buy a cleaning material specially designed for treating leather. Even this shouldn’t be used too often though, and is only intended for tackling grease or oil marks.
- If you get a really bad mark on your leather recliner chair, don’t try and handle it yourself, as you could end up damaging the leather permanently. Call in a professional and have them assess the mark. It might cost a bit more than doing it yourself, but it’s cheaper than the cost of a new chair if you get it wrong!
- It’s probably a good idea to get the chair cleaned by a professional once or twice a year. This will help keep the leather supple and clean. Once that’s done, treat it with a protecting formula, which will give long-term durability to your chair. The professional may well be able to do this as part of the cleaning.
- Depending on how well-dressed you are when you sit on your leather chair and sofa, you may find that the oils in your skin will rub off on the leather, which can tarnish it over time. Again, a gentle wipe down with a soft cloth can sort this out. Make sure the cloth is a soft one though, and don’t use a brush as this can be too abrasive.
- Regular exposure to direct sunlight can cause the colour of your leather recliner chair to fade, and make the leather harden, so make sure to position it somewhere where this won’t happen. If you really want to keep it in a conservatory, or other sunny place, get a nice throw that you can put over the chair when you’re not using it. Whilst not as attractive as seeing your chair in all its glory, this can go a long way to preserving the softness and colour of your prized leather chair.
If you follow these guidelines carefully, you should have many years of love and life out of your leather furniture.
Hope you found this advice useful, don’t forget to come back soon as I’ll be posting more useful information about how to get the best from your leather recliner chair.
Bye for now,
Anne
Topics: Care of leather furniture, Leather chairs, Leather recliner chairs
What colour is best for your leather recliner chair?
When you look around at what’s on sale, you might be surprised at the range of colours of leather recliner chairs. Obviously, there are the “natural” colours, which are mostly ranges of mid to dark brown, but nowadays, there is a wide variety of other colours available.
I guess it doesn’t need saying that the most important factor in choosing a colour is to make sure it goes with the room it’s going to live in! Having said that, a leather chair or sofa is a fairly major feature in a living room, and people often take the opportunity of new furniture to redecorate the room. If that’s the case, you have the luxury of choosing whatever colour you like for your new leather sofa or chairs, and then picking wallpaper and paint to match.
So, it’s worth knowing a little about how the leather is coloured, as this might influence your decision when buying your next sofa or chair.
Leather is coloured with dyes, but can also be coloured with pigments as well. Whether or not the pigment is used results in two difference types, finished and unfinished.
Unfinished leather
This has only been coloured with dye, often Aniline, which is why unfinished leather is often referred to as aniline leather. Only the highest quality hides can be unfinished, and so it is generally more expensive than the finished variety. However, it is softer to the touch than finished skin, and has a much more luxurious feel.
The dye seeps deep into the leather, giving it a rich colour, and accentuating the natural features and beauty of the hide.
Being unfinished, it does not have much of a protective coating, so can stain easily. Dark or strong coloured liquids penetrate the thickness of the skin, and can be hard, if not impossible, to remove. It can also fade more easily when exposed to direct sunlight.
Finished leather
This is dyed the same way as unfinished leather, but is then coated with a protective layer of coloured pigment. This pigment is a special formulation used for leather, and allows the material to move and bend without cracking the pigment layer.
The colouring of pigmented leather is often not as deep as its unfinished cousin, as the colouring is more on the surface, and less in the depth of the leather. As the pigment is protective, the overall feel of the leather is that it is not as soft and supple as unfinished leather. This is not always a problem with furniture though, as it is not required to bend as much as leather clothing.
The big advantage of finished leather is that it is much tougher, and your leather recliner chair will survive a lot more than unfinished furniture. If you have kids in the house, then this is going to be the best choice, as it’s also much easier to clean.
I hope you found this post useful. Next time I’ll be giving you some great tips on how to care for your leather recliner chair, so come back soon.
Regards,
Anne
Topics: Leather recliner chairs, Recliner chairs
How to choose the right quality and finish for your leather recliner chair
I hope my last post convinced you of the benefits of buying a leather recliner chair. This time I’d like to give you some advice on what to look for when you shop around for your new leather furniture. This is important stuff, and without it, you could end up making an expensive mistake.
The most important question you need to ask is what quality of leather was used in making the chair? Put simply, there are two basic qualities of leather, top-grain and split-grain. I’ll explain the difference…
Top-grain leather
As the name implies (sort of), this comes from the top layer of hide of the animal. As this is the layer that was always exposed to the environment, it’s the one that’s the strongest, and most durable. This means that it will last longer, look better, and be more resistant to stains and marks than the split-grain leather.
Split-grain leather
This is made from the underside of the animal’s hide, ie the side that was closest to the muscle and fat of the animal. As such, it’s softer than the top-grain leather, but is also cheaper. If your sofa or recliner chair is going to get a lot of use, especially if there are kids in the house, then it makes sense to spend the extra on top-grain leather as this will ensure it lasts a lot longer.
Split-grain leather is often dyed to make it look like top-grain, so if the extra durability of top-grain isn’t important to you, you can still get great looking leather furniture without spending a fortune.
OK, so the next thing you need to look at is the finish of the leather. This can also make a big difference to the price, so it’s worth knowing the difference between the finishes available.
Naturally finished leather
This has been given the least amount of processing of all types of finish, and requires the least amount of care. It is usually smooth to the touch, and can be cleaned with a damp cloth.
Brushed leather
This has been, as the name implies, brushed during the processing, and this gives it a wonderful luxurious feel. Because of the soft nature of brushed leather, it needs more care than other finishes, and is not a good choice if there are children around, as it is more likely to show marks and stains.
Distressed leather
Despite the odd name, this simply means that it’s been made to look old. If your home has an antique or period feel, then a distressed leather recliner chair can look very stylish and striking. It often has fluctuations in colour over the surface, adding to the aged appearance. You might even find some that has artificial wrinkles added, giving a seriously period-piece impression!
Distressed leather furniture is a good idea when there are kids in the home, as it is very durable and stain-resistant.
I hope you found this article interesting. If you read it carefully, you’ll get a good idea of which quality and finish are right for you, so you’ll make the right choice when you buy your new leather recliner chair.
Next time I’ll be giving you some ideas about the colour of your leather furniture. Watch this blog!
See you,
Anne
Topics: Leather chairs, Recliner chairs
The pros and cons of leather – Are you sure a leather recliner chair is right for you?
Before you go off shopping for your new leather recliner chair, you need to make sure you understand the pros and cons of buying leather. Whilst I’m a huge fan of it, I know it’s not for everyone, so I thought it was important to start off this blog with some information to help you make the right choice.
OK, first the pros of leather furniture, specifically leather recliner chairs – which is what this blog’s about, right?
- Leather is just soooo luxurious! I guess this is a matter of taste and preference, but I really love the smooth feel of leather against me. I find that in the warmth of a centrally-heated house, cloth-covered furniture can get hot, prickly and sweaty, whereas leather keeps it cool (unless the weather’s really, really hot, in which case anything will feel uncomfortable).
- Leather keeps its good looks for years. If you care for it (which is pretty easy if you follow a few simple rules which I’ll outline in a future post) it won’t fade, and it’s far more stain-resistant than cloth.
- It’s really easy to maintain a leather chair or sofa. No scrubbing with soapy water, no covers to shove in the washing machine. Nine times out of ten, you just wipe over the leather with a damp cloth and you’re done. A decent leather won’t mark if food or drinks are spilled on it, especially if you wipe them up quickly. Compare that to cleaning a fabric sofa and you’ll see the benefits very quickly.
- A leather recliner chair, sofa or suite will hold its resell value really well. I know you’re not thinking about selling it on right now, but it’s nice to think that if you decide to splash out on a new leather sofa or leather chair in the future, your old one will still be worth a reasonable amount of money. I often have friends ask me “Anne, how much do you want for that leather recliner?” Whilst I’m not interested in selling my fave chair, it still gives me a buzz when they ask! Fabric-covered furniture just doesn’t hold its value, and you often end up having to give it away, just to get it out of the house.
OK, so I’ve told you the great things about leather furniture, I guess I need to come clean and admit that there are some disadvantages…
- It’s more expensive than fabric furniture. There’s no denying this one, but you get what you pay for, and if you want the sumptuous luxury of a leather recliner chair, you have to accept that you’ll need to pay more up front. Having said that, with minimal care, leather chairs and sofas last a whole lot longer than fabric ones, so it can often work out cheaper in the long run.
- If you’ve ever been wearing shorts (or a short skirt), and sat on a leather chair that’s been in direct sunlight then you’ll know that this can be a bit of a shock! Leather can get quite hot when the sun is shining on it, so this is one to watch out for. This isn’t a real disadvantage, because you can make sure to place your chair out of direct sunlight, or cover it with a cloth when you’re not using it, but I guess it needed saying.
OK, hopefully you understand the pros and cons now, and are ready to look for your new furniture. Watch this blog, because I’ll be posting more useful information to help you choose the right leather recliner chair, without spending a fortune!
See you soon,
Anne
Topics: Leather chairs, Leather recliner chairs
Welcome to the leather recliner chair blog!
Hi, my name’s Anne, and I’ve started this new blog about my passion in life – leather recliner chairs! Yup, I’ve been a fan of leather furniture for years, and have finally decided to start a blog as people keep asking me for advice. I thought if I can help people locally, why not globally too.
Keep watching this blog as I’ll be posting some great tips on what to look for when choosing a leather recliner chair, and how to make sure you get the best – without spending a fortune!
Speak to you soon,
Anne
Topics: Leather chairs, Leather recliner chairs, Recliner chairs