I just bougt some Italian Leather Furniture and don't know what to use to clean it, any suggestions?

Answer 1

You need to use a good quality water based foam leather cleaner. Strong cleaner or Maxi Cleaner if it ivery dirty. With light coloured furniture dye transfer from clothing can be a problem although using a good quality leather protector will help inhibit this.

Baking soda is very abrasive and is likely to remove the finish on your leather.

DO NOT use anything containing oils, waxes or silicones. (Most 'conditioners' contain waxes or oils) and furniture polish contains silicones

BABY WIPES are the worst thing you can use as they will destroy the finish on your leather. They are very strong alkiline cleaners to neutralise urine (acid) on babys skin so they are not the right thing to use on leather.

Saddle soap is too harsh to use on todays furniture.

A lot of leather wipes contain chemicals which will also destroy the finish or leave residues on the leather which will damage it. They are not cheap in the long run as you would need a lot to clean a whole leather sofa. A bottle of foam cleaner should do your furniture 1-2 times.

Fairy liquid contains more salt these days to get dishes clean and this will break the finish down on your leather. This has been verified by the manufacturers (as with the baby wipes).

You should also follow cleaning with a good water based leather protector which will act like a 'scotchgard' and inhibit dirt and stains from being absorbed and make cleaning easier the next time.

Dry leather needs rehydrating with water and oils and waxes should not be used as the natural oils do not dry out of leather. Wiping over with a damp cloth regularly will help to do this.

It is important to maintain a regular cleaning regime cleaning dirt off the surface regularly and inhibiting the absorption of body oils into the leather with a protector is the best way of doing this.

The alternative is a brand new product on the market called Lazy Leather. This is the latest technology in cleaning and combines an effective cleaner with a protector. It is quick and easy to use and should be used as a maintenance product once your suite has been cleaned or from new if you have just bought it.

If you want any further advice you can telephone [phone] and I will be glad to help.

Baby wipes DO cause problems even if you can't see what they are doing. Our technicians are constantly going out to repair long term damage done by them where the finish just peels off the leather.

Source(s):

www.LTTsolutions.net
Leather care consultants to the furniture and cleaning industries

Answer 2

You may want to use a leather care kit that includes cleaner and conditioner.
Here's an example:
http://www.homelement.com/products/Furniture-Care/Furniture-Care_1.html

Answer 3

Is it smooth finish, or suede?

Smooth, you can use saddle soap on dirt, followed by mineral oil, or mink oil and wiped dry with a soft cotton cloth.

suede you can use a brass or bronze brush.

I'm surprised that the salesperson didn't recommend a cleaner.

Answer 4

Yes. Shaklee's Basic H2.
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