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If you’ve got leather furniture, you’re probably quite proud of how nice and stylish it looks. That being said, leather still gets dirty and it starts to wear down too. However, with the right products, you can clean, condition, and protect leather furniture too. It just takes the right product.
Today we are here to help you find the best leather cleaner & conditioner for furniture. We’ve got a great buyer’s guide to inform you of what you need to look out for, plus we’ve reviewed some of the best options on the market too.
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When it comes to leather, something that you need to be aware of is that there are many different types. This is of course important to know, because different types of leather need to be cleaned in different ways. Sure, all cleaning and treatment methods are similar, but there are some differences between the various kinds of leather.
The first kind of leather to be familiar with is aniline leather. This is the most natural and unique looking leather, as it retains its scars and surface texture. A soluble dye bath is used to color and treat the leather, but this only works to color the leather, not to fill in cracks or scars. For this reason, aniline is often referred to as naked leather. It’s comfortable, soft, and it always looks unique. That said, because this type of leather is not protected by polymers, it does stain easily.
Semi-aniline leather features a very light coating of dye, pigments, and polymers. It’s a little better protected from stains and odors than basic aniline leather, and it does still look quite nice. That said, some of the cracks, the texture, and the overall look of the leather is affected. This type of leather doesn’t look quite as unique or naked, but it is easier to maintain and to clean.
The other type of leather to know about is protected leather, also known as pigmented leather, and yes, this is one of the most popular kinds to use, particularly for furniture. The reason for this is because although this kind of leather looks rather generic, it is very stain and soil resistant. It doesn’t stain easily, and if spills do happen, this kind of leather is very easy to clean.
Nubuck leather is made by rubbing and sanding the outside layer of the animal hide, and it ends up being very durable. Suede on the other hand, is when the interior layer of the animal hide is sanded. This kind of leather looks very nice, but is difficult to maintain. As you might know, suede is super soft and easy to stain.
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Just like there are different types of leather out there, there are also various leather care products, and yes, these are designed to suit a specific type of leather.
Aniline leather furniture cleaner is specifically designed for both aniline and semi-aniline leather. This stuff is made with a protective sealant material that will help remove stains and odors, while also sealing the leather to protect it from future stains. This type of cleaner also helps aniline leather retain that naked and unique look.
Since protected leather is already protected, these types of cleaner themselves don’t have quite as many protective features. This type of cleaner is meant more to clean leather of stains and spots, but they do also help with protection. That said, protected leather, while it doesn’t look as nice as aniline, is already protected from stains without much need for additional measures.
You then have your nubuck leather cleaners, which can be used on nubuck leather and on suede. They help clean and protect these very delicate leathers, while also protecting them from future damage.
The great part about using any of these leather cleaning and conditioning products, one of the great parts, is that they work to both clean and condition leather in one fell swoop. This is not a huge multi-step process. All you have to do is to take a rag with some hot water, and wipe the leather down to remove as much debris as possible.
Then, with the right product, you simply have to apply it and wipe it around with an appropriate cloth, such as a microfiber cloth. Some products may be two-step products, which means that one is a cleaner that needs to be wiped away, and the other product being a conditioner that needs to be rubbed into the leather. When it comes to the question of how to care for leather furniture, it’s actually quite the easy task.
Here we want to take a look at some of the best leather cleaners and conditioners that you have at your disposal, so let’s get right to it.
If you are looking for really user-friendly leather conditioner, this Bickmore Bick 4 Leather Conditioner is a great way to go. This is a very easy to use product that features a one step application process. Just put a little bit on a soft cloth and rub it into the leather. It doesn’t get any easier than that. This product is designed to help restore old leather, to get it looking new and shiny, to soften it, to help prevent larger cracks from forming, and to protect it from water and other stains too.
Here is a great product that you can use to clean and maintain faux leather. This particular product is designed for use on all faux leather and vinyl surfaces. Simply spray it on, wipe it around, and that’s it. This product is very tough on dirt and stains, so it really does clean the surface. Moreover, it also leaves a protective layer behind to protect from future stains, as well as from water. TriNova Leatherette is also ideal for softening and conditioning faux leather.
If you are looking to get a leather sofa looking like new and then protect it for years to come, this Chemical Guys Leather Lovers Kit is a good option to keep in mind thanks to the plethora of individual products included. First off, you get a high quality leather cleaner which lifts dirt, oil, and grime off leather with ease. Second, you get a leather scent spray, just to help provide old leather with that new leather smell.
Third, you get a sprayable leather cleaner and conditioner, which works for cleaning, protection, and conditioning. Fourth, there is also a dedicated leather conditioner included here, which is rubbed on with a sponge. Fifth and finally, there is also a leather serum included, specially formulated to help maintain the appearance of leather and to provide total protection. We would say that this is the best all in one leather cleaning, conditioning, and maintenance kit on the market right now.
Weiman Leather Wipes are exceedingly simple to use, as they are just simple wipes that can be taken out of the packaging and used to wipe down couches, car seats, shoes, purses, and everything in between. You get a total of 30 wipes in a single packaging, and it’s worth noting that this is a very cost effective option.
Weiman Leather Wipes are made with simple and non-toxic materials, making them safe for furniture where people will sit. These wipes are specially designed to remove dust, dirt, grime, and other contaminants too. These wipes also have the ability to protect your sofas and couches from UV damage and from drying out. They are ideal for keeping leather moisturized and conditioned, and they contain a special type of sunscreen for leather as well.
Meguiar’s Leather Spray is designed with a non-greasy formula, so it will clean, condition, and protect leather without leaving a greasy residue behind. On that same note, this stuff does also smell quite nice, better than most other leather cleaners and conditioners. This is a gentle leather cleaner designed for leather that is highly susceptible to various forms of damage.
Due to this being a gentle formula, it does take a bit of rubbing to really clean leather, but at least it won’t damage your sofa. Meguiar’s Leather Spray is a high quality conditioner which helps prevent leather from fading, drying out, and cracking. It actually contains aloe vera to help provide nutrients to leather, and it can even help protect against UV damage too.
This particular option is formulated with lanolin based cream, which provides the benefit of suspension release, which means that it continues to condition and protect leather long after application. Another benefit here is how Chemical Guys Leather Cleaner and Conditioner is designed for maximum water repulsion, thus allowing water to bead up on the leather and run off quickly.
Chemical Guys Leather Cleaner and Conditioner is enriched with Vitamin E and aloe vera to help provide valuable nutrients to leather. It helps to keep leather from fading, cracking, and drying out, and it can even restore old leather back to its former glory. What does need to be noted is that this product is not the best for UV protection. However, this leather cleaner and conditioner does have a non-greasy composition.
This is a specialized kit designed to clean and condition all sorts of leather, whether car seats, sofas, shoes, handbags, or anything in between. Here you actually get two separate products, one which is solely a leather cleaner, and one which is a leather conditioner.
All other products reviewed today have been two in one cleaners and conditioners, whereas this requires the application of both products separately. Although this does take more time, it does produce a great result. Dedicated products that have one single purpose tend to be more effective than all in one solutions.
Either way, here you get a premium quality leather cleaner which lifts off oil and dirt, allowing them to be wiped away. The included conditioner helps restore flexibility, prevent cracking, prevent fading, and it doesn’t even leave a greasy residue behind either. You also get two premium applicator sponges to complete the kit.
If you are looking for the best leather furniture cleaner and the best leather furniture conditioner, or maybe the best leather sofa cleaner and conditioner (all in one), there are some important purchasing factors to keep in mind. Let’s quickly go over what you need to consider before buying anything of the sort.
Something to keep in mind before buying any product like this is what the intended purpose is. Some will be for sofas, some for purses, some for shoes, some for cars, or anything in between.
However, the best products out there can generally be used for all types of leather. For instance, all products we have reviewed here today can be used for everything from shoes to couches, such as the Chemical Guys Leather Lovers Kit.
Something else to consider before purchasing leather conditioner and cleaner is whether you want to go with an oil based cleaner or a water based option. Water based options tend to be easier to work with, and they don’t leave a greasy residue behind either.
However, because they are water based, they also don’t offer great protection against moisture, and they don’t last as long either. On the other hand, oil based cleaners, such as oil for leather furniture or leather cream for furniture, may leave a bit of a greasy residue behind, but they do last longer and offer better protection.
You do also want to pay attention to the cleaning capabilities of the product in question, especially if you are going for a two in one cleaner and conditioner. Some products clean better than others, some condition better than others, some do both well, and some do neither well. If you are going for a 2 in 1 option, make sure that it can adequately remove grease and dirt.
The next thing to keep an eye on before purchasing any leather cleaner and conditioner is how well it can protect leather. The most basic options should at the very least protect leather from cracking and fading, or in other words, it needs to provide moisture and nutrients to leather in order to keep it supple.
The best options out there will also protect leather from water damage and moisture, as well as from UV damage too. Finding an option that can protect from UV damage is extremely important, especially if you have your leather couch positioned somewhere with lots of natural sunlight.
Good leather cleaner and conditioner should not only help clean leather of dirt and grease, as well as protect it from future damage, but it should also help to restore old leather and bring it back to its former glory. That said, even the best leather conditioning products will only go so far in terms of restoration. Sometimes too much damage is just too much.
Yet another consideration to keep in mind before selecting any one product is how the product is applied. Leather wipes tend to be the easiest to use, and also quite effective, but they tend to not go a very long way. Sprays also tend to be very easy to use, and there are some really good ones out there. The best conditioners should be fairly thick. Simply put, the application method you choose should be whatever works best for you.
Something else you might want to look for is a product that smells good. Not all leather cleaning and conditioning products smell good, so be sure to read some reviews in regard to the smell first.
When all has been said and done, there are of course leather cleaners and conditioners out there that are better than others. It’s important that you keep the main purchasing considerations in mind which we discussed in the buyer’s guide section. Sticking to these tips and guidelines will ensure that you get the right leather cleaner and conditioner for your purposes. It’s always best to maintain and condition leather rather than letting it degrade.
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