Keeping Your Leather Belongings Looking Brand New

My family has been in the business of selling and recrafting fine leather shoes since 1897. So you can understand how the subject of leather care would come up more often than usual in our household.

That sort of exposure made me somewhat of an expert on keeping high quality leather goods looking their best. Here's a summary of what you need to know to take expert care of your leather furniture, shoes, handbags and garments.

Leather is a particularly magnificent material for furniture. It looks great, feels great, smells great and typically lasts 4 to 5 times longer than any other upholstered fabric. It's also fire resistant and wears gracefully by holding its color fastness and becoming more supple with age.

Location, Location, Location

The placement of your leather furniture is critical to its appearance and longevity.

Don't place your leather furniture in direct sunlight. Leather irreparably dries and fades in sunlight.

Don't place leather furniture too close to a radiator, fireplace or other direct heat source...even a heater vent. Maintain at least 2 feet between the piece and any heat source.

Do position your leather furniture away from high traffic areas that may be susceptible to people inadvertently rubbing up against it. Leather that is continuously leaned on or brushed against will show marks that may not be removable with conditioners.

Do place leather furniture at the far end of the footpath. This way you can show off its beauty more openly and protect it at the same time.

Cleaning and Conditioning

Do dust your leather items weekly to keep leather pores free from dust particles. Simply wipe it down with a damp soft white cloth (a dyed cloth can discolor the leather). This seemingly small task it goes a long way in the long term care of your leather goods.

Do clean and condition the leather twice a year using a high quality product. Be mindful that conditioning sometimes darkens the leather somewhat. Of course, if the leather is at all faded this darkening will help restore the original appearance.

Do pay special attention to wear surfaces, particularly the arms, backs and seats. After a thorough cleaning always re-apply the conditioner/protectant to ensure many years of trouble-free service from your leather furniture.

Don't use harsh soaps or inexpensive conditioning creams. I can heartily recommend the Lexol brand of products for your quality leather possessions.

Don't condition your fine leather goods with Neats Foot Oil. This product works great on baseball gloves and other rawhide items, but it's much to heavy for fine leather.

Do protect leather surfaces with water- and stain-proofing sprays from reputable companies like Kiwi and Totes. But be careful to follow the directions very carefully and always test it first on some hidden area just to be sure the leather doesn't discolor.

Do clean up spills as soon as possible using a damp white cloth with a light detergent soap, such as liquid hand soap. You may need to follow that up with some Lexol leather cleanser, just to be sure you got it all.

Don't use products labeled as leather spot removers...they have a nasty tendency to permanently remove the color of the leather as well.

Heavier stains that don't respond to these treatments may require the use of dry cleaning chemicals. I recommend you consult a leather repair professional before doing this, however.

On those occasions where even I get stumped over how to handle a leather care situation, I call my good friend and guru Steve Morelli at Brooks Shoe Service. I've yet to find anyone who knows more than he does when it comes to fine leather.

Certified Herman Miller Repair and Refurbishing Service

As durable as leather is,if you put enough decades of normal wear or enough of my "don'ts" on it, then even the finest product will need expert attention.

This is why we have a staff of Herman Miller-certified repair and refurbishing technicians on hand. These folks are so highly skilled that people who have inherited 50-year-old Eames Lounge chairs have entrusted them to us to restore them to like-new condition.

Well, there you have it. That's really all it takes to keep your fine leather furniture and other belongings looking like new. If you have any questions, by all means call us toll-free at 1-877-MY-OFFICE.