Leather Care for Large Items, Couches and Restoring Color

Determine what type of leather is covering your furniture or other accessory. Most furniture pieces are created with finished leather that has a shiny look, but your leather could also be unfinished--suede, nubuck or aniline for example. Unfinished leathers tend to look like "natural" leather, with a soft texture and a matte look. Knowing what type of leather covers your piece will help you understand the best way to care for it.

Use a clean white cloth to dust your leather furniture weekly. Wipe the leather piece down as though you were dusting a piece of wooden furniture. Make sure you wipe both sides of the seat cushions as well as the arms and back side of the furniture. You can also use a handheld attachment to vacuum any crumbs or dust bunnies from between the cushions and in the crevices of the piece. This step applies to both finished and unfinished leather.

Apply leather conditioner to your leather piece every six months, or as directed by the manufacturer. Leather conditioner is generally applied to a cloth and then gently buffed over your furniture or leather piece. If your leather piece is covered with unfinished leather, you will need to make sure your leather conditioner is appropriate for unfinished leather. Even if your conditioner is specially created for unfinished leather, you should test it in an inconspicuous place before applying to the whole piece. Conditioner can slightly darken unfinished leather.

Use special leather cleaner to help remove any stubborn stains. Some leathers can't be cleaned with any type of moist solution. Many modern manufacturers will place a care label on the bottom of their leather pieces. Check this label to find out if your leather piece can only be dry-cleaned. If a care label is unavailable, you should test the cleaner in a small, inconspicuous area before cleaning any heavily soiled areas in widely visible areas. Follow the cleaning solution's directions to apply. Generally, you will use a clean cloth to apply and gently rub the cleaning solution against the stain and then use a dry, clean cloth to blot any excess moisture.

Use a leather recoloring kit to restore color that may have faded due to age or sun exposure. Carefully follow the manufacturer's directions when applying the recoloring kit. Kits generally recommend that you thoroughly clean the piece, apply a leather prep solution and lightly sand the piece before applying the recoloring dye. Apply the dye in small areas and with several coats. Allow each coat to dry before applying each additional coat. The piece will need to dry for several days.