Easy guide to DIY leather cleaning (Part I)
What would be the first reaction of a housekeeper, when she sees a giant stain on her brand new leather sofa? No, we mean after getting into a real panic…Of course, she would call the local professional cleaning company. Being afraid of damaging the leather furniture, even more, professional assistance, indeed, sounds to her logical. However, everyone among you can actually deal with such a situation: dirty leather item and ordinary home materials to use for the cleaning. This is what this article is actually about.
Homemade Detergents
What are the most suitable homemade cleaning detergents for leather
It’s the right place to mention that when saying leather, we mean genuine leather. When it comes to an artificial imitation, most of the common cleansers like baking soda, dishwashing soap and even laundry detergents can be used. On the contrary: real leather is allergic to drastic and abrasive materials. Remaining wet for a long time is also not ok for leather. The same goes for too soapy detergents. Anyway, here are the top homemade detergents to use for leather cleaning:
– Extra virgin olive oil in a combo with white vinegar is a great mixture to deal with numerous stains and in addition to this, to protect leather pH balance. Do not panic, if both don’t come together perfectly. It’s normal because white vinegar and olive oil are of completely different consistency.
– Essential oils might be very beneficial for leather cleaning because they disinfect and moisture at once. And leather gets damaged, when being left too dry. You can add few drops of essentials oils to the combo above or mix it with water to directly clean dirt. The best essential oil for leather is orange oil.
– Soapy water is a good alternative for regular deep cleaning and dust removal. Just make sure not to leave leather wet after the procedure.
Adding conditioning to cleaning with homemade detergents
Except for the human skin, we can also compare human hair with leather, when it comes to cleansing. You, girls, use a conditioner or hair mask after cleaning the hair with shampoo, right? Then, why don’t you condition your leather items after cleaning them with homemade detergents, too?
Prepare an organic and 100% harmless leather conditioner of 1 part beeswax, 1 part cocoa butter and 2 parts of almond essential oils. Use after cleaning.
To be continued…
