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How To Repair a Leather Couch

26 Aug, 2016 | Tips & Advice

Leather Couch Restoration: How To Guide

Leather couches have a timeless appeal, making them a popular choice in Australian living rooms and family rooms. Seen as a sign of luxury, leather lounges can add a touch of elegance to any home. The unique beauty that comes from their natural materials is highly prized, and the way they age over time only adds to their mellow sheen. Unlike other types of furniture, leather develops a patina as it ages, which gives it a softer, more opulent look.

Leather couches are sturdy and generally stand the test of time. That said, leather sofas suffer wear and tear just like any piece of furniture. But think of your leather couch as an investment that, with proper care, will last for many years. The good news is that there are many ways you can breathe new life into an old piece of furniture. Want to know how to restore a leather couch? We’ll tell you.

Basic cleaning suggestions to avoid damage to your leather couch

Before getting into the ins and outs of how to restore a leather couch, be aware of the basic cleaning techniques you can perform to avoid damage in the first place. Prevention is easier than a cure, after all!

  • Vacuum your sofa with a soft brush attachment

Leather couches can scratch easily. To avoid damage, consider vacuuming your leather sofa with a soft brush attachment rather than wiping across the surfaces. By doing so, you remove crumbs and debris without scratching your piece of furniture.

  • Clean spills immediately

Blot spills with a clean, dry cloth to absorb as much liquid as possible. For tougher stains, use a leather cleaner. Apply sparingly, as too much could damage the leather. Finally, dry the area with a soft cloth.

  • Dust regularly

Use a soft cloth to dust your leather couch every week — this will help to remove dirt and grime that can build up over time and lead to damage.

  • Protect from sunlight

Leather can fade if exposed to direct sunlight for extended periods. To help prevent this, consider placing your leather couch in a room that gets moderate sunlight or using window treatments to filter the light.

  • Use a soft leather cleaner that can be purchased through us

Clean your couch with a soft leather cleaner. Don’t use a microfiber cloth that may scratch your leather; use a soft cloth to clean your leather couch.  We recommend not to use harsh chemicals or vinegar on your leather couch.

How do I fix leather fading and discolouration?

No matter how well you care for your couch, time will take its toll. One of the most common issues with damage to your couch is fading and discolouration from the sun. Fading furniture is not something you can avoid, particularly if your couch sits under a window.

You can buy furniture leather dye pigments from us, but you need to be aware of the dyes or tint colours that would work best on your couch. All you need to do is send us a small leather sample (you can find this on the bottom of your lounge), and we can provide you with the correct colour.

Before you jump the gun, speak to our experts, or call on your local furniture upholstery business, who will tell you how to restore a leather couch using the best method for your specific item of furniture.

How do I remove stains from leather couches?

Want to know how to restore a leather couch that has suffered from a stain or two? Take note of the ‘dos and don’ts’:

  • Don’t reach for home cleaning liquids. Bottles of cleaning liquids often contain harsh chemicals that are no good for your expensive leather couch. A lot of cleaning liquids contain bleach, too. If you use bleach products on your sofa, you risk blotchy, uneven results.
  • Do use a gentle cleaner. Better yet, you can purchase specially designed leather cleaners and conditioners from us!
  • Don’t use an abrasive brush. If you want to know how to restore a leather couch correctly, say no to a bristle brush. Stains might be tricky to remove, but if you rub them with an abrasive brush, you will damage and scratch your leather, which is just another issue to rectify.
  • Do a patch test first. You don’t want your attempted restoration to be worse than the actual stain. Whatever you decide to use to remove a stain from your leather couch, test a small patch first to ensure you’ve chosen the right method.

Removing stains from leather varies on the type of stain. Whatever you choose for restoring the leather couch, make sure you use a gentle hand and refrain from being rough on your furniture. We’ve collated a list of top tips that will help you fix discolouration:

  • Non-oil-based stains

For stains that are not oil-based such as markers and ink, using a leather cleaner can help remove the stain. Prep the area with a damp cloth, dry, and apply the leather cleaner – be sure not to let it soak through the leather as this could damage the dye.

  • Grease

If you spill some grease on your lovely leather couch, do not despair — some emergency leather lounge restoration can fix it up in no time at all. Act as swiftly as possible, as this will prevent the grease from seeping into the leather and causing permanent damage to your lounge. Use absorbing fabric such as a paper towel, and blot up as much grease as you can. Next, gentle wipes with a dot of leather cleaner and then conditioner can help lift the grease. Finally, use a dry soft cloth to clean the area.

  • Tea or coffee stains

Blot the excess liquid with a damp paper towel and then use conditioning soap to spot clean the spill. A leather cleaner can ease dried stains. Ensure you dry out the area thoroughly after wiping out the stains.

How to restore a leather couch with scratches?

While leather furniture is durable, it is not immune to scratches. Scratches on leather happen for several reasons. Whether your cat likes to use your couch as a scratching post or you accidentally ran your key along the armrest, scratches can ruin the look of your leather couch or, as mentioned before, if you’ve used bristle brushes or microfibre cloth to clean your furniture, you may see scratches as a result. Then, of course, there’s just general wear and tear when scratches on leather appear over time for various reasons. Fortunately, you can follow a few simple steps to restore a leather lounge couch to its former glory.

Identify the leather type

Different types of leather require different methods of leather lounge restoration; therefore, identifying the exact type of leather your couch is made of can help you hone in on the treatment best suited to your lounge.

Contact the manufacturer

When you notice a scratch on your leather furniture, contact the manufacturer. More often than not, manufacturers have a recommended way to restore leather couches that may be related to the type of leather your lounge is constructed from.

Gauge the severity of the scratch

Accessing the severity of the scratch can help you gauge the level of treatment you require. A small scratch can be easily repaired with minimal effort, whereas a more serious scratch can be harder to fix and might require you to dial in the experts. If the scratch is superficial, the underlying leather will be intact, making it relatively easier to fix. However, if the leather has been cut all the way through, it’s best to leave the restoration to the professionals.

At the Lounge Repair Guys, our furniture upholstery repair technicians are experienced in leather couch restoration. We can fix everything from tears and burns to pet damage and water stains. We can help you restore your furniture to its original condition. Whether you need a simple repair or a complete couch makeover, our upholstery repair technicians can help.

Fix it yourself with conditioner

If scratches on your leather couch are minor enough, you can help disguise them yourself using leather conditioner. When attempting DIY leather lounge restoration, invest in a high-quality conditioner that will recondition the scratched area while restoring suppleness and hiding marks or scratches. Carry out a spot test before applying the conditioner to the entire lounge, as some conditioners could darken the leather, and the last thing you want to do is to end up damaging the couch by staining it. Apply it with a soft clean white cloth and rub it into the scratch. Clean the excess conditioner and see how it looks.

Call in Lounge Repair Guys repair professionals

If your leather couch looks scratched, battered and bruised, and you care about it enough to want a clean, professional finish, don’t even attempt to restore it yourself. Our mobile upholstery repair professionals can travel to your home and breathe new life into your scratched leather upholstery. Depending on the severity of your couch disrepair, our expert upholstery professionals are trained to fix up your furniture using the best and most economical methods in the comfort of your own home. Otherwise, your couch will be collected and repaired in a workshop environment and delivered back to you almost as new.

How do I repair rips and tears on a leather couch?

Want to know how to restore a leather couch with rips? Restitching and leather repair isn’t something you can do yourself, but a Lounge Repair Guys technician can come to your home and restore your couch for you.

Repairing minor tears

If you don’t have the time to repair the tear yourself, our trained technicians will be able to replace the ripped panel with a new one, which saves time and money. An exact match of the leather and thread colour will be used to suit your existing couch.

Although most repairs can be carried out in your home, leather couches with extensive tears or rips can be completely reupholstered if necessary. Choose our convenient service that offers pick-up and delivery to make things easier on yourself.

Now that you know how to restore a leather couch, you don’t need to throw it out with the hard rubbish. Bring your leather couch back to life by repairing damages — a far more affordable alternative to a complete furniture replacement.

Extend the life of your leather furniture — choose Lounge Repair Guys for the best leather lounge restoration

At Lounge Repair Guys, our skilled repair technicians are experienced in carrying out a wide range of repairs and restorations. We know that buying new furniture can be a big investment, and we want to help protect your investment for years to come. That’s why we offer a comprehensive range of after-restoration services to keep your furniture in peak condition. From fixing recliners to lounges, restoring sofas and repairing cracking or peeling leather, we’re committed to making your furniture look as good as new.

When it comes to commercially used furniture, we understand that furniture is an important part of your business. That’s why we offer the best commercial repair services. We understand that time is often of the essence in commercial furniture, so we provide fast turnaround times. With our help, you can avoid downtime and disruption to your business and keep your customers happy.

Need help restoring a leather couch? Call Lounge Repair Guys on 1300 101 510 for a free quote, or simply contact us online to find a mobile technician in your area.

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