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Leather Care
Leather makes for the strongest upholstery. It will not fade, rip or tear. While you may consider it as an expensive investment, if you factor in the fact that you will possibly never need to change the upholstery again, the dynamics change, and leather suddenly doesn't seem to be all that extravagant. True, you may want a change of sofas, but then you may soon need to change your curtains to match your new sofas. But since your curtains are almost new, you decide to wait a while. You finally get down to buying new curtains, but then the sofa covers need to be changed once again. And now your carpet doesn't match your new sofa covers to perfection, but you're not going to get sick of your carpet in a hurry, so you will just have to wait for another four years before you get things perfect this time around. Sounds all to familiar, doesn't it? Life would be infinitely easier, not to mention cheaper, if the only upholstery you would need to change would be your drapes.
- Moisturise your leather with a leather cream around twice a year. While you could use a regular moisturizer, it is of course preferable to use a leather cream, as these creams are especially formulated to prolong the life of leather. But it is better to use a moisturizer than nothing at all!
- Stains may be impossible to remove, which is why dark colours are often the preferred choice for upholstery. However thanks to the introduction of leather coatings and protective sprays like Scotchguard, stains can now be combated. So while earlier generations would only opt for white leather upholstery if they were very, very clean or very, very rich, this doesn't have to be the case nowadays. Protective sprays also do a good job of moisturizing the leather, so invest in one. If you are spending thousands of rupees on a leather sofa or a leather jacket, spend another few hundred on a moisturizer.
- Use a gentle cleaner once a month, especially if you use the piece of furniture everyday. For seasonal leather, like a leather jacket, you need clean it only during the period it is in use.
- Do not store your leather goods in plastic, as this prevents the leather from breathing. Hang your leather jacket in a cupboard, from a padded hanger. Cover it with a linen or cloth jacket cover.
- Avoid keeping your leather furniture close to a direct heat source like fireplace or radiator, or in direct sunlight.
- Make sure you use good products to clean your leather. Something that is not guaranteed may ruin your leather, and you don't want that.
- Avoid using oils or furniture polish on your leather, as it may make the leather sticky, which is inconvenient if you want to sit on it, to say the least.
- If your leather upholstery has limited protection, the best way to prolong its life would be to dust it often and make sure it stays clean. Wipe it with a soft rag.
- If your favourite leather jacket is crumpled, hang it up. The creases should smoothen out in a while. If you must iron it, set your iron on the lowest heat setting and place paper on top of the leather. Do not use the steam setting.
- Even when your leather gets badly worn out, you could always consult a leather care specialist, and chances are that it can be restored. So take good care of your leather items and they will last for years and years.
While imitation leather gets hot and sticky in the summer and cold in the winter, this is not the case with genuine leather. And the best part is that over the years, leather gets softer and more supple. Like wine, leather ages well, and if you look after it, it will provide you with many, many years of comfort.
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