If you’ve just ordered your new leather sofa, or if you're looking to buy a leather sofa online, good on you—these sofas are an investment that will last a lifetime, getting better with age as in a Geroge Clooney or Milind Soman-esque manner.

To make sure that your sofa maintains its timeless looks, and pulls a George Clooney and not a Jack Nicholson as it ages, you will need to give it care, attention and a little bit of time.

Though it is associated with ruggedness and toughness, leather can be notoriously high maintenance.When you buy a leather sofa online, there's no friendly salesperson or shop attendant to run you through the do's and don'ts so we thought we'd step in with this guide to sofa care.

Here are the 10 commandments of leather sofa care.

 

1. Thou Shall Clean Your Leather Sofa Regularly

Leather is a tough material that will only get better over time. Without a regular cleaning routine, your sofa will begin to look worn out.

Put some time aside at least once a week to clean every part of your sofa or chair, as there will most likely be a slight alteration in the colour of your leather when it has been treated.

 

2. Leave Your Sofa to Dry Naturally (and avoid sitting on it until does)

The temptation to jump onto a freshly cleaned sofa is all to real. But wait till it dries completely. This way, the material will stay shaped around the contours of your sofa, and not your lower body. You can speed up this process by opening a few doors and windows to create a good flow of air through your home.

 

3. Beware Of Running Colours

Dye from clothing and garments that aren't colour fast can transfer onto your leather sofa. This is usually more noticeable on lighter leather colours such as whites, creams and ivory. Always check your clothing labels and if you have guests, do a spot check and clean up any anomalies as soon as they leave.

 

4. Thou Shall Regularly Condition Your Leather Sofa

Leather contains natural oils that need to be replenished. These oils keep the upholstery supple, but repeated use can negate its natural properties. This is why it’s important to use a specialist conditioner on your leather sofa, to prevent it from drying out and cracking.

 

5. Remember To Position Your Sofa Away From Sunlight and Direct Heat

Sustained exposure to sunlight and other heat sources is one of the major causes of dryness, cracking and discolouration. Positioning your new leather sofa in a spot away from windows that get a lot of sunlight and air conditioning units that generate a lot of heat can preserve the look of its upholstery. Of course, it’s impossible to avoid light and heat completely, but minimising contact can add years to your sofa's life.

 

6. Buff Your Leather Sofa Regularly

The best feature of a new leather sofa is its elegant, natural shine. The most effective way of preserving this periodically buff its upholstery with a soft cloth or microfibre. This ensures the leather keeps shining and doesn’t end up with wrinkles. Buffing is also a great way to reducing the appearance of scratches and scuffs that leather sofa eventually pick up over time.

 

7. Plump Your Sofa Cushions Everyday

Keeping your sofa nice and clean is important, but so is maintaining its shape so it looks great and provides maximum support. Leather lacks the ability to 'bounce back' like traditional fabrics so plumping your cushions at the end of the day will go a long way towards keeping everything shapely and good looking, and it doesn’t take long to do at all.

 

8. Clean Up Spills As Soon As They Happe

Despite its reputation for being more durable than other upholstery materials, leather is still vulnerable to staining when some liquid or food is spilt. Reacting quickly to a spill and cleaning it up in the right way can vastly reduce the chance of the liquid getting into the grain of the leather and leaving a stain that is impossible to remove without a specialist.

 

9. Thou Shall Keep An Eye Out For Other Dangers To Your Leather Sofa

When you buy a leather sofa online, there are a few other dangers that you need to keep an eye out for that could damage your leather sofa’s upholstery. You should be wary of clothes, throws, and cushions that are not colour-fast. Also there's jewellry and other accessories and  that can scratch or damage the leather. Pets can scratch or chew at your sofa and moisture during the monsoons can ruinn your leather sofa entirely. However, the pride of owning a well maintained leather sofa you can proudly show off far outweighs the risks.

 

10. Thou Shall Buy A Leather Sofa Online From Creaticity

After reading this far is you still want to own a leather sofa and enter the upper echelons of refinement, luxury and all round good taste, buy your sofa on Creaticity. Why? Well for starters, we've got you covered when it comes to leather care- with blogs and helpful info.  Creaticity also offers you free shipping, easy EMI schemes, quality assurance and after sales support. Oh did we mention tis' the season for social distancing *cough cough*, so buying a leather sofa online might actually be good for your health and public safety.