What Is the Best Leather Conditioner for Couches?
A good leather couch can make an entire room look completely different. It brings a sense of style, fashion, and can really make a statement. Whether it is faux leather or the real deal, a leather sofa is always going to be the most visible living room furniture piece.
But one thing you must do to make sure it stays that way is make sure you are regularly using leather cleaner and leather conditioner to take care of your leather furniture. Even faux leather needs to be taken care of!
Why Do You Need to Condition Leather Couches?
Leather is a natural material and it is very temperamental. When it gets too hot, it loses moisture. This makes the leather upholstery dry, and on leather furniture that can lead to it becoming uncomfortable and hard to manage. It can cause the leather to become brittle instead of soft and pliable, and in some cases it can even cause your leather furniture to crack.
To avoid this, you must condition your leather and faux leather sofa to help it to maintain that moisture and keep it looking like it did when you got it.
When Should You Condition Leather Furniture?
Generally speaking, you can get away with using leather conditioner on your leather items and leather furniture once every 6 months or so. Too much leather conditioner can also cause harm to the product by causing it to discolour, so you must be mindful of this when taking care of your leather sofa, too.
Cleaning your leather furniture is another story, though. This should be done once every couple of weeks, with a deep clean happening at least once a month. This will help to maintain your leather furniture and prevent your leather sofas from getting scratched or damaged in any way.
Is Leather Conditioner the Same as Leather Cleaner?
Leather conditioner and leather cleaner are not the same thing. Leather cleaner, whether in the form of saddle soap, warm water, or even leather wipes, works to remove grime and bacteria from your leather sofa. They might even remove stains and marks from your leather couch.
Alternatively, leather conditioner works kind of like a moisturiser. A good leather cleaner will help your leather to stay shiny and pliable, whereas leather cleaners will just keep it clean and free from stains.
What Should You Never Use as A Leather Conditioner?
Leather is very sensitive, and as a result there are a number of products that you should never ever use on them. Sometimes these products do come up when you research how to clean leather or what to use as a leather conditioner, but they should be avoided!
They are:
- acetone
- hair spray
- disinfectant wipes
- window cleaner
- bleach
- ammonia
- lemon juice
These items can all ruin your best leather by discolouring it in ways that no good leather cleaners will be able to fix. If you ever do buy a new leather product, be it a leather cleaner or leather conditioner, you should always test it in a discreet area of your leather to ensure it does not cause discoloration as sometimes these ingredients hide in inconspicuous looking products.
What Works Well on Leather Sofas as Leather Conditioners?
Some products will work naturally to protect leather. These can be used as leather conditioner (once you’ve tested on an inconspicuous area). They are:
- coconut oil
- olive oil
- beeswax
- baby soap
What Are the Best Leather Conditioners Available in Stores?
If you don’t want to risk a DIY leather conditioner, then you’ll need to find a leather couch leather conditioner in store. Some of the best leather conditioner products out there at the moment include:
Leather Honey
Leather Honey is said to penetrate the leather sofas material quite deep and has no silicone, solvents or animal products. Leather Honey is water repellant and offers 6 months of protection to your leather couch. Leather Honey can be purchased online or in store.
There are Leather Honey products available for all sorts of leather and the company offers a range of products including a leather cleaner so that you can use the same brand for both your leather conditioner and cleaner. Leather Honey Cleaner is just as highly recommended as Leather Honey Conditioner.
Bickmore Bick 4
Bickmore is a leather cleaner and conditioner. It cleans, conditions, polishes and softens your leather; perfect for a leather couch that needs some care. It is wax-free and is designed to not darken or discolour leather. It is the best leather conditioner for one step application.
Weiman Leather Cleaner and Conditioner Wipes
Again, a leather cleaner and conditioner, the Weiman product will protect leather while also being one of the best leather cleaners out there. It contains natural moisturisers, natural leather cleaners and sunscreen. It works better than most leather cleaners and is a leather conditioner too.
The Leather Colour Doctor
The Leather Colour Doctors leather care products are highly recommended. The brand sells a leather sofa kit that stocks a leather conditioner & leather cleaner for sofas to ensure that you can properly clean and care for your best leather.
Nikwax Leather Cleaner
If you’re looking for something to protect your leather, this leather cleaner is a great option. It is designed to restore water repellency, which is not entirely necessary for leather couches but it is very useful on leather clothing and leather jackets.
Stardrops Leather Clean and Feed
Cheap and relatively good, this Stardrops leather cleaner is great for leather sofas and leather dining chairs. It is one of the best leather cleaners for its price, and while it may not be the best leather cleaner for removing deep stains, it’s great for day to day cleaning and shining of your material.