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The beauty of genuine leather might lead you to believe that it requires a great deal of special care. It actually requires very little. Think of good leather boots and gloves, how much use they get and how well they last |
Most surface dirt can be removed with a mild soap (not a detergent) and a little water on a soft cloth. Work the soap up to a lather and apply it to the soiled surface; then follow up with a clean damp cloth to make sure all the soap is removed from seams, pleats and folds. Rub dry.
Three or four times a year, go over your leather furniture with a dampened cheesecloth and a leather conditioning cream. With this simple maintenance routine, leather will increase in beauty as it ages.
Leather is a natural product, like cotton, marble and teakwood. Because of the way it looks and feels, and the many ways it can be used, leather has been a prized commodity through the ages. Leather upholstery is not a new fad. For many centuries, leather upholstery has been a favorite of Spanish and British furniture makers.
The "old fashioned" method of tanning (the process for transforming hides and skins into leather) was Vegetable tanning. Bark, roots and seedpods were used, and the entire process took almost a year. Plump, heavy leather in natural leather tones of burgundy, brown and orange was produced using this method.
During the 19th and 20th centuries, the advances
in tanning technology resulted in a new method,
called Mineral or Chrome tanning, which cuts the
tanning process down to a few days. The hides
and skins are bathed in large drums
of "tanning liquors" of chromium
chloride. After drying, the leather is
finished by coloring with a
blend of pigments and
synthetic resins to make
it resistant to perspiration
and wetness. New coloring
and finishing methods
have resulted in a wide
assortment of designer colors and many varieties of soft, strong, durable, leathers which complement contemporary as well as traditional upholstery designs.
One of leather's most useful characteristics is its ability to "breathe." Leather's natural fibrous structure is retained during the tanning process. Tanning also enhances leather's natural properties, increasing its moisture resistance. Because leather is a natural product, it provides excellent heat insulation and protection from tears. Leather absorbs dyes, and colors will not rub off or fade. Leather repels liquids is fire resistant and emits no toxic fumes even when exposed to intense heat. Modern tanning techniques have elimintated cracking. Leather will stretch and retain its shape without sagging.
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