Leather

Here are the essential basics of what you need to know about leather cleaning (in my opinion):

There are 3 types of leather:

1. Aniline (aka Unprotected, Naked, Natural, Pure)
-Defined as hide that has been treated with aniline dye
-The dye is transparent and allows the grain and natural characteristics to show through
-If you scratch this with your finger nail, you will leave a light mark
-Moisture soaks into aniline leather (see unprotected)
-Expensive (about 10% of leather furniture is aniline)
-Aniline leather has a soft “hand” or feel and has been described as buttery soft

2. Nubuck (aka Reverse Suede, Suede, Distressed, Bomber)
-Defined as aniline leather that the grain surface has been sanded or buffed to create a velvet like texture or map
-Dying same as Aniline
-Nubuck has the softest “hand” feel due to it’s velvet texture
-FYI, nubuck is often confused with suede. Suede is actually the flesh side of the hide or both sides of a split.
-Very expensive (about 5% of leather furniture is Nubuck)

3. Pigmented (aka Painted, Protected, Finished, or Semi-Aniline)
-Basically Aniline leather that has paint and urethane on it as a finish and topcoat (which makes it shiny and slick)
-Repels water, oil, dirt well
-85% of most leather furniture is pigmented (cars as well for you auto detailers)
-If you scratch pigmented leather with finger nail, it will not leave a mark
-Pigmented leather has a smooth or slick “hand” feel due to it’s finish

An fyi, furniture can be called 100% leather as long as the seating surface is leather. Many times, the sides of the cushions are vinyl or split leather. How a piece of leather feels is referred to as “hand”. Most leather furniture has a deck tag, that is a small leather sample under the cushions by the furniture tag that you can use for identification scratch tests, etc. There is also a PULLUP type of leather, that is just aniline or nubuck leather that have had wax or oil impregnanted through the leather. These are cleaned the same as regular aniline or nubuck. The new leather cleaning products that should be available to us for each type of leather are:
1. Cleaner
2. Conditioner
3. Protectant

There will be 9 bottles total and they will be labeled for the type of leather you are dealing with. Figure out the type of leather, and use the appropriate bottles. The bottles should have directions on how to use them. Really only 2 ways to do it, either apply directly to a towel and then apply to leather, or mix cleaner with water in bucket and apply with a sponge to leather. You can do 1, 2, or all 3 steps, doesn’t matter. Recommend charging for each step (price is up to you, I haven’t decided what we’ll charge yet).

My fingers are spent, so I’ll let others add any points (or correct me if I’m wrong) as they see fit.

I had a customer ask “What do I use on my leather furniture for a quick clean up like a spill?” I said I would ask the experts and return and report. She asked if a wet rag would be okay.