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The choice between faux and genuine leather is a familiar problem for many. 

Faux leather and vinyl, is known for being cheaper and being vegan friendly so has had increased recognition lately. But, a recent survey has found that faux leather is prone to more damage compared to leather.

This realisation has led to potential retail customers reconsidering genuine leather as the superior covering for their upholstery, not only for that, it’s also recognised for its strength and elegant style too.

The misunderstanding about faux leather, is that most faux leather is a product of the fossil fuel industry, its made of plastic and currently cannot be re-cycled so normally ends up in land fill. 

THE ACTUAL VALUE OF GENUINE LEATHER:

STRENGTH:

Real leather is well-known for its durability. Unlike its faux substitute, high-quality genuine leather can endure daily wear, often lasting years and years with proper care. This makes leather items more cost-effective in the long run.

AGING GRACIOUSLY:

Over time, genuine leather develops a unique character adding to its appealing nature. With certain leathers the natural aging process tells it own story, making each piece distinctive and beautiful as the years go by.

REPAIRABLE:

Natural scratches on aniline & semi-aniline leathers can normally be polished out, and keep their suppleness and strength through conditioning.

BIODEGRADABILITY:

Genuine leather is biodegradable, when disposed of it decomposes more easily compared to its faux substitute, reducing its environmental footprint.

SUSTAINABLE SOURCING:

Leather is a by-product of the meat trade, using what would otherwise be a leftover product. Research shows that this surplus bi-product which is passed to the leather industry processes millions of tons of hides annually, which would otherwise be cast-off in to landfill.

LESS PLASTIC WASTE:

Opting for genuine leather over faux helps reduce plastic waste. Faux leathers are created from plastics like polyurethane or polyvinyl chloride; these contribute to pollution and are not biodegradable.

REDUCED CHEMICAL USE:

State-of-the-art leather tanning processes are becoming more environmentally friendly. Selecting genuine leather not only offers a product of luxurious quality and durability but also helps environmentally valuable practices. 

When it comes to caring for leather, it's important to avoid certain substances and practices that can damage or degrade the leather.
Here are some things you should not use on leather:

• Saddle Soap: Contains glycerine which is great for traditional old saddles but NOT for upholstery leather, using it on your sofa or car seats will eventually make the leather sticky AND attract dirt.
• Baby Wipes: Can contain lanolin which can break down the colour on your leather surface, or even remove colour on two tone leathers.
• harsh Chemicals: Avoid using bleach, ammonia, alcohol, and other strong chemicals. These can strip the leather of its colour, natural oils and cause it to dry out and crack.
• Abrasive Cleaners: Do not use abrasive cleaners or tools like sponge scourers or magic sponges that can scratch or damage the leather surface.
• Heat Sources: Avoid using heat sources like heat guns, radiators or direct heat , this can cause the leather to burn, crack, fade and dry out too quickly.
• Vinegar: Although sometimes recommended for household cleaning, vinegar can be too harsh and acidic, potentially damaging the leather and causing it to smell.
• Remember most leather is absorbent and can hold on to that vinegar smell.
• Household Detergents: Regular soaps, laundry detergents, and dishwashing liquids are not formulated for leather and can remove its natural oils as they’re very harsh.
• Silicone Products: These can leave a residue that builds up over time and attracts dirt, the residue also prevents future restoration of the leather preventing dyes or repair products to adhere to the surface.
• Nail Polish Remover: This contains acetone, which can severely damage and discolour leather.
• Coloured Cloths or Sponges: These can transfer dye onto the leather, leading to staining.

To properly care for leather, use products specifically designed for leather cleaning and restoring. Always test any new product on a small, inconspicuous area first to ensure it does not cause any adverse effects.

Does your leather smell? Have cooking odours, pets or even accidents such as urine and vomit taken its toll?
Then read on to bust myths on what you can and can’t use on your leather and what is effective or not to rid your leather of that awful smell.

METHOD 1: HOME REMEDIES

Your first instinct for eliminating your leather of nasty niffs is to use home remedies and hopefully save yourself some money, I’m sorry but those tips you see on TIkTok and Social Media are not experts in leather and can result in damaging your leather, read on to find out why.

VINEGAR
Do not use vinegar, its very acidic and can remove colour especially on chesterfield type leather, as a leather technician I’ve lost count the amount of times I’ve had to rescue clients sofas because they’ve stripped the colour off using a white vinegar combo!

BAKING SODA
Baking soda maybe great for stains and absorbing bad odours on fabrics and carpets, but on leather the soda texture can be quite abrasive, and once the leather skin absorbs the minute granules it can be aggressive against the leather grain causing subtle damage, remember you can’t rinse baking soda out of leather.

TIME
You can just leave the leather over time as sometimes mild smells can sometimes eventually fade away. The issue you’ll have with strong smells is they can sometimes absorb in to the inner foam padding and the leather isn’t actually responsible for holding on to the bad odour.

METHOD 2: PROFESSIONAL PRODUCTS
Alternatively in my opinion as an experienced leather technician I advise to purchase professional products do the job.

1. CLEAN THE LEATHER
Firstly use a very mild solution of ant-bacterial cleaner, wipe over the surface gentle and evenly, the anti-bacterial formulation will help to kill off the odour causing bacteria breeding in your leather.

2. ODOUR REMOVER SPECIALLY FORMULATED FOR LEATHER
These have ingredients that are safe to use on leather and are formulated with a strong fragrance that the leather will absorb and hold resulting in the nasty niff being eliminated.

2. LEATHER CONDITIONER
After cleansing a refreshing the leather you really need to hydrate it to prevent the leather from drying out. We supply an amazing leather conditioner based on a luxury scent which provides a gorgeous smell to your leather, it simply wipes on and no polishing or buffing is needed.

Purchase our odour remover kit