Care · 5 min · 9 October 2026
How to Clean a Leather Sofa
Most leather damage comes from neglect rather than accidents. Ten minutes a month of dusting, blotting and twice-yearly conditioning keeps a hide supple for decades.
The short answer
Dust weekly with a dry cloth, wipe with a barely damp one, blot spills rather than wiping them, and condition thinly twice a year. Never use alcohol, solvents, bleach, saddle soap or all-purpose cleaners.
Leather is skin, and it responds to what skin responds to: dust, the oils from hands, dry air and sunlight. Most leather damage is not caused by accidents but by slow neglect over a year or two, a gradual loss of the oils that keep the surface supple. The routine that prevents it takes about ten minutes a month.
What you actually need
Two soft cloths, one dry and one barely damp; a pH-neutral leather cleaner; a conditioner or protectant suited to the hide's finish; and a soft brush for seams. Nothing else. No household spray, no wipes containing alcohol or solvent, no shoe polish. Always follow the care guidance that came with the piece, because an aniline finish and a pigmented one are cleaned the same way but conditioned differently.
The weekly minute
Dust lifts with a dry microfibre cloth, working along the seams and into the crease between seat and back where grit collects. Grit is what abrades a hide: fine dust under a sitting body acts like sandpaper. Vacuum the crevices with a brush attachment on low suction, then wipe the whole surface with a barely damp cloth and let it dry naturally.
Spills: the first two minutes
Blot, do not wipe. A wiping motion spreads a spill across the surface and pushes it into the grain. Press a dry cloth onto the liquid and hold it until it stops drawing. Water-based spills such as tea, milk and juice usually lift completely. Oil and grease want a light sprinkle of absorbent powder, left for a few hours, then brushed away.
Ink, denim and sunscreen
Ballpoint ink should be dealt with at once, using a pH-neutral cleaner on a cloth and working from the outside of the mark inwards. Anything stubborn is a specialist job rather than a household experiment. New dark denim can transfer dye onto a light hide, which is one reason to wash jeans before sitting in them. Sunscreen and insect repellent are the most common causes of permanent staining on light leather, so wash hands before you touch the sofa.
What never to use
Alcohol, acetone, bleach, ammonia, saddle soap, kitchen spray and anything sold as a multi-surface cleaner. These strip the finish and leave a patch that will not take conditioner evenly. Water alone is safe in small amounts; a soaked hide is not.
Conditioning, twice a year
Apply a thin layer with a soft cloth, leave it for the time the product states, then buff away the excess. Thin is the whole point: a heavy layer leaves a hide tacky and attracts dust. Do it in autumn and spring, when heating goes on and off, because dry indoor air is what makes leather crack at the seams.
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