Why is My Leather Upholstery Peeling?

Leather is a popular choice for upholstery because it provides superior quality furniture, looks classier than other fabrics and gets more comfortable with age. After dyeing leather, the colour gets absorbed into the fabric, which means that it does not fade with time and age. However, if you want your leather upholstery to serve you for decades, you will still need to give it a lot of proper care and maintenance. Leather maintenance starts with simple processes such as cleaning and polishing, and when not done right, the material peels. Here are common reasons your leather might start peeling, and how to deal with them.

Using the Wrong Products to Clean it

When leather is processed and polished to make upholstery, it is treated with sealants to keep out moisture and prevent staining. These sealants tend to have a negative reaction when exposed to certain cleaning chemicals. Some cleaning chemicals break down the selant, which gives your leather upholstery a cracked appearance. It is advisable to check all your upholstery cleaning products to ensure that they are safe to use on leather. If you are not sure about certain cleaning products, consult professional cleaners to do the work for you. 

Poor Maintenance

Cleaning leather is just part of the maintenance practices that help maintain its shape and glory. Natural leather is a lot like skin. If you deny it oil and moisture, it will eventually start cracking. During the processing, the natural protein leather is replaced by tanning agents. You, therefore, need to keep oiling the leather upholstery to prevent the top layer from drying up and cracking. Professional leather upholstery cleaners know the products to use to prevent cracks from forming.

Buying Low-Grade Leather

Leather is popular and durable, which makes it one of the most expensive alternatives for upholstery. Upholstery suppliers, therefore, offer low-grade, bonded leather because it offers the same elegance that quality leather does. The only downside to bonded leather is that it is made from recycled leather scraps which are stuck together with glue before getting a PVC overlay. When cleaning bonded leather, you need to remember that it has a PVC overlay, and care for it the way that you would care for PVC based upholstery. Regular polishing after cleaning will also help maintain bonded leather.

Caring for leather upholstery is a continuous process. When experts handle it, the durability of your leather is enhanced, and your house stays elegant for decades. Investing in professional leather upholstery cleaning is, therefore, worth the cost.


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