A few months ago, I wondered if I could clean my leather furniture with soap and water. Like everyone else, I love my leather furniture, and I want to take care of them properly so that they last longer and serve me for years. So, I did some research on if I can clean leather furniture with soap and water. Let’s check out what I have found!
You can clean leather furniture with soap and water, but you have to make sure the soap is mild in nature. If the soap is strong then, it will remove the natural oil content of leather, which will promote cracks on the leather surface if not conditioned well. Also, try not to make the leather surface too wet.
If you need more information on cleaning leather furniture with soap and water, you’ve come to the right place. I’ll even talk about the pros and cons of cleaning leather furniture with soap and water, so you won’t want to miss it.
Is it OK to Clean Leather with Soap and Water?
Yes, it is absolutely fine to clean leather with soap and water. Soap and water work really well as a general cleaner of leather.
You can use dishwashing liquid soap or saddle soap to clean your leather furniture. But as the dishwashing soap is actually stronger than saddle soap, you have to dilute it properly.
The soap and water solution should not contain more than 1/5th part of the soap. That means you have to use 1 part soap and 5 part water if you want to clean leather with dishwashing soap.
However, saddle soap is prepared to clean leather with balanced pH. So, you don’t have to worry about diluting the saddle soap properly.
What Happens if You Wash Leather with Soap and Water?
When you wash leather with soap and water, the soap reacts with the dirt, oils, and greases on the leather surface and forms fecal matter particles by forming micelles.
The dirt and oil particles get suspended in the water rather than sticking to the surface of the leather.
So, when you wash leather with soap and water, the dirt and natural oils on the leather surface get suspended on the water, and your leather material becomes dirt-free.
Also, it depletes the amount of natural oil content of the leather. This can develop cracks if you don’t condition it properly afterward using a leather conditioner.
However, saddle soap contains a leather moisturizer that actually combines different natural oils and restores the natural oil content to prevent cracks.
How to Clean Leather Furniture with Soap and Water?
You can clean leather furniture with soap and water using the steps below:
- Firstly, Vacuum the leather furniture to remove the loose dirt and debris.
- Then, make a mixture of liquid soap (can be dishwashing or handwashing soap). In the mixture, you have to mix 1 part of soap and five parts of water in a bowl.
- After that, take a soft cloth and dip it into the soapy mixture. Before applying it to the leather, twist the cloth to remove excess water from it.
- Now, wipe the cloth on the leather surface. Keep wiping until all the dirt comes off. In the dirty places, go a little aggressive on the stains. But wipe gently on other places. It is better to clean the whole leather furniture at once. Don’t just clean a part of it.
- Take another clean cloth and soak it in fresh water and wipe the whole furniture again.
- If there is excess water on the surface of the leather, wipe it off as well.
- Now, let your leather furniture dry overnight, and your furniture is completely clean. If you think the leather looks dull, you can rejuvenate the leather with a leather conditioner.
However, if you use saddle soap to clean your leather furniture, it is okay if you don’t condition it afterward as it contains natural oils, which will make your leather softer.
If you want to know how you can clean your leather furniture with a saddle more effectively, check out this article: Can you Clean Leather Furniture with Saddle Soap?
What are the Benefits of Cleaning Leather Furniture with Soap and Water?
There are a few benefits of washing your leather furniture with soap and water. They are as follows:
- You don’t need to buy a separate leather cleaner which saves you a few bucks.
- Soap and water turn out to be an effective leather cleaner.
- Washing the whole furniture with soap and water makes its color more uniform and noticeably darker.
What Are the Downsides of Cleaning Leather Furniture with Soap and Water?
- If the soap is not mild, it will deplete the natural oil content of the leather surface.
- Using a powerful soap might also make the leather hard and force the leather surface to develop peeling and cracks.
What is the Best Soap for Cleaning Leather?
Saddle soap is considered to be the best soap for cleaning leather. Experts recommend using saddle soap on leather as it is developed to be used particularly for leather cleaning.
Besides, the pH of saddle soap is balanced, and it also contains good cleaning agents and moisturizers, which will help you to clean, preserve and soften your leather furniture.
How Often Should You Clean Your Leather Furniture?
You should clean your leather furniture regularly. Vacuum it regularly to remove external dust that sits on the surface of the furniture.
And if you find the leather is getting dirty or has some stains on it, you can use saddle soap to clean off those stains.
Also, if you use leather furniture outdoors, it is more likely to get dirty. For this reason you might need it to clean more frequently.
Related Contents:
Is Dove soap good for cleaning leather?
Dove soaps are good for cleaning leather furniture and other leather products as well because of their mild nature. You can make a solution of dove soap and water. Wipe it on the surface of the leather with a piece of cloth to clean the leather. After cleaning, wipe it with a dry cloth.
How do you Clean Leather Furniture with Dove Soap?
To clean leather furniture with dove soap. First, create a soapy solution with water in a bowl. Then, take a soft piece of clothes and damp it using the mixture of dove soap and water. Wipe it on the stains or dirt. The stains are persistent; wipe aggressively. After that, use a clean cloth to get rid of the residuals.
What is the Best Thing to Clean a Leather Furniture?
It is always better to use a dedicated leather cleaner that has a pH of 5.5 to 6. Most liquid leather cleaners on the market maintain that pH.
You can check out my recommended Lexol leather cleaner on amazon by clicking here.
What Household Products Can You Use to Clean Leather Furniture?
You can use the following household products to clean leather furniture:
- Dove Soap and water
- Dishwashing soap and water
- Vinegar Solution
- Rubbing alcohol (to remove marker and ink stains)
- Olive oil
- Coconut oil
Before You Go:
You can clean your leather furniture with soap and water. But try to use mild ones only. Don’t use detergents as they are powerful cleaning agents.
Also, from my experience, I would say saddle soap will give you better results than any other soap out there. If you want to purchase saddle soap for cleaning your leather furniture, you can check it out on Amazon by clicking here. It costs only a few bucks.
Thanks for reading! Before you go, take a minute and check out our article, Can you Clean Leather Furniture with Saddle Soap?
