We all know that vinegar is an effective cleaning agent. You might have used vinegar to clean the greased stovetop or steelpan in your kitchen. Vinegar can be used to clean a lot of stuff.
However, you might be wondering, can it be used to clean leather furniture as well, and is it actually safe for your leather furniture? If YES, then this article is for you. I will discuss in this article if you should clean your leather furniture with vinegar or not.
Vinegar is safe to clean leather materials if diluted with equal amounts of water and then used to clean the leather material of the furniture. Cleaning leather with the vinegar solution can soften the leather very well and even make it brighter.
White vinegar is extremely inexpensive. Its solution with water is proven to be safe & good cleaner for leather material. But it can be harmful to the leather material of your furniture if you do not dilute it with equal amounts of water.
In this article, I am going to discuss the proper way following which you can clean your leather furniture properly. Also, there are many types of vinegar that might raise many questions, like which one you should use for the best results. So, to know more about the topic, keep reading!!
How Does Vinegar Work as a Cleaner?
Vinegar is actually an aqua solution of acetic acid. It typically contains five to eight percent of acetic acid, little flavoring, and the rest is water.
The acetic acid is prepared in the laboratory through the fermentation process. It is usually fermented from ethanol or different sugars.
It has a pH level of 2.5. For the acidic property, vinegar is widely used for cleaning purposes.
Vinegar is also great for cleaning different appliances made of stainless steel, windows, mirrors, kitchen materials, as well as different furniture and clothes.
The acidic nature of vinegar makes it a good cleaner or cleaning agent. The acidity present in vinegar can react with dirt, brines, icky buildups, glues and dissolve them away. This is how vinegar works as a cleaning agent.
What type of Vinegar is Best for Cleaning Leather Furniture?
You will find different types of vinegar in the market. The commonly known ones are as follows:
- White vinegar
- Wine vinegar
- Apple cider vinegar
- Rice vinegar
Among different types of vinegars, white vinegar is the best for cleaning leather furniture. It’s stronger and inexpensive than other types of vinegar as well.
However, many people also use apple cider vinegar for cleaning purposes as well. Apple cider vinegar is made from apple cider, rice vinegar is made from rice, and wine vinegar is made from grapes that are used to make wines.
Among all the vinegar, the most acidic one is white vinegar. Unlike other types of vinegar, this one is prepared in the lab from acetic acid.
Apple cider vinegar can be used for cleaning leather as this is a mild cleaning agent.
But I think using diluted white vinegar is better to clean leather furniture as white vinegar is cheaper than other types of vinegar. [Source]
Does Vinegar Ruin Leather?
Vinegar is not that strong of acid. It will not ruin the leather. But as I have noted earlier, white vinegar is comparatively stronger than other types of vinegar. So, it can make the leather material dry.
For this, I recommend mixing 50% water with white vinegar and applying the solution to clean any leather material.
This means, if you take 50 ml of vinegar, mix 50 ml of water to prepare a cleaning solution. Apple cider vinegar can be used directly on leather as it is milder than white vinegar.
How to Clean Leather Furniture with Vinegar?
- Prepare Vinegar Solution: Mix one part vinegar with one part water.
- Use a Soft Cloth: Take a soft cloth and pour the vinegar solution on it.
- Wipe on the stain: Gently wipe on the parts of the leather furniture, rub it harder if the stain is persistent and then let it dry.
If you are unsure and concerned about using vinegar for the first time on your leather furniture, then first try it on small areas.
Other Things to Clean with Vinegar:
1. Glass:
You can make your homemade glass cleaner by mixing 2 part vinegar with one part water. Just spray The vinegar solution on a glass surface and wipe it with a soft cloth.
2. Faucets & Showerheads:
You can get rid of calcium deposits on faucets and hard water stains on showerheads using vinegar and salt.
Mix 2 tablespoons of vinegar & 1 tablespoon of salt, and you can use the solution to clean faucets and showerheads.
3. Toilet Bowls:
Pour two cups of white vinegar into the toilet bowl and keep it for around three hours. Then use a toilet brush to scrub and flush water. This will eliminate the rings around the bowl as it will also deodorize the toilet.
4. Countertops:
You can use vinegar to clean and disinfect countertops after preparing foods. Vinegar can also remove bad odors from countertops as well.
5. Ceramic Tile Floors:
Vinegar can also be used as floor cleaners. But it should not be used on hardwood floors. Add half a cup of vinegar to one gallon of water to clean ceramic tile floors.
6. Laundry:
Add 1 cup of white vinegar to the wash cycle. This will easily remove odor and stains from your fabric.
7. Appliances like Microwave:
Pour ½ cup of vinegar and 1 cup of water in a bowl. Then heat it inside the microwave for a couple of minutes. This will loosen the hard stains inside the microwave, and you will be able to clean it easily.
8. Carpets:
You can use vinegar to clean carpets. Besides, the pungent smell of vinegar will also keep your pets away from the carpet. Vinegar is also used to remove cat or dog urine from carpet.
9. Windows & Mirrors:
A vinegar solution can be used to clean the windows and your mirrors as well. Make a vinegar solution and wipe with a piece of cloth or newspaper to clean. [Source]
Things Not to Clean With Vinegar:
1. Granite or Marble made Materials:
Vinegar should not be used on marble or granite. The acid within the vinegar can damage granite and marble stones. Use natural stone cleaners to clean them instead. You can check out my favorite one on amazon here.
2. Hardwood & Natural Stone Floors:
Vinegar can leave marks on hardwood floors, and more importantly, it will dissolve the finish. Also, it can diminish the luster of natural stone floors.
3. Digital Screens:
Don’t clean digital screens like monitors or touchscreen mobile phones with vinegar. This is a bad idea. It might ruin the coating on the screen.
Related Questions:
Can You Use White Vinegar On The Leather Couch?
White vinegar is the regular vinegar that we use for cleaning leather furniture. So, you can use white vinegar on a leather couch.
However, properly dilute the white vinegar with the water to create an appropriate solution to clean the leather. Using vinegar directly can affect your leather.
What Is The Best Thing to Clean Leather With?
The best thing to clean leather is obviously a dedicated leather cleaner like Leather cleaner from Leather honey. It has the perfect pH for leather material.
You can check it out on Amazon by clicking here.
Can You Put Apple Cider Vinegar On Leather?
You can put apple cider vinegar on leather, use one part apple cider with one part water to mix the solution. For example, to get an appropriate solution; you can mix 50 ml apple cider vinegar with 50 ml of water.
Conclusion:
There you go! Vinegar is a good cleaner for your leather furniture. Use it to clean your favorite leather couches and chairs. As I have noted many times, use a diluted white vinegar solution for the purpose.
As I have noted many times, use a diluted white vinegar solution for the purpose. If you want to buy white vinegar, you find it in any physical store or buy it online from Amazon.
Hopefully, this article has given you the information you were looking for. Thanks for reading!
