Upholstery Care Please note that some leathers need particular care. To identify different leather types see how to tell

Routine Cleaning Vacuum leather carefully with a suitable brush attachment to remove dust, crumbs, etc. Dampen a clean dry cloth with a solution of mild soap and water and wring it out well. To avoid leaving marks moisten the entire surface evenly and lightly. Allow to dry naturally. Don't use a hairdryer or apply direct heat.	Routine Care Don't leave furniture in full sun for long periods. Avoid direct heat from fires and radiators which can dry out and distort the leather.	Spillages Blot excess liquid immediately with a clean absorbent cloth or sponge. Gently wipe the spill with clear lukewarm water, cleaning the entire area where the spill occurred. Dry with a clean cloth and then allow to dry naturally. Don't use a hairdryer or apply direct heat.

Before cleaning upholstery it is important to establish which type finish has been applied to its surface. This is particularly necessary in the case of a true aniline leather where the application of certain proprietary products could lead to blotchiness due to irregular take up by the hide itself. For help identifying leather types see how to tell.

Cleaning is perhaps given too much emphasis, as leather furniture in a normal domestic environment should require little attention and any cleaning should be done only when necessary. It is not essential to the life of a leather that it should be cleaned frequently, but an accumulation of dirt and grease over a period of time is undesirable and the longer it is left, the more difficult it will be to remove.

Routine cleaning can be done simply by using a damp cloth, taking care not to soak the leather. Modern leathers do not require to be ‘fed’ and therefore the temptation to apply saddle soap or wax polishes should be avoided. Avoid any spray polishes not specifically recommended for upholstered leather. There are proprietary hide ‘foods' on the market. These strictly speaking are not ‘foods’ at all but merely neutral creams or waxes designed to assist the cleaning and which mainly help to restore the original sheen and feel to the leather.

Such treatments are designed to be applied using a soft cloth. The cloth should not be rubbed hard over the leather but applied gently over the grain. Other manufacturers may advocate a spray cleaner for their leather and the user should always follow the spraying instructions. Application once a year of these preparations is quite sufficient for most leather furniture in domestic use.

Where cleaning and maintenance instructions are given it is essential to follow these and use only the recommended cleaners/polishes when these are given.

Don't use a cleaning fluid that does not specifically state that it can be used on leather. Many of these cleaners have a high alkaline content and can be particularly harmful. Note that the methods for cleaning shoe leather do not necessarily apply to upholstery leather.

The best procedure to follow is to wring out a soft cloth in soap suds (mild toilet soap or a small squirt of washing up liquid to a pint of water) and apply to the surface of the leather in a light circular motion until the dirty parts are clean then repeat the procedure with clean water. A proprietary hide food or cleaner may then be applied. It is not advisable to apply a hide food to a leather which has not been cleaned with a damp cloth first as any residual dirt can have an abrasive effect on the leather.