Dust leather couches and all other leather furniture with a dry cloth and give them a monthly application of a leather conditioner or similar leather-cleaning product to keep the material soft and moisturized. It'll also help keep cracks, stains and other discoloration from setting in.
Mix 1 cup white vinegar, 1/2 cup coconut oil or EVOO, 1 tsp dish soap, and ten drops of an essential oil. This amount will do a chair of this size. Wipe on and wipe off with a clean cloth. I tried it in a spray bottle and dipped the cloth into the blend.
Since leather is such a delicate material, a lot of household cleaners we normally use to keep tidy can actually cause harm to this material. Be sure to avoid these products when cleaning your leather: Baking soda, white vinegar, cream of tartar, and lemon juice.
Mix two cups of warm water, a tablespoon of natural baby soap and a splash of vinegar in a bowl. Use a microfiber cloth to rub the conditioning mixture into the leather, making sure not to soak the area. Simply moisten the leather and leave the conditioner on the furniture.
Vaseline can be used for softening leather. Before applying Vaseline to leather, start by dabbing a small cotton pad with rubbing alcohol over the leather surface. You'll want to dab each section of the surface until it starts to shine. Try to make the shine even across the entire surface.
Dissolve one part washing-up liquid in five parts lukewarm water. Using a soft, lint-free, white cloth, dab with the solution. Don't wet too much. Leave for a few minutes and wipe off.
Apply a dime-sized amount of designated leather conditioner (like mink oil) to a soft cloth (microfiber is best but not necessary). Avoid using DIY leather care products, like olive oil or coconut oil, which can potentially harm your item. Begin rubbing the clean leather in circular motions with the cloth.
Olive oil, and every oily substance for that matter, will not “nourish” your leather, but actually accelerate its deterioration. Leather is extremely permeable, and will soak up any oils you put on it. When oil first saturates leather, it seeps to the back—to the part you can't see.
Neatsfoot oil, lanolin, almond oil, and mink oil are best for softening your leather. All of these are natural oils that moisturize leather, keeping it from drying and cracking. The fats in these natural oils will deeply moisturize the hide in leather products. Use neatsfoot oil for quick fixes.
Leather creams — provide moisture with the least change in color and are great for aniline leathers. Leather oils — Natural oils like lanolin and neatsfoot can help soften leather. Leather waxes — Waxes don't moisturize as well, but they do provide more waterproofing.
This may sound surprising, but vinegar can work wonders on leather. If the stain is older, tougher, and the leather is more durable, grab a cleaning cloth and dampen it thoroughly with white vinegar, then gently rub the stained area.
Our Best Overall choice for a comprehensive leather repair kit is FORTIVO's Leather and Vinyl Repair Kit. It contains everything you need to repair small scratches or tears, as well as recondition abused leather furniture, car seats, and apparel.
You may get darker leather if you use coconut oil, albeit temporarily. But what it's best known for is leaving a spotty, patch-like appearance to the leather and sticky feeling. Treating leather with coconut oil does have a few upsides: it will soften the leather and provide a thin layer of waterproof protection.
The best oil to use on a leather couch is likely Lexol. Leather couches see a lot of “traffic”, thus it's important that an oil is used that will absorb deeply without being sticky or tacky. Heavier oils can pose those issues, while lighter oils such as Lexol will go on smooth and not leave residue on the surface.
Out of all the leather oils we sampled, mink oil showed the best result, removing surface scratches and subtly darkening the tone of the leather for a uniform finish. In addition, mink oil is a natural leather softener, provides temporary waterproof resistance and improves flexibility by lubricating cracked fibres.