Leather Sofa Care, Types Of Leather & Leather Production

 Leather sofas have become increasingly popular over recent years. They offer comfort, quality and class. Alongside this, the number of faux leather sofas has also increased. Often they are a far cheaper option, however the quality of the material is not comparable with proper leather.

Buying a leather sofa should be viewed as an investment - buy carefully and you could have a sofa which will last for upwards of ten years.

How is leather produced?

Leather is made by tanning and finishing of hides and skins which are a by-product of mainly domestic animals. With regards to leather sofas in particular, due to the sizeable pieces of leather which are required, cow hide is preferred.

Each leather is different and it reflects the grazing habits of the animal, as well as the climate in which it was raised. Such distinctions give the leather character.

Aniline Leather

Leather absorbs dyes in different ways causing slight variations in shade from skin to skin. This contributes to the rich effects noticeable on the more expensive 'aniline' leathers. 'Aniline' is a type of dye and is generally used to describe the greater proportion of dye used on higher grade leathers to allow the natural grain to appear without showing too many defects. Lower grade leathers need more pigment (paint) to cover obvious defects.

A key attraction to leather based products is that they are easy to clean - most spillages and stains can be easily cleaned away. However, for those with children, we recommend regular leathers as opposed to aniline leathers.

Please click to learn more about leather sofas, leather and leather care.