Leather and the Sun don’t go well together. If exposed to too much sunlight there might be a possibility of it fading or drying out or both.

Fading is generally seen in aniline and semi-aniline leathers. It is rarer in top quality finished leathers that come with a protective cover. This is the most common problem that we see. If the Sofa is kept somewhere near the window, the effects can be seen in as little as 4-5 months.

On the other hand, Drying is something that the sun will do to any kind of leather irrespective of whether it has a protective layer or not. The sunlight slowly evaporates the moisture present in the leather’s natural oils. This eventually leads to stiffening and cracking of the material. 

Now the big question arises ”How do I prevent sun damage to my leather?”

Here are a few things that you can follow to protect your leather sofa and upholstered chairs from the wrath of the sun.

Prevention from Drying

One of the best ways to prevent drying of fully finished aniline and semi-aniline, leathers is to clean them 3-4 times a year. Cleaning and protecting hold the key to how long does your leather last. Another good idea is to keep the furniture out of Direct Sunlight. Irrespective of how much cleaning and protecting you do if your sofa is placed in the direct sunlight you are just inviting trouble. Dark colors tend to absorb more light and heat, so if possible try avoiding choosing dark-colored leather. 

Prevention from fading

As stated earlier, fading mainly affects aniline and semi-aniline leathers. The best way is to keep the furniture out of direct sunlight. Try to close the blind tips during the hottest part of the day. People usually put their furniture in the sunlight because they feel that it shines. What they don’t realize is that it is slowing killing the very look that they are going after. It is recommended that you fully finish you leather because that increases the durability and resistance to fading.  

What if your goods are already damaged?

Fixing faded leather

Once the leather has faded, the only way to get the color back is to re-dye the material that matches with the previous color. The cost varies depending on the size of the damaged area and the extent of the problem. The best thing to do is to replace the complete leather. It is much cheaper and hassle free. Sofa Clinic clinic offers a wide range of leather textiles that can help you choose the right color that matches your choice.  

Fixing dried leather

One of the most commonly asked FAQ’s is “Can a dried leather be rehydrated?”

The answer most certainly is NO! Once the natural oils in the leather have evaporated nothing can be done. This is why taking care of your leathered goods are very important.  Re-hydrating it is almost an impossible affair. Your best shot is to re-dye it. Once re-dyed it is almost impossible to notice the difference.

General Advice

Do not try to re-hydrate your sofa with any kind of oil such as olive oil because leather being extremely porous material will soak up any oil. It is seen that when popcorn is spilled on a sofa, a stain is left behind. This is because it even absorbs popcorn grease. People who regularly oil their hair are advised to take care when they use the sofa. The oil generally gets soaked into the back side of the leather the part we can’t see. This eventually saturates the border areas. Once the oil saturates, you’ll end up with oil spots on your surface. This a much harder problem to solve than dried out leather.