I am a huge fan of leather furniture. From smoking chairs to book cases, there are some beautiful pieces that radiate elegance and regality. That being said, leather furniture requires a little more care than other pieces and I am here to teach you about that process.

You may think that leather furniture need to be polished in the same way that a pair of leather dress shoes should be polished. You’re thinking on the right track but you’re just a little off. You don’t want to polish those wood book cases and then realize that your first edition Steinbeck has black edges now. Okay let’s be real. None of us have a first edition Steinbeck and, if we did, we wouldn’t be tending to our own furniture maintenance. We would easily hire someone else to make sure our built-in book cases were in perfect order and repair.

What you want to get is a conditioning solution like Lexol. This is a combination of oils and essences that keep the leather soft and supple while not disturbing or changing the color of the hide. You want that whiskey colored lounger to keep matching you drink and you don’t want it to transfer that color to your clothes. That’s why we use conditioner and not polish.

First, apply a liberal amount of the conditioner to the leather and rub it in with a soft cloth. You don’t want to scratch the top grain leather and start it down the path of destruction. Make sure that every surface if moistened. If some gets on the wood you need not worry. The conditioner won’t damage the wood and is actually quite good for it. Then you need to let the conditioner soak in. Leave it alone for about 30 minutes to let the leather absorb that conditioner. Then wipe the entire thing down with a nice and soft, dry cloth.

This procedure will help to keep your leather looking beautiful and prevent the cracking that ruins so man beautiful pieces. Just a little care can prevent losing an heirloom piece or make that custom chair you commissioned survive you and many generations to come.