Too much exposure to sunlight can lead to the fading and drying of your leather furniture. It is important to know that while leather wear and tear cannot be avoided, leather sun damage can.
Fading and drying are two of the most common problems that are caused by the exposure of sunlight.
Fading is commonly found on semi-aniline and aniline leathers. This is a common problem with these types of leather, particularly when your furniture is placed next to a window that gets a considerable amount of sunlight. If your furniture is exposed to the sun for just four to six months, you will start to notice the effects of fading on semi-aniline and aniline leather furniture.
Sun can cause drying to occur on almost any type of leather as sunlight slowly evaporates the natural oils in the leather. When the leather gets dry, it will stiffen and begin to crack.
Below are some simple steps that you can take to prevent leather sun damage occurring to your furniture.
Keeping your leather furniture shaded and out of direct sunlight is the simplest way to prevent leather sun damage and avoid drying and cracking. However, if you cannot move your furniture to a shaded part of your home, you should close the blinds/curtains throughout the hottest part of the day. Additionally, you should not use dark colours to cover your leather furniture, as dark colours absorb more light. You can also apply commercial tinting film to your windows to block ultraviolet rays as UV rays cause the most damage to leather.
You should move your furniture away from heat sources, like high-intensity lamps, radiators or fireplaces. Long term exposure to heat sources can also lead to drying and cracking.
Use a good-quality leather conditioner on your leather furniture every 6 to 12 months. Regular cleaning and conditioning can really help prevent leather sun damage. Always check the care label on the furniture before using any commercial product or consult a professional cleaning and restoration company.
Call us on 1800 00 1010 for more information on our leather cleaning services.