Leather Care & Cleaning

With proper care and normal use, Townsend’s leathers require little maintenance.

Leather is a natural product, and when treated appropriately, leather will outlast all other upholstery materials, but sometimes life happens and we need to take a more specific and focused approach to care for the leather.

These guidelines can help you deal with common spills or leather concerns, but you should always start by doing the least aggressive approach first. Leather is forgiving, but should be treated with care and respect. If you feel that something is beyond your abilities, please contact the experts at The Leather Institute for their expert consultation and services.

View and Download the full set of care and cleaning guidelines here

QUICK REFERENCE FOR FULL HIDES / UNUPHOLSTERED LEATHER – ALL TYPES

Care for your unupholstered hides by letting them breathe, keeping them free of dust and sun, and following the guidelines here:

REMOVE FROM BOX: Remove leather from the shipping box immediately after receiving.

STORAGE:

Do not store leather under hot and humid conditions
Do not store leather in areas with exposure to direct sunlight
Do not store leather in areas with exposure to atmosphere where air contains reactive chemical fumes such as sulfur dioxide, ammonia, or others
Do not store leather in cold draughts below 32 degrees
Do not store leather in the shipment box
Place leather in a room-temperature, non-humid place, free of direct sunlight and chemical fumes
Drape the leather over a “horse”, a rack, a hanging post or it can be laid flat
50-70° F and relative humidity 25% to 65% = ideal for leather storage
Move leather from box and ensure the leather is flat without any folded, tucked, or bent areas
Leave the leather for 3 – 5 days before beginning work
Stacked leather grain to flesh with the grain side up
Stack only 40-50 hides per stack
Stack only common colors together

ROTATE: Rotate the hides by re-piling them every 30-45 days

ROLL GRAIN OUT: If hides are opened and then later repackaged (for shipping purposes only), please be sure to roll hides with grain side out.

Townsend Leather is a natural product fully chrome-tanned and ideally fat-liquored for long durability under normal use. Occasional routine maintenance will help preserve its beauty and prolong its life. Proper cleaning techniques and materials are important.

Never use saddle soap, solvents, abrasives or caustic household cleaners, soaps or dish detergents. These vary widely in strength and in compatibility with today’s water-based leather finishes, and may cause damage to the leather surface.

Avoid direct sources of heat and extended exposure to sunlight which may be harmful to leather.

See Townsend Leather’s storage policy for more information, available at www.townsendleather.com/important

Contact The Leather Institute for expert guidance, products, and services at info@leatherinstitute.com

QUICK REFERENCE FOR UPHOLSTERED LEATHER – ALL TYPES

Care for ALL LEATHER by keeping it free of dust and direct sun, being mindful of the products you use on it, and following the guidelines here:

Never use any high-pH cleaner
Never use any cleaners that contain abrasives
Never use any cleaners that contain alcohol
Never use any cleaners that contain Butyl Cellosolve
Never use any strong solvent
Never use any saddle soap
Never use any mink oil or wax
Never use any furniture polish
Never use any glass cleaner
Never use any household cleaners such as soap or dish detergent

Townsend Leather recommends using The Leather Institute’s products and services

Avoid direct sources of heat and extended exposure to sunlight
Dust periodically with a clean cloth
Vacuum with a non-rotating suction brush
In most cases, leather surfaces can be cleaned by using a soft, clean, white Terry Cloth rag dampened with a Leather Cleaner.
Cleaner should never be sprayed directly onto the leather, apply the cleaner to the leather with a cotton rag. Use moderate pressure, clean in a circular motion.
Never scrub the leather or use excessive force in an attempt to clean the leather.
Allow the leather to air dry.

PRODUCT TYPE-SPECIFIC INFORMATION, ADVANCED TECHNIQUES, & STAIN REMOVAL:

All Townsend Leather’s care and Cleaning Guidelines information in a single PDF

Advanced Cleaning Technique

Specific Stain Removal

QUICK REFERENCE PAGES FOR EACH PRODUCT TYPE:

FULL DETAIL PDFS FOR EACH PRODUCT TYPE: