Simple Ways To Protect Your Dark Leather Decor From Fading

Few choices achieve a sophisticated oasis in your home quite like classic leather pieces. Dark leather, in particular, simply oozes refined elegance and traditional charm while offering an unmatched luxurious feel. Being a natural material, though, leather is known to fade over time. If you're worried that your once rich, bold, and deep-colored leather will start to show wear, you're not alone. The good news is that there are simple solutions to keep your luxe pieces looking their best and protect your dark leather decor from fading. 

But why does leather fade in the first place? Natural leather is more susceptible to damage from the environment than its synthetic counterparts. This is especially true when it comes to changes in light, moisture, or cleaning habits. This organic material is a valuable investment that's worth protecting, so it's important to know how to care for it and protect it from elements that will lead to fading and other damage. So, let's talk about some simple steps you can take to maintain that rich color and keep your leather looking like new for years to come.

The most damaging elements to leather are sunlight, heat, humidity fluctuations, and spills. UV rays and heat dry out real leather, depleting the natural oils that preserve the material. This causes the colors to fade and can even lead to cracking in your gorgeous leather upholstery. Dark leather often gets its rich color from special leather dyes that tend to leave the leather even more porous than normal. For this reason, dyed leather absorbs moisture in the air (and from spills) faster than other materials. When excess humidity occurs around leather, the material soaks it up, and the leather's natural oils react with the moisture, leading to discoloration. Excess moisture can dilute the dyes or shift the color around in the material.

To protect your dark leather from fading, take a few simple preventative steps. If the room your leather pieces live in gets a lot of natural light, for example, close your curtains or blinds during peak daytime hours to block direct sunlight from reaching the leather. You can also use furniture covers during these hours, or rearrange your furniture to keep the leather out of the direct sunlight. If your home is either too dry or humid when you check the humidity levels in your home, run a humidifier or dehumidifier to get the levels to leather's happy moisture place of 30 to 50% humidity. Finally, be sure to immediately clean up and treat any spills that occur on your leather to prevent discoloration and other damage.

Using cleaning methods for leather regularly helps remove grime and maintain the material's natural oils. However, there are some specific cleaning techniques you should employ, and you shouldn't use just any old cleaner. Many cleaning chemicals can damage leather. First, you should regularly vacuum your leather pieces to get rid of dust and debris without introducing any moisture. When cleaning stuck-on grime or spills, always use a leather cleaning product that's specially formulated for your type of leather. These products ensure that dirt and grime are removed from the leather without damaging or discoloring the material. Also, you should avoid saturating the material, using only a small amount of liquid to dampen the cleaning cloth. This gets the cleaning done without causing harm to the leather due to excess moisture.

One preventative care practice you don't want to forget with dark leather furniture is conditioning. Leather conditioners are formulated to soak into leather easily and lubricate the material's fibers to maintain that natural softness and flexibility. When it's not conditioned a few times every year, leather loses its natural oils, leading to rigidity, cracks, and even fading. A good-quality leather conditioner maintains the deep hue of your leather and even adds a layer of protection from moisture and spills. With a proactive routine of protection, cleaning, and conditioning, you can keep your gorgeous dark leather furniture looking vibrant and rich in color for years to come.