A Yorkshire based furniture company has looked at which rooms of the house we prefer to put our time and effort into cleaning, finding that the living room is the place we’d prefer to spend time. They have shared a few hacks to keep your leather sofa clean and in good condition.
Every home needs a big clean at least once a year and historically spring was the time for this as days get longer and warmer. This was the chance to clear out all the dust and dirt accumulated over the dark and dingy winter months. March and April are still renowned as being the Spring Cleaning months even though it’s not quite so necessary now.
A survey carried out by Yorkshire based handmade furniture company Distinctive Chesterfields of 1002 people looked into cleaning habits in the UK, asking people: “Which room of the house do you hate to clean the most?” This revealed that most people prefer to spend time and effort cleaning the living room, as this is the room in the house that guests and visitors will see the most. Despite the bathroom being the second most visited room, the survey showed this was the most hated to clean. The full results were as follows:
- Bathroom: 41%
- Kitchen: 24%
- Garage: 16%
- Bedroom: 11%
- Living Room: 6%
Cleaning Hacks
Leather sofas are a popular item in living rooms across the UK, as they both look stylish, and are comfortable and practical for busy family homes. As a handmade furniture manufacturer specialising in high-quality leather furniture, Distinctive Chesterfields have pulled together a few specialised tips on how to keep a leather sofa clean and stain free.
You can of course use a proper leather cleaner, but as these can be expensive, there are other options using items you’ll probably already have around the house.
- Always start by vacuuming the sofa down using the soft brush attachment – dust particles are abrasive so can damage the leather.
- Use a mixture of white vinegar and warm water with a soft (preferably microfibre) cloth.
- Dry afterwards with a clean towel.
You can keep your leather in tip-top condition to prevent cracking using:
- A mixture of 1 part white vinegar with 2 parts linseed or flaxseed oil – apply this with broad circular motions and leave overnight.
- Buff the leather with a clean rag the next day to restore shine.
But what if you’ve already got the dreaded stains on your expensive leather? Here are a few hacks to sort any stain out:
- To remove dark coloured stains on light leather, mix lemon juice and cream of tartar – leave it on for 10 minutes before wiping off.
- For grease stains, sprinkle on baking soda then dust off a couple of hours later.
- Use baby soap and warm water for other stains, but blot these – don’t wipe!
The company also invited bloggers to share their top spring cleaning tips and hacks on Twitter to make life easier for those of us who dislike cleaning:
Maria at Suburban Mum:
I try and wipe surfaces down as I go about my daily business so when it comes to actual cleaning day there are not loads to do!
V at Dancing In My Wellies:
Bicarb is my answer for lots of things where cleaning is concerned!
Cat at Rock and Roll Pussycat:
Baby wipes have become my cleaning essential.
Lucy from The Parent Game:
My best tip is WD40 for carpet stains!
Caroline from No More Frizzy Hair Days:
Hot water and lemon juice, or just neat lemon juice to remove coffee-stained mugs. If all fails bleach and hot water.
Distinctive Chesterfields, part of the Comfy Sofa Ltd umbrella, has been trading since 2007 and offers beautiful, handmade chesterfield furniture to its customers.
Making handmade pieces in its West Yorkshire showroom, the company opened a second UK showroom in the London location of Clapham Junction in June 2015, with premises in New York and France launching shortly after.
Owned by husband and wife team Steve and Clare Laidlaw, the company features a showroom and office at its Yorkshire base, with a dedicated team crafting furniture from its large workshop. For more information, please go to http://www.distinctivechesterfields.com
Distinctive Chesterfields can also be found via social media at http://www.facebook.com/distinctivechesterfields and http://www.twitter.com/bychesterfields
