Understanding Leather

Leathers are not all the same. The way they have been finished alters how they feel, the absorbency rate of soiling, colourfastness and at times the need for different care products.

Leather is a natural material with pores and hair follicles, similar to our own skin. All leathers are artificially coloured and while a pigmented, top coated leather is less porous than a pure aniline or nubuck, they are all still porous allowing the leather to breathe for your comfort.

Leather will absorb soiling which, if not removed regularly will cause premature wear and discolouration.

DEFINING WEAR - It is not necessarily how many times you sit down and get up, but the total hours spent in your furniture each day. Understanding this helps you understand the maintenance required.

Also important is the type of soiling. At Pellé we break this into two areas, ie wet and dry soiling (wet being the most damaging). While some forms of wet soiling are obvious such as spillages, others are not and can cause damage over a relatively short period.

Perspiration - from hair, arms and legs on areas of contact can cause colour destabilisation or loss, leading to breakdown of the leather, causing a repair which may have been avoidable with a little extra attention when cleaning. Thinking about wear and examining your furniture while cleaning, can help prevent small problems becoming large ones.