How to Clean Leather Area Rugs at Home?

Quality rugs can add taste and texture to a room, add warmth to the cold floors, and absorb and muffle echoes in sparse living spaces. Leather area rugs can also give the same benefits but are a sizable investment and are considerably more expensive than wool or cotton rugs. Leather area rugs are used as a décor element to add texture and visual interest to a room. Leather area rugs tend to have ridges and can form unique natural patterns over the years. Leather carpets and rugs can look like part of the room without looking too staid or over-familiar. Unshaved leather area rugs can soften your room while adding character. Leather area rugs vary greatly in shape and style and can be made from the skins of different animals. Leather carpets can even have elaborated pressed designs that make them somewhat fancy; other leather area rugs can be truly simple and rustic looking. Stitching or weaving strips of leather and suede to create quilt-like designs is another way of preparing the leather area rugs

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If you are looking for ideas to clean and maintain leather area rugs at home, here are a few important tips:

#1: You should avoid vacuuming the leather area rugs; instead, you should shake them out to remove loose dirt and dust. Shaking the leather rugs out allows them a chance to respirate and breathe fresh air.

Leather rugs are comparatively simple to keep clean and dust-free. It is important to clean leather rugs weekly so that the grit and debris deep within the pile do not scratch the leather and damage the rug. To keep leather area rugs clean at home, it is best to shake them out regularly. Since the strands of leather are nicely spaced apart, it is easy to remove dust particles and small fragments by shaking out the rug.

#2: You should gently brush leather rugs in the direction of the grain. If the leather rug has hair, you should lightly brush the leather with a wire rug brush produced for brushing fur. You can use a suede brush if your hidecarpet doesn’t have fur. You need to try to remove most of the dust, dirt, and soot in the rug with the brush.

You can also do this by shaking unscented talcum powder on hairy leather carpets and leaving it for several hours. You need to brush the talcum through the hair and then shake it out. You will have to do this multiple times depending on the type of leather rug and length of the fur.

#3: Use a mixture of 5% white vinegar and 95% water in a spray bottle to clean spots. Spray the mixture lightly on the rug, working in small areas at a time. After spraying, wipe the area with a soft sponge. Use a clean, dry rag to dry the rug immediately. This process can “refresh” the rug and get rid of the stain.

#4: To remove stubborn stains, you can use a leather cleaner. You should aim to use a leather cleaner that is specifically for use with the animal skin type your leather carpet is made of.

You can make use of equal parts of vinegar and water to remove stains that spill on your rug. Even small amounts of rubbing alcohol can be used directly on the stain.

#5: If the leather rug is too hard or brittle, you should apply a leather conditioner. Again, you should use a leather conditioner that is made for your specific animal skin rug.

Good quality leather conditioners comprise fats and/or oils that help moisturize the leather, keep it supple, replenished, and lustrous. Strictly avoid using products that contain mineral oils or petroleum as they can dry out and damage the leather rug over time. Generally, you should look for products that contain quality natural oils. Don’t go overboard with the leather conditioner - they are meant for occasional use.

#6: You need to waterproof and seal your leather carpets once they have been cleaned. You can apply a top-quality leather or suede protector. Water is a major enemy of leather area rugs. Once a leather rug gets wet, the water forms temporary bonds with the lubricating oils of the leather’s fibers and washes them away. This tends to make the leather drier and stiffer. This can make the leather rug brittle and easily broken.

#7: Drape your leather rug over a banister or railing to give it plenty of time to air-dry. Ensure that your rugs have dried completely before placing them on your floor or walls.

#8: You can remove any curled edges by turning the rug fur-side down and use a sharp knife to cut the underside of the rug at an angle of 45 degrees across the grain of the fur.

#9: You can fix any cracks or tears in your carpets at home itself. You need to turn the rug fur-side down over a wooden work surface and use a sharp awl and mallet to pierce small holes along the edges of cracks and tears. You will need a heavy upholstery thread and needle to sew across the tears. Try to keep your upholstery thread close to the color of the hide so that it will blend in as much as possible.

#10: Build the habit of airing out your leather area rugs every few months by hanging them fur-side down over a Bannister or railing outside in the sun. This should not be done for more than 1-2 hours at a time as too much sunlight can be immensely damaging to leather rugs. The reason behind this step is to give your leather rugs a whole lot of fresh air after being cooped up inside gathering dust and dirt. The sunlight can also act as a natural disinfectant.

If you follow the above methods, your hide carpets will last a lifetime, with some maintenance and care. Hide carpets are the epitome of luxury, but they look best when maintained well.