If you want to make your interior to look more luxurious then leather is something you should opt for. Leather as a fabric comes with different features which do help in making it one of the best fabrics for furniture. Leather comes with a unique smell, color and has a different feel to which is another reason why most of them are expensive.
Bonded leathers are on the affordable side and are not completely synthetic as well.
What is Bonded Leather?
Bonded leather is a mixture of synthetic and natural ingredients. Bonded leather has a pulp which is made from leather fibres and scrap. This leather scraps and fibres are mixed bonding agents which is then kept in between a fibre cloth and a polyurethane coating.
After this a leather like texture is given to this leather which is done using dyeing techniques. As bonded leather has polyurethane layer it gives the leather a glossy finish. In general, bonded leather has 10-20% of leather scraps in terms of weight.
The amount of natural leather it has can be different and mostly depends on the manufacturer and the place it is made.
Advantages of Bonded Leather
- Cost-Effective
Bonded leather has an artificial material along with natural leather which helps in making it more affordable and the making process also helps in reducing the cost.
- Environment-Friendly
Bonded leather consists of leather scarps and if it weren’t used here it would have ended in a landfill. Therefore, bonded leather helps in reducing landfills.
- Soft texture
The softness is the same as a genuine leather, but it does come with a soft texture. Having a soft texture makes it suitable for different items like jackets, purses, furniture, etc.
Taking Care of Bonded Leather
Bonded leather is not the most expensive leather but still has some great features to it but one thing which it lacks is the durability and can even peel off after over the years.
There are different measures which you can take to make sure your bonded leather stays with you for a longer amount of time and here are a few tips which you can follow:
- Clean with a damp and clean cloth
Before you start any cleaning make sure you are reading the tags on the leather product first. When it comes to taking care of your leather start by choosing a damp and clean cloth and just wipe it on the surface of your leather and to damp your go with warm water. You don’t have to use any sort of detergent or soap to clean. After you have wiped your leather with the damp cloth make sure you are wiping it again but with a dry one this time and never dry it under direct sunlight or any other source of direct heat.
- Dust Splits
You can also dust your bonded leather with help of a cloth or even a towel and you can do it on furniture which has not been used for years and has a lot of visible dust of it. You can also use your hands to remove some big derbies but make sure you are not hurting yourself. If possible, you can also opt for vacuum cleaner which will help in cleaning things in a better and easier way.
- Cleaning spills
When it comes to spills it is better to clean it as soon as possible with the help of a dry and clean cloth or paper towel. When you are cleaning it you should not rub because it will just spread it all over the place and makes things even worse, instead you should try to absorb as much as you can and then use a mild detergent with warm water to clean it.
- AVOID Abrasive Cleaners
It is always better to avoid strong detergent and abrasive cleaners because it can affect the overall quality of your leather. If you don’t have any mild detergent, you can make your own detergent by following the following steps.
Start by adding a few drops of cleaner in water and make sure the water is distilled which means there are no chlorine in it. Before using your mild detergent make sure you are using it on a small area of the leather to test it and how the leather reacts to it. If there is no effect or damage you can continue your cleaning with the help a cloth and wipe it on your leather. After this you can use another clean and dry cloth to wipe of all the excess of detergent and let it dry naturally in a ventilated area and not under direct sunlight.
- Conditioning bonded leather
Conditioning your bonded leather is as important as cleaning it but the only difference between cleaning and conditioning is that you do not have to condition your bonded leather as frequent as cleaning. Therefore, you should get a good quality leather conditioner.
Before you apply your leather conditioner make sure you are cleaning it with a dry and clean cloth and let it dry naturally but without any direct sunlight.