What is leatherette and how to clean it?
The characteristics of leatherette
What is leatherette and how to clean it? Leatherette sofas are elegant and at the same time wear-resistant and easy to clean. This type of inexpensive and practical material is extremely versatile. In fact, leatherette is used to upholster sofas, beds and chairs.
What is leatherette?
Leatherette is a type of upholstery that is widely used in the clothing and interior design sectors, but also in the automotive industry. This is a product that is as beautiful as real leather, but originates in the laboratory. Leatherette is an entirely synthetic material, often composed of plastics. In fact, it is composed of synthetic fibres to which a coating of plastic material is applied, which may be polyurethane (PU) or PVC. The result is a product that is very similar to leather because it imitates all its details, including the small wrinkles.
What is leatherette and how to clean it? – lea midj dv m ts sofa – ArredareModerno
What are the characteristics of imitation leather?
Imitation leather is a material with many advantages, making it a favourite in furniture. Indeed, a piece of furniture made of imitation leather, be it a bed or a sofa, is able to add elegance and style to the room.
One of the main characteristics of leatherette is first and foremost its aesthetic appeal. This is because this material, which is elegant and beautiful to the eye, matches perfectly in all furnishing contexts. Other features include the fact that it is
- resistant to wear and external stress
- water-repellent, so it does not absorb water
- easy to clean
- UV-resistant, meaning it does not change its colour when exposed to direct sunlight
- economical, and therefore cheap compared to real leather.
However, it also has some disadvantages
- it is not breathable, especially in summer it is not cool,
- it is less soft and delicate than real leather,
- it tends to deteriorate after a long time due to prolonged use.
The correct maintenance of leatherette, how to clean it?
Imitation leather, as mentioned, is easier to maintain because it is water-repellent and does not deteriorate when exposed to the sun, whereas real leather requires a little more care, especially in cleaning.
The advice is to use the same natural products that are used for cleaning leather. In fact, this will preserve its integrity for longer. Having said that, this material does not retain dust, so to keep it clean it is necessary to wipe it with a damp micro-fibre cloth from time to time, taking care that there is no excess water.
Whereas, for more thorough cleaning, to be carried out less often, you can use natural products such as Marseille soap and vinegar, so as not to ruin it, to be always rinsed with a damp cloth. The advice is to avoid alcoholic substances because they could ruin the surface protective film over time.
The resistance of leatherette
This is a product that is resistant to external influences, as just described; with a simple cloth dampened with warm water, dirt comes off very easily.
However, the durability of such an upholstery depends on the quality of the covering and how it is used. On average, leatherette sofas, for example, have a lifespan of 5 or 6 years.
Having said that, in order to prevent the sofa from flaking out, proper maintenance is essential, which primarily involves non-aggressive cleaning. Therefore, degreasers that facilitate the peeling process of leatherette over the years should be avoided. Furthermore, the less water used in cleaning, the better. For although leatherette is water-repellent, exposure to too much moisture is not good for it.
Leatherette covered chairs
Leatherette upholstered chairs are beautiful, refined, modern and very practical. Again, they are very hard-wearing, as they will not be ruined by contact with jeans, nor will they be damaged by the nails of pets. Also in this case, a damp sponge, preferably a microfibre one, is sufficient for cleaning.
What is leatherette and how to clean it?- h5 midj p m ts r chair ArredareModerno
Upholstered beds covered in imitation leather
Another piece of furniture in which this upholstery is used with great frequency is the upholstered bed. In fact, among the various types of upholstery, including fabric and microfibre, imitation leather also has the usual advantages:
- it does not catch dust and makes the bed more hygienic,
- it is easy to clean,
- it is elegant and never goes out of fashion.
Difference between synthetic leather and imitation leather
The term synthetic leather is often incorrectly used to refer to synthetic leather, which leads to confusion. In fact, the term faux leather indicates natural leather. This differs from real leather because it is tanned using environmentally friendly chemicals. Therefore, it is more environmentally friendly than classic leather.
Thus, care must be taken not to confuse these products, which are two materials similar in appearance but completely different in composition.
In addition, synthetic leather has a much longer life span; if well maintained, it can last a lifetime. Whereas, imitation leather, as described above, becomes damaged after a few years.
