Check Out: How Real Leather Couch Is Taking Over And What Can We Do About It

How to Tell If a Leather Couch is Real Or Faux It can be difficult to tell if you are buying genuine leather sofas due to misleading product descriptions and price tags. You must get up close and personal with the couch – take a whiff, feel and flip over a couch to look at the backing. For example, a 'leather couch' CHOICE tested had upholstered contact areas (such as the seats and armrests) in genuine leather, whereas the non-contact areas were made of cotton and polyester coated. 1. Smell A real leather sofa should smell rich and natural. Faux leather is, however typically smells chemically processed and synthetic. If your couch smells bad it could be due to pet urine. In most cases, a good cleaning can eliminate the smell. If you're not satisfied with the results, consider applying a leather conditioner. This will restore the moisture to the leather, making it softer, less brittle, and more resistant to smells. You can also use an organic odor eliminator such as baking soda to remove unpleasant smells from your couch. Mix equal parts of vinegar and water. Use microfiber cloths to clean your leather sofa. If the cloth begins to accumulate dirt, you can either wring it out or replace it with a fresh one. Alternately, you can pour the solution in spray bottles and spray it onto your couch. The mixture should dry before wiping again. Airing your leather out is another natural way to remove odors. If you can, place the couch outside in a sun-lit area to air it out. This will eliminate any unpleasant smells and also give the couch a natural, fresh scent. If you'd like to stay clear of unpleasant odors You can buy an oil-based leather conditioner that contains healthy oils. This keeps your leather looking fresher for longer, preventing it from taking in smells. The scent of leather may be attractive, but it's difficult to maintain. Over time, leather may absorb odors such as those from cooking, smoking and even body smell. These odors can be difficult to eliminate, particularly when your home is occupied by children or pets. Genuine leather couches do not trap these odors as fabric upholstery can. This is why they are a great option for families with active children. If your couch smells like the scent of a puppy's pee It's crucial to take action immediately. You can try a few of the suggestions above or you can try a specific product such as Leather Honey to address the issue. Prevention is the best option but be sure to train your dog to not pee on the couch! 2. Feel free to contact us with any questions. There are some clues to look out for when you are shopping for a leather sofa, however the most reliable method to tell whether it's genuine is to touch it and smell it. leather couches for sale has a distinct natural scent that is not difficult to recognize. The scent can fade as time passes but it should remain evident when the sofa is brand new. A genuine leather sofa should also feel soft to the feel and warm in temperature. Faux and bonded leathers on the other hand are typically more plasticky feel and are colder to touch. To test this test, gently press your fingers on the couch's surface and feel for bumps. If you don't feel any bumps on the couch, it is likely faux-leather or bonded. If you see vertical seams stitched across the back of sofas, this is another dead giveaway. This indicates that the leather isn't a continuous piece, which is a characteristic of genuine leather couches. faux leather couch of a frame for a sofa can have a significant impact on its lifespan however, it's not always obvious. To make sure you're buying a sofa that will last, inquire about the kind of wood is used for the frame. A solid oak frame is the most durable and costly alternative, whereas engineered or particle board frames are less sturdy. To improve durability, hardwood frames must be kiln dried to avoid mildew or warping. If you're on a budget there are plenty of affordable genuine leather sofas you can still fall in love with. The Room & Board Stevens Leather Sofa is a good example. It is a stylish and flexible option that is often offered for sale and can be customized to fit your home. Another budget-friendly option is the La-Z-Boy Gather Manual Reclining Sofa that has a classic design and comes in a variety of fade-resistant fabrics. However, this sofa requires assembly at home and the back cushions tend to slide down. 3. Backing Leather sofas are an exception to other kinds of upholstery. Leather sofas are extremely durable and can endure wear and tear more effectively than fabric. They can last for a long time. They are also less likely to attract dust, allergens or spills. Leather couches aren't any different. Like any other purchase, it is important to be aware of dangers before making a final decision. If you're not sure whether your new sofa is genuine leather the first thing you need to do is examine the materials tag on the frame to determine exactly what type of leather or fabric it is made of. However, you must make use of your senses to help make the right choice if you don't discover any information regarding the materials used to make the sofa. The sofa's surface must be carefully examined with a keen eye on the pattern, texture, and shading. A genuine leather sofa will have natural imperfections and may not be uniform in structure, pattern, or shading. If the surface of a couch appears smooth and uniform, or shows a mesh-like backing instead of coarse suede, it's a dead giveaway that it's fake or synthetic leather. Take a look at the back of the cushion casing. If the cushion has a vertical stitching on the back, it's not real leather. This is because hides from animals are limited in size and can only be cut to a certain extent. To ensure the best quality of their products, the top manufacturers will sew and stitch through the entire back of the couch to ensure it's genuinely leather and not bonded or faux leather. If you are able to, try to lift up a corner of the sofa or cushion and examine the back of the padding. If the back of the padding is covered by an unwoven material or polyurethane then this is an indication that the couch isn't genuine leather. Genuine leather is supposed to have a rough and coarse coating that feels solid when you feel it. 4. Patterns A leather sofa is a classic, and with good reason. The warm, natural appearance and feel of the material can enhance any living space. Modern tanning techniques give it extra durability, so that it resists cracking or sagging. Since each hide comes with distinctive marks and blemishes, grain, and marks each leather couch is truly one-of-a-kind. While prices and labels are great pointers but the best way to tell whether you're buying genuine leather is to get close and personal with it. Examine the texture of the surface, its structure, and pattern for an even more precise glimpse of its genuine. If the structure is uniform and there aren't any obvious flaws, it's probably fake or bond leather. A polyurethane back on a sofa is a different indicator. This is a typical feature of the bonded leather. Genuine leather will have a more natural look and is backed by materials that closely resemble the fabric used to make furniture. Finally, check the back of the couch for one or two stitched vertical seams. This is a sign of a high-quality piece of leather that's been carefully constructed to last. On the other side, if there are no seams and the couch's back appears like a continuous piece of cloth, it's most likely a lower-quality faux or bonded leather sofa. Once you've determined that a sofa is genuine leather the next step is to pair it with the rest of your living room furniture. For a crisp, coordinated style, pair your sofa to other wooden furniture and line it up with pillows that echo the colors in your space. You can also choose more relaxed, energetic layout by putting the sofa between two pieces of furniture with a coffeetable between. Keep your leather sofa away from direct sunlight to avoid it fading or developing scuffs. And if you want to protect your investment by prolonging its life, you should consider applying a leather protection agent every once or twice per year.