# Leather Sofa cleaning/care?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leather-sofa-cleaning-care/155712
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [February 17, 2003, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leather-sofa-cleaning-care/155712 "2003-02-17T20:54:25Z")
**Posts on this page:** 4
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@sj2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sj2)
#### Post date: [February 17, 2003, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leather-sofa-cleaning-care/155712/1 "2003-02-17T20:54:25Z")
A few questions:
Is there a home-made solution for cleaning a leather sofa? Or a kick-butt professional cleaner (prefer a webstore).
My sofa is quite dirty (Northwest weather and 8 muddy paws) and the cushions are a now a lighter color and not as shiny as the back/arms.
I also need some tips on getting the shine back. I’ve used Mink oil which looked quite nice for a while, but I’d like to get the dirt out and get it back to a niced condidtion.
The sofa is brown and non-pored leather and about 4 years old. The cushions do not detach.
Thanks for looking/helping.
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### Author:  [@DaToad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DaToad)
#### Post date: [February 17, 2003, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leather-sofa-cleaning-care/155712/2 "2003-02-17T21:37:28Z")
I use _Johnson’s Paste Wax_ on my leather sofa. It’s burgandy and doesn’t get very dirty, so you may want to go to a shoe repair shop and get a good leather cleaner to start with. A light coat of JPW should make it look like new. I use a soft (old cotton t-shirt) damp rag and gently rub the wax in. I let it dry for about 10 minutes and then buff it off with a dry cotton towel. Be sure to buff it off really well so that there isn’t any residue to come off on your clothes.
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### Author:  [@Random](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Random)
#### Post date: [February 17, 2003, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leather-sofa-cleaning-care/155712/3 "2003-02-17T21:44:16Z")
Best I’ve found so far is saddle soap (for the cleaning part). It takes some effort, so I’ll be watching this thread for any better ideas.
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### Author:  [@sj2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sj2)
#### Post date: [February 17, 2003, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leather-sofa-cleaning-care/155712/4 "2003-02-17T22:07:44Z")
ooohhh…saddle soap. Didn’t think of that one. We have many tack shops in my town, but the leather care products from furniture stores/shoe shops don’t seem to exist.
But, I don’t have horses, so how does one use saddle soap on a sofa…just follow directions ala saddle?