Whenever you buy an expensive item, the journey doesn’t stop with you getting the receipt and signing the papers in the delivery process. You need to make sure that you’re taking proper care of what you bought because otherwise it’s not going to last long and it’s not going to look nice. That is not something that you want since you have spent a lot of money on this thing.
Some people think that they don’t need to educate themselves a lot on cleaning, or recliner chairs in general because they have cleaned a lot of things in their life. We are assuring you that you need to take the proper steps of research and find out how you need to clean your particular product because it’s not the same as if you were cleaning just about anything else.
In the next few paragraphs, we’re going to talk about how you can clean your recliner chairs, what are the dangers you’re looking at, and we are going to discuss particular materials as well. Let’s dive straight into it!
Why Should I Clean My Recliner Chair?
There are several reasons why you need to take care of your recliner chair regularly. The first one is pretty straight-forward – you probably just want the recliner chair to remain clean. We all know how bacteria, viruses, and other dirt often snuggle up in some weird places in our homes, and chairs are spots where we spend quite a lot of time, so we need to clean them often.
If you have children, pets, elders or anyone immunocompromised at home, you might want to spend a little more time than you usually would on cleaning the recliner chair in your living room. Just to be safe.
Besides health issues, you surely don’t want your recliner chair to deteriorate through time, right? Sadly, it is not uncommon to see people try to fix their chairs once they’re broken, scratched or in bad shape. You need to take the proper steps to avoid all of these things and make your chair last long, so you get the best bang for your buck. Also, most of the damage done cannot be fully fixed once that happens, so make sure you know how to prevent it.
Chairs that aren’t cleaned often enough, well enough, precise enough are more prone to deteriorating through time because of all of the liquids, solids, even gases that they come in contact with.
Do you want to learn more about recliners? Go and read the “How Do Recliners Work?” article.
What Are The Dangers?
We don’t want it to seem like we’re scaring you, we’re just trying to warn you. Let’s talk about the issues we see most often in the world of recliner chairs – most of these being a result of people not caring about their chairs well enough, or believing that these fancy chairs don’t need to be cleaned as often as other furniture because they are luxurious self-maintaining things. Wrong! Very wrong!
The most vulnerable part of each recliner chair is surely the material it’s made of, the main cover. Each material is different and the cleaning process heavily depends on it and its properties. You should check out the manufacturer’s website or the website where the product is listed, and see whether there are any special instructions related to your material.
You should also be aware of the fact how many times a week, a month, a year you need to clean your chair. This also depends on the household and the habits of the people that live in it, but most of these chairs need to be cleaned about the same amount of times weekly. Some exceptions are very delicate materials and vintage pieces – these should be cleaned with special caution, probably not as often.
The second most vulnerable part of a recliner is a part on the inside, a part that we cannot see, but it’s made mostly from wood – sometimes hardwood, sometimes plywood. If we don’t take care of our chairs, air them out, make sure that no liquids come in contact with the chairs for long periods of times, these base pieces made out of wood can be harmed and this very important part of the chair loses its stability and strength, which is not good.
Another vulnerable part is the actual mechanism that is used for reclining. Sometimes it’s electrical, sometimes it’s mechanical, sometimes it’s a lever, sometimes it’s a button, but most of the time you need to pay extra attention to these kinds of things.
Depending on the quality of the system, the lifetime you’re expecting out of your recliner chair and the warranty you have been given by the manufacturer, you need to have a realistic idea about how long the mechanism can do things on its own, without being repaired or checked out by a professional.
The biggest mistake we see here is people trying to clean the mechanisms with aggressive and harmful soaps, shampoos, cleaning detergents, and similar products. These will remove the oil that is very much needed for proper function, so be careful.
Best Way to Clean Leather and Faux Leather
Okay, let’s focus on the materials that are used the most in the industry of recliner chairs – all types of leather. Leather chairs are often expensive and even faux leather chairs can be quite costly, and that’s why we want to take proper care of them. We want them to last a long time and look beautiful as long as possible to justify all of that money spent!
Leather is one of the most complicated materials when it comes to maintenance and cleaning because a lot of chemicals tend to be too harsh for it and some can even leave stains and disrupt the material during long term exposure and/or use.
We always advise people to use the same procedures and advice when it comes to cleaning both leather and faux leather because faux leather can sometimes potentially be a bit easier to maintain, but we never know how the faux material is made and how similar it is to the real deal, so we want to ensure you’re not going to create any issues on any type of recliner chair. Bottom line, follow the same instructions for leather and faux leather and there will be no risk.
Use a soft brush or a vacuum cleaner when it comes to dust. Do not use any chemical dust cleaners that you use on your wooden furniture, on your floors or your walls. The only alternative option is a very soft, very gentle microfibre cloth that won’t leave any weird marks on the chair. It’s a really good idea to invest in microfibre cloths as they are reusable.
Remember that there is no need for rubbing, scratching and hardcore scrubbing. Recliner chairs are mostly covered by materials that are easy to clean and maintain, so don’t worry. A lot of people use extensive force, which leaves weird traces on the chair, and it is not a smart thing to do because the rips and the scratches, as well as thinning of material, cannot be undone.
Use standard leather cleaners. If you want to use a chemical, but you’re not sure what you need when it comes to your specific chair because you may have faux leather or mixed leather fibers, you should get a standard leather cleaner, as you cannot go wrong with these. They are gentle and practical as well.
Sometimes, mild soap can do the job as well, but we don’t advise you to take the risk since it cannot be undone. If there are any stains on your chair, you can use a damp cloth and circular gentle motions, but don’t use too much liquid because even cleaners can leave a stain sometimes.
Do not leave the leather to dry on its own after cleaning. We advise you to use a dry microfiber cloth and dab on the surface until everything is completely dry.
Air the chair. What we do suggest when it comes to air is that, every once in a while, probably once in two months, you take the chair out so it gets a little bit of air. Do not put it under direct sunlight and make sure it’s gonna be a somewhat sunny day. Just a few hours outside can be very beneficial for the smell of your chair, especially if it’s used very often.
Special treatments. You can also use leather conditioners, polishes, and similar products that make sure your leather still looks as if it was bought in the store yesterday. This is optional and it helps more with old furniture.
Don’t handle everything on your own. If you know that you have a very complicated, tough stain on your chair, you probably need to go to a dry cleaner’s office or contact someone in the leather industry to get their advice on how to get rid of the stain. Please, do not use aggressive cleaners to remove the stain, as it is probably going to remove the surface layer of the fabric as well as the stain.
How to Clean Headrests and Armrests?
Sometimes it can be tough to clean the little areas and the crevices of a headrest or an armrest. Assuming you have delicate fabric on your recliner chairs, we advise you to use the same advice and tips mentioned in the last paragraph, but maybe add a few steps to the beginning of the process.
You should use Q-tips or something similar to get the dirt from the crevices and the parts that are usually tough to reach. Do not use extensive force, do not rub too much, but try to get as much dirt cleaned as you can. If you want to clean the mechanism as well, we advise you to use a toothpick or something small and get any possible dust out of the mechanism.
Please, do not use vinegar, and if you use vinegar, please dilute it heavily because it’s a very strong acid and can leave weird blotches of discoloration on the material. The fact that a cleaning liquid is natural does not mean it is safe when it comes to recliner chairs.
What About Other Non-Leather Fabrics?
If your recliner chair is made of any other material than leather or faux leather, we advise you to check the labels on the fabric to see what tips the manufacturer is giving you. Follow the same advice we gave you before – no harsh cleaners, use a vacuum machine, try to remove stains as early as possible, and don’t let the furniture air dry.
You can even lookup the material you have online since it’s the best way to find the tips and the tricks that won’t harm the looks of your chair.
How to Keep Your Recliner Clean All of The Time?
When it comes to the usual maintenance and use of your recliner chair, the best advice we can give you is to always make sure that you are not bringing any liquids near the chair. If you have the habit of drinking or eating on your chair, that’s fine, but you are increasing your chances of ruining the fabric.
If you accidentally spill something on the chair, make sure to get the liquid off as soon as possible with dabbing motions, since you don’t want it to enter the crevices of the leather. If the liquid stays on the surface for too long, the material may get some discoloration and start to get thinner over time. It’s also pretty good advice to keep a blanket, a pillow, or some type of cover on your recliner chair, just to prevent any liquids or solids from getting into the pores of the fabric.
If you’re battling any smells in your recliner chair, most of the time it’s enough to clean the chair properly. However, if you’re still battling with weird odors and airing out the chair doesn’t work, make sure that you contact a local dry cleaner’s office and check out what they have to say.
Summary
Let’s summarize everything we told you about properly cleaning and maintaining your recliner chair. First off, never use any harsh detergents, movements, methods and homemade tricks. Always be as gentle as possible and try to find a solution that’s natural, but not heavy duty.
It’s always better to prevent the issue rather than to clean it, so it would be good if you could cover the recliner chair with something or avoid bringing liquids and solids on the chair. You should air out the piece every once in a while, maybe vacuum it more often than you actually clean it, and you should be good to go.
However, for heavy-duty problems, we always advise people to call a professional, maybe check the manufacturer’s website, and find something safe and actually works. Once more, do not try to make your DIY solutions to these problems, as you might waste more money than you are looking to save. Good luck and we hope yours looks fabulous for as long as possible.
