How to Clean (Faux) Leather Bar Stools

Cleaning faux leather bar stools is a lot easier than cleaning real leather stools, but they both come with their own set of unique benefits and challenges.

Real leather is very tough but it is more prone to staining than its faux counterpart. Faux leather is often a little more delicate but doesn’t stain easily and is easier to clean. This means they both require a slightly different cleaning process to be kept in pristine condition.

In this post, you’ll learn the basics of cleaning leather bar stools. We’ll cover both real and faux leather separately.

 

 

The method – faux leather

Cleaning your faux leather bar stools doesn’t have to take up very much time and it can help your bar chairs look great for longer. Even though there are certain cleaning agents specifically made for faux leather, any gentle soap or washing up liquid mixed with water will generally suffice.

Below, we’ll cover the entire cleaning process, from general cleaning to occasional rigorous cleaning. Best of all, you can use this guide for other leather furniture too.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• Bucket of warm water mixed with a gentle washing up liquid
• Non-abrasive cloth
• Microfiber cloth
• Baby oil
• Paper towels
• Dry sponge

1. Test, test, test!It's super important to always make sure you test clean a small section of any furniture before you clean it. Apply your soapy water to a small section of the stool with a non-abrasive cloth to ensure it doesn't damage the faux leather. Do the same with a small amount of the baby oil on a paper towel too before moving on.

You only have to do this once. If it works well, you’ll know you can safely use this solution in future, ensuring you don’t have to spot-test the surface separately each time you go to clean it.

2. Give it a quick cleanEvery now and then, you should be cleaning your bar stools with warm, soapy water to get rid of any dirt or marks that might build up over time. Dip the cloth into the bucket and wring it out so it is not too wet. Wipe all over the bar stool seat and then dry off with a soft microfiber cloth.

You should do this regularly depending on how often the bar stools are used and how dirty they get. In general, we advise cleaning bar stools at least a few times per month.

3. Shine it up and keep it smooth!In order to keep the faux leather smooth, comfortable and looking shiny, applying a small amount of baby oil can be very beneficial. Use a dry paper towel to wipe the seat so that there is no dust on it. Then, apply a small amount of baby oil to a dry sponge and wipe over the faux leather. Let the bar stools dry naturally near an open window or door (but, ideally, not in direct sunlight). This little trick will keep your faux leather moist and prevent it from cracking!

The method – real leather

 

Cleaning real leather comes with its own set of challenges. Unlike faux leather, which isn’t all that permeable and doesn’t stain easily, real leather absorbs moisture and can stain if spills aren’t dealt with quickly.

 

• Bucket of warm water mixed with saddle soap
• Non-abrasive cloth
• Rubbing alcohol
• Leather cream

1. Test, test, test!

As is the case with faux leather, you should first test your cleaning solutions on a small section of the real leather bar chair before doing the entire thing. Although Saddle soap is specially designed for real leather, it is still a good idea to test it before use.

2. General cleaning

General cleaning can be done with a mix of warm water and saddle soap. This should help to remove basic stains as long as they are wiped away soon after the spill occurred. Depending on your stool’s design, it can be worth vacuuming the stool before cleaning it to remove any crumbs and other particles.

3. Stains

Tough stains that can’t be removed using the above method can sometimes be removed using rubbing alcohol. Apply a small amount of rubbing alcohol to the stain and gently scrub the stain to remove it. Try to avoid applying too much to prevent it from running onto the rest of the chair.

4. Shine it up and keep it smooth!

Next, you can apply the leather cream to re-moisturize the bar stool. This helps to keep the stool looking and feeling good for longer. Make sure to clean the bar stool thoroughly before applying the leather cream and only ever apply it directly after cleaning. It can also be worth spot-testing a small section before applying the leather cream to the entire stool.

 

Conclusion

Now that you’re an expert on leather bar stool cleaning, you should be able to keep your bar stools looking as good as new for quite some time to come. If you have any questions after reading this post, feel free to reach out to our customer service.

And if your bar stools are too far gone, or you’d just like to browse for a new set, feel free to check out our massive bar stool range right here on our website!