Greetings, pals! Gretch here. It’s been a minute since I’ve given you a peek inside my apartment, and truth be told, there won’t be much of it featured in this post. However, we have a new addition to the family, and just like me, she could use a little sprucing up! This charming leather gem here is what some might call a “hand-me-down”, but to me, she’s a true gem!
For as long as I can recall, I’ve always dreamt of owning a leather sofa. Perhaps it’s because I grew up in a home with one (in the same color, too) and I have a soft spot for nostalgia. A sleek, leather couch exudes a “cool girl” vibe in my opinion–the kind you’d find in a stylish city girl’s loft. And there’s something undeniably satisfying about its buttery texture and easy-to-clean properties. In many ways, leather truly improves with age… with the right care, of course!
A little backstory–if you don’t recognize the sofa, you might recognize this room! This is the living room of our photographer, Kaitlin Green. And this adorable sofa that now belongs to me once belonged to her. For a decade! She and her husband purchased it brand new from West Elm for their first home (and yes, it is still available). It was one of the first major purchases they made together. A special piece. Over the years, this sofa witnessed a lot of love: friends gathering to watch games, shared bottles of wine, cuddles with their pup, Remy. Eventually, more snuggles (and maybe a few stains) came with the arrival of their two daughters.
They cherished it deeply–something I believe we should all strive for when selecting pieces for our homes! And for being a decade old, it’s holding up pretty well. However, there comes a time for a bit of a refresh, and when we revamped Kaitlin’s living room, she graciously passed this sofa on to me.
If you’ve also inherited or stumbled upon a piece of leather furniture that could use a little love, you’ve come to the right place! After watching numerous YouTube tutorials, I was confident that with a few affordable products, I could revive this beauty. Or at least give her a little boost. Since this was my first time attempting this, I was unsure which leather cleaner/conditioner solution would be most effective, considering the plethora of options available. So today, I’m testing out two of them.
Here’s the starting point. The leather appears and feels quite dry, but thankfully, there are no tears or rips. A few minor stains here and there, but honestly, I’ve lived with it in this condition for a while now, and it could be worse. Although the center seat cushion looks the most worn, I saved it for last in my rigorous testing to determine which of the two products would work best to complete the job. A huge shout-out to Marlee for assisting me with this and capturing all the photos!
We tried out two products. On the top and bottom right cushions, we used Leather Honey’s cleaner and conditioner. On the left, we opted for Lexol’s cleaner and conditioner combo. While both products came highly recommended, I’ll let you in on a secret–there was a clear winner in my book.
The process was straightforward, and if you’d like to see it in action, the video will play after a few quick ads
Step One: Cleaning
We started with the cleaning solutions (naturally) and a couple of microfiber cloths, as per the instructions. I should note that using a white microfiber cloth would probably be more effective. I envisioned seeing satisfying grime coming off onto the rag, but I only had gray ones, and with both products, I couldn’t quite tell how well they were cleaning.
Lexol’s cleaner instructed to pour a small amount onto the rag and rub it in. It applied smoothly and evenly. Due to my leather being soft and less taut, it was a bit challenging to glide the rag smoothly without it bunching. However, I managed to cover the seat entirely. The instructions mentioned wiping away the excess with a damp cloth, but the couch absorbed the product quickly, so there was no need for that.
Brought Find Leather Life Products Sofa Tested