Leather conditioner

Home & Living
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I recently invested in a new leather lounge. It is made from what the manufacturer describes as ‘thick-cut, corrected grain leather’. I am looking for a product to condition the leather every 6 months (or more often if I feel it needs it). The manufacturer of the lounge does sell a product which the delivery guys said is not worth it. There are many products available online but Choice has not tested leather conditioners. I have also found a recipe for an at-home leather conditioner made from bees wax, shea butter, almond oil and castor oil.

Any recommendations on which leather conditioner to buy or a recipe to make myself?

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I mostly use Autoglm or Meguiars automotive leather conditioners on the (completely unproven) assumption something that works in the harsh environment of a motor vehicle should work fine in a home setting, and my cars have leather seats as does the lounge set. I buy whichever is on sale when I need to buy one. In all probability they are a much of a muchness.

While I have not had a problem in many decades there is no way to tell if it is because of the leather or the treatment or something else (eg careful use).

A warning is to not over-treat as too much of a good thing can turn leather into fragile mush.

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Dubbin can be used on leather sofas

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I had not thought of the problem of over-treating it. Thanks Phil. You may have just saved my new lounge.

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Thanks. I’ll give this a try.

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One of the G/fathers came from a horse owning & racing family. For leather he used a waxy dubbin plus a cake like ‘saddle soap’ product for cleaning leather products.

Note dubbin or dubbing (USA) is a generic product. It comes in differing compositions to differentiate branding and or best for. It’s available from more than one brand/manufacturer. Some may be less suited to furniture leather, or turn maintenance into a labourious chore. The traditional products for leather care require some physical effort to use as intended. A little goes a long way from memory.

There are also modern spray formulations. Considering leather needs cleaning, conditioning and protecting some brands offer separate products for each step!

Hopefully we can all gain from the experiences shared here. We’ve just purchased two new leather recliner lounges. Time to read the care instructions.

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