No matter how careful you are, if you have pets and leather upholstery, you will get the occasional pet stain or foul odor. Even the best-trained pet may get unexpectedly sick on your leather couch or decide to leave their mark on your favorite leather chair, making you wish you had a stain cleaner for leather on hand.
Knowing how to protect your leather from pet stains and odors and how to clean it when necessary will help you get the most life out of those leather pieces.
Does urine damage leather?
Pet urine from cats, dogs, and other animals can cause inevitable damage to leather if left untreated. Urine that is allowed to dry on the surface of the leather may create a stain that is difficult to remove, and like damage from water or other liquids, pet urine can make the leather dry and brittle. To prevent this, quick cleanup is essential.
Prevention is the first step toward ridding our leather pieces of pet stains and unwanted odors. Proper conditioning, which will repel liquids such as cat or dog urine, is an excellent way to provide a simple barrier against the occasional accident.
Leather Honey, Amazon’s number-one selling leather conditioner, will moisturize and serve as a water-repellent to help prevent problems. Use as directed on all leather upholstery in your home to give yourself a little barrier against pet problems.
How to remove dog or cat pee from leather furniture
The next step in protecting your leather is noticing and cleaning up any issues as soon as possible. Even if the leather is conditioned with Leather Honey Leather Conditioner, pet urine that is allowed to sit on the leather will eventually soak in, creating a lasting odor and perhaps a lasting stain.
If you do end up with pet urine stain or odor, try to avoid commercial pet odor cleaners, which are not designed for leather and can easily damage your leather items, making the mess worse than it was at the start. Instead, follow this process:
How to clean pet urine from leather
- Use a dry cloth to dab up and dry any excess moisture.
- Apply Leather Honey Leather Cleaner directly to the stain.
There is no need to scrub — instead, gently wipe down the leather to clean the urine and lift it away from the leather. If your leather gets water stains easily, clean the entire surface of the leather, not just the stained area.
- Neutralize any remaining odor with a mix of vinegar and water (1 part vinegar to 4 parts water).
This can cut odors substantially, but keep in mind that if you're cleaning an upholstered leather item like a chair or couch, the urine may have soaked into the cushioning, which may need to be treated or replaced separately by a professional. Keep in mind that vinegar can be hard on your leather, and leather dries out naturally over time.
- Condition with a leather conditioner again, once the leather is completely dry.
A new application of conditioner will help preserve the life of your leather. Keeping the leather adequately conditioned twice a year will help it maintain flexibility and prevent cracking, scratches and fading.
Removing pet oil stains on leather
Another problem caused by pets is oil stains on leather upholstery. The only way to prevent this is to keep your pets off your leather furniture. If this isn’t possible, clean your leather furniture regularly, and keep it properly conditioned.
