Purchasing a quality leather sofa for your living room can be one of the most expensive aspects of decorating your home. That's why it is so important to take proper care of your sofa, ensuring that it will last for decades to come. With the right maintenance, there's really no limit to how long your furniture can last. This is especially true if it is made from high quality materials such as Italian leather. The following advice is applicable to all leather, however.

Prevention: This is the first and most effective step to keeping your expensive leather sofa clean and in great shape. There are a number of different ways you can go in pursuing prevention. The most effective is keeping some kind of covering over your couch, usually made of plastic. While this is almost certain to result in a couch that remains pristine for years, it also takes away much of the reason for buying an expensive couch in the first place. You'll lose that distinctive leather smell, as well as the comfort inherent to all leather couches. It's up to you to decide whether this is a price you're willing to pay.

Beyond keeping a plastic covering over your leather sofa, there are other measures you can put in place for protection. First of all, it's very important to keep your leather couch out of the sun. Damaging UV rays will eventually break down the compounds in your couch to the point where the leather becomes cracked and worn. You should also make some kind of rule about keeping drinks and food off of the couch. This is especially true if you have young children in your home- they are usually the ones causing the accidents. If you are determined to allow “stainable” items in your living room, purchase a coffee table so that those sitting have somewhere to place their beverages.

Maintenance: Don't forget that doctors will tell you that an ounce of prevention is worth a ton of treatment. In the event that a stain does happen, however, time is of the essence. Don't dillydally and wait to clean up nasty liquids. Immediately blot out the stain, trying to soak up as much excess liquid as possible before it sets in. Don't use soap or other cleaning materials unless they are directly recommended in the manual that came with your couch.

If you treat your leather sofa the way it deserves to be treated, it's likely that it will remain in great shape for years to come. Chances are that you spent a fairly sizable amount of money on your couch, so doesn't it make sense to treat it well? After all, think about how carefully you take care of your car, avoiding dings like the plague? The same thing goes for your sofa. Though it's tempting to let things go after that first nasty stain, try to maintain the same sense of pride that kept your sofa clean in the months after you bought it. In the end, you'll be happy you did!