The Secret Ingredient That'll Make Your Leather Furniture Look New Again

A living room with leather furniture makes you feel like you've stepped into a cocoon of luxury. And because leather is an organic material, it will defy trends and stay a classic forever — yet it can look incredibly contemporary, too. Of course, chunky leather sofas and chairs are also a significant financial investment, and you want to keep them in tip-top shape. One secret ingredient to restore your leather to look supple and new is to condition it with fractionated coconut oil.

You're probably already on board with the large number of unique ways to use coconut oil around the house and have heard about its exquisite versatility. You may have noticed that your jar of coconut oil is hyper-sensitive to temperature and becomes a waxy, solid white substance the minute your house falls below room temperature. If you haven't heard of fractionated coconut oil, it's been processed to remove the lauric acid, which is the ingredient responsible for overnight hardening. Thus, you're left with coconut oil that's always in liquid form and can have a zillion more uses in your home than the waxy version.

You'll want to occasionally condition your leather goods because they are, after all, skin that's lost moisture through the tanning process. Although there are zero toxic ingredients in fractionated coconut oil, we strongly recommend that you find a hidden corner of your sofa, rub in a tiny amount of oil, and then return in a couple of days to inspect it. You'll need to ensure the oil doesn't damage or discolor your leather.

The best delivery system to condition your furniture is a soft, lint-free cloth; an impeccably clean microfiber is a perfect choice. Using a very light hand, place a few drops of fractionated coconut oil on your buffing cloth, not on the furniture directly, and rub it around in large circles. Keep track of the areas as you condition them so you don't re-do a section. In addition to moisturizing, the oil will create a slight waterproofing effect. If you're on a furniture cleaning rampage, coconut oil will also leave your wood furniture shining.

There are some important cautions here. It's possible coconut oil can darken the color of your leather, so a test is crucial. And note that using the bare minimum of oil is preferred rather than oversaturating your cloth. Over-conditioning leather blocks its pores, so it's less breathable and can make it less durable and more prone to scuff marks.