Do not use window cleaner on leather upholstery
Most people, myself included, think of window cleaner as being one of the mildest of all cleaners. People consider it to be so mild they could use it on almost anything. Unfortunately, you really cannot use window cleaner on leather upholstery because almost all of it contains alcohol.
Alcohol will damage the surface of your leather, especially breaking down the protective top coat on fully-finished leathers that make up the vast majority of the leather upholstery market. Breakdown of this surface will leave your upholstery more susceptible to all types of damage in the future, like scratching and water damage.
Alcohol can also, in some cases, cause discoloration in leather.
There are a number of other home remedies and wives’ tales about using home products on leather. We do not advise using any of the following:
- Olive oil
- Beeswax
- Hair spray
- Markers
- Shoe polish
- Finger nail polish remover
- Disposable cleaning supplies and wipes
Questions or experiences with window cleaner or other cleaners containing alcohol? Post them in the comments!