A leather sofa is a big investment that should be cared for like any other important asset, which requires a certain amount of prevention and maintenance. The sofa should be kept out of the sun and it's probably a good idea to make a no-food-and-drinks rule, especially if there are young children in the house. Some people also choose to guard their leather love seat or sofa with a plastic covering to protect it from damage, but this will hide much of the natural beauty of the furniture. With proper maintenance and cleaning, however, such coverings should not be required.

Just like doctors say to their patients, an ounce of prevention is worth a ton of treatment. It's still possible to clean and repair a leather love seat or leather sofa even after it has been stained in most cases though. The most important thing to remember in order to maintain your sofa is timeliness. You want to immediately blot out the stain and try to soak up as much excess liquid as possible before it sets in. Also, don't use soap or other cleansing products unless they are directly recommended in the owner's manual that came with your sofa.

As long as you treat your leather sofa the way it deserves to be treated, it should stay in great shape for years to come, if not decades. This is not a small investment ? a leather love seat or sofa can set you back more than a few dollars. Just like any other sizeable investment such as a car or boat, leather furniture should be treated with care and maintained with a sense of pride. And although 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. You'll be happy that you did.