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Housekeeping

Find cleaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Housekeeping forum.

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Original poster

Is it madness to buy a leather lounge for a house with babies?

48 replies

phdlife · 03/01/2010 10:39

It's dark colored, smooth and got a shiny sort of finish on it - hang on, here it is - it seems to me like it would weather life with a toddler and a baby and their boisterous cousins reasonably well, anyone got any experience otherwise?

OP posts:

PfftTheMagicDragon · 03/01/2010 12:48

Our cats don't scratch our current fabric sofas but I have always thought that there is supposed to be something just that little bit irresistible about leather to cats.

ShinyAndNew · 03/01/2010 12:51

My cat used to scratch our fabric one, but doesn't bother with the leather one. He does however throw himself at the sofa using his claws to anchor himself, which leaves tiny almost invisible pin prick marks in the leather.

When he used to do the same on the fabric sofas it would click all the material and there would be scruffy looking threads hanging here there and everywhere.

SparklyGothKat · 03/01/2010 12:56

I have a leather sofa, much better than the fabric one we had before when DD2 was pottytraining, which got peed on and puked up, and had to go to the tip in the sky.

Luvvies · 03/01/2010 13:05

Re whether it's hot and sticky. I worried about this too. But on the odd hot day we have had here (UK!)it has been blissfully cool to lie on. (could be different if in direct sunlight though??)

But you need 2 sofas, so if one of them warms up with body heat you can go lie on the other. Bit like turning your pillow over on a hot night.

MrsJohnDeere · 03/01/2010 13:11

Leather much better with babies - very easy to clean. My dcs each wrecked our fabric sofa with the constant puking, spilling, etc. I ended up washing the covers all the time and it still always looked dreadful 24 hours later.

Got a leather one about 6 months ago - so much easier.

namechangedforareason · 03/01/2010 15:02

We have leather with a cat, a baby and a toddler and I childmind and it is great. Gets grubby but a wipe over with some babywipes and its as good as new!

Original poster

phdlife · 08/01/2010 11:25

ok now the girl in the shop has just advised us against getting the lovely shiny one, because she says it will show every scratch from the littlies' fingernails.

on the one hand, I can see the sense.

on the other hand, I like the shiny, and I figure, well, it's going to wear anyway... NOW am I being bonkers??

OP posts:

paisleyleaf · 08/01/2010 11:30

I'd love a fabric sofa, but have got a leather one because of the practicality, wipe-clean-ness of it.
Not sure about pet claws though.

esselle · 08/01/2010 11:43

I am sitting on my leather sofa (lounge - I know what you mean!!) in sweaty hot Melb and it is great. Not sticking to it at all.

Crazy advice about the littlies nails scratching it tho. Keep them trimmed maybe!!??

Ours is a semi shiney leather sofa from Ikea and in 2.5yrs it hasn't age at all. Still looks brand new - when I actually get around to cleaning it! Baby wipes do a great job cleaning it too!

One of ours is near a window too and hasn't faded at all either.

HallelujahHeisBorntoMary · 08/01/2010 11:46

How sharp does she think children's fingernails are? Go for a leather suite, we have one, its really practical with children!

BristolIrishGirl · 08/01/2010 11:51

Ours is shiny leather and is fab - wipes clean and unless your DC have claws I can't see their nails leaving scratch marks!!

spookycharlotte121 · 08/01/2010 15:07

wow so glad i saw this thread. Have been considering getting a leather sofa for a while now as scs has intrest free credit for 4 years and this has made my mind up for me!

Original poster

phdlife · 09/01/2010 10:16

thanks all we went in today and had a look at both options and in the end decided we just liked the shiny one too much and the 'practical' one too little!

g'day esselle - bet you're properly hot down there eh? at least here it's "only" 28 . And 83% humidity

OP posts:

bronze · 09/01/2010 10:19

I dont like shiny new leather sofas anyway, I like battered beat up ones so best to get them while the kids are young

esselle · 10/01/2010 06:48

Certainly is hot here! I can't cope with humidity though - it makes me very cross and crabby!

Tomorrow is supposed to be 41C so I will be spending most of the day on my sofa!!

Original poster

phdlife · 11/01/2010 11:09

haaaaate the humidity. it's the one stinky thing about living here. gimme cold any day!

OP posts:

MagicNappySack · 11/01/2010 13:55

Another vote for leather with both babies and cats. It's so easy to clean, I'd never buy a fabric sofa now. For some strange reason the cats just don't scratch it. And my cats will scratch anything (hides divan bed in shame). It also ages well and seems to heal itself, little scratches become less and less noticeable after time. It s great for babies because it doesn't absorb liuids like cloth does - so you won't risk getting that permanent smell of stale milk that homes with new babies can suffer from.

Now I'm off to give mine a good wipe down with a baby wipe... never knew I could do that and have been wasting money on leather wipes all these years.

MagicNappySack · 11/01/2010 13:58

PS - It's a very nice sofa.

chopstheduck · 11/01/2010 14:11

We're on our second set of leather sofas, soo much more practical than fabric.

The last ones did get a few scratches and scuffs on them, but otherwise were pretty good. We got the new ones from furniture village and got their protection plan. So we get unlimited cleaner and damage repair now.

missorinoco · 11/01/2010 14:13

I have a leather sofa. Keep it buffed, or whatever it's called, though. Ours has a few scratches from DS's climbing all over it.

You won't have to do it much, just more than the not at allthat I have done.

Poledra · 11/01/2010 14:17

We have 2 chocolate brown leather sofas, have had since just before DD1 was born. I wipe mine down with a damp cloth, rather than any sort of wipe. Would say that yes, actually, my DDs' toenails do scratch the leather but a wipe over the aforementioned damp cloth seems to get rid of the mark.

Garrylous · 11/01/2010 14:18

a LOUNGE?

a whole room?

Garrylous · 11/01/2010 14:19

i think leather sofas are ROUGH

ergh

all dfs sale

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