Looked after well, our leather only gets better.
Operated by Harlequin Chesterfield Sofa Ltd, SLW Chesterfields hand-builds leather sofas, chairs, tables, home accessories, patchwork furniture, leathers, beanbags, footstools, and storage boxes. This guide explains how to care for each material we use, what to avoid, and how correct care keeps your furniture looking its best and protects your rights under our Warranty Policy.
Ask Us a Care Question See Our Warranty PolicyEverything covered, in order
About this guide
Why we provide it
Every SLW Chesterfields piece is built from natural materials — full-grain leather, kiln-dried hardwood, and traditional fillings — by hand at our workshop in Bury. Natural materials reward a little regular care, and this guide tells you exactly what that looks like for each product category we sell: sofas, chairs, tables, home accessories, patchwork furniture, leathers, beanbags, footstools, and storage boxes.
How it fits with our other policies
This guide is practical advice, not a separate contract. It works alongside our Warranty Policy, our Terms & Conditions, and your statutory rights as a UK consumer — none of which are reduced by anything on this page. Section 10 explains exactly how care and warranty cover relate to one another.
Caring for your leather
We work with four leather ranges, each with its own character. All are genuine hides, so grain variation, healed scars, and natural markings are part of the material, not a flaw — and all benefit from the same simple routine.
Vintage (Crack Wax) leathers
A waxed pull-up leather that's designed to show light colour movement when flexed, and to mellow and deepen in tone with age and handling. Buff gently with a soft, dry cloth to even out colour movement; avoid soaking with water or oil-based products, which can darken wax leathers unevenly.
Pastel leathers
A softer, brighter finish that shows marks from sunlight and dye transfer (from denim or newsprint, for example) more readily than darker hides. Keep out of direct sun, wipe promptly after contact with dyed fabrics, and dust with a dry microfibre cloth.
Old English leathers
A traditional, full-grain finish that develops a warm patina with use. Condition with a proprietary leather cream every four to six months to keep the hide supple, working it in with a soft cloth in a circular motion and buffing off any excess.
Antique (rub-off) leathers
A distressed finish where lighter undertones are designed to show through at high-wear points such as arms and seat edges — this is the intended look, not premature wear. Dust weekly and condition lightly twice a year to prevent the hide from drying out.
Across all four ranges: dust with a soft, dry cloth weekly, vacuum seams and crevices monthly using a soft brush attachment, and always test any cleaning or conditioning product on a hidden area, such as the underside of a cushion, before applying it more widely. If you're ever unsure which routine applies to your piece, quote your order number when you contact us and we'll confirm your exact leather type.
Frames, timber & tables
Sofa, chair & footstool frames
Our frames are built from kiln-dried timber, which is stable in normal household conditions but can crack or move if exposed to extreme or rapid changes in humidity, or to a direct, sustained heat source such as a radiator, wood-burning stove, or air-conditioning outlet. Keep furniture at least 30cm from these sources and avoid dragging pieces across hard floors, which can strain joints.
Circular, rectangular & square tables
Use coasters and placemats to protect table surfaces from heat, moisture rings, and scratches, and wipe up spills promptly. Clean with a soft, dry or barely damp cloth; avoid abrasive cleaners, solvents, and excess water pooling on any timber or leather-topped surface, and keep tables out of prolonged direct sunlight to prevent uneven fading.
Cushions & fillings
Seat and back cushions soften with use — that's expected of any comfortable filling — but a simple routine keeps them looking full and even for years.
Plump and rotate
Plump loose cushions after use and rotate and turn them regularly so wear is distributed evenly across all sides.
Avoid overloading
Try to avoid consistently sitting on arms, backs, or the very edge of a seat cushion, which concentrates wear on fillings and stitching.
Vacuum gently
Vacuum cushion covers and piping monthly on a low setting to remove dust before it works into the seams.
Patchwork furniture
Every Harlequin Patchwork Collection piece combines several leathers and colours into one design, so it needs a slightly more attentive routine than a single-leather piece.
Treat each panel by its leather type
A patchwork sofa may combine Vintage, Pastel, Old English, and Antique leathers on the same piece. Care for each panel according to the guidance for its leather type in Section 02, rather than applying one product across the whole piece.
Protect the stitched seams
The seams between panels see more flexing than a single leather run. Avoid pulling or leaning heavily on seam lines, and check periodically that stitching remains secure, reporting any loose threads to us promptly under your Warranty Policy cover.
Beanbags, footstools & storage boxes
Beanbags
Reshape by hand after use and keep away from sharp objects, which can puncture the outer casing. If filling settles over time, contact us about a top-up — this is a normal part of a beanbag's life, not a fault.
Footstools
Follow the same leather and frame care as your sofa or chair range. Avoid standing on footstools, as this concentrates weight the frame and filling aren't designed to bear.
Storage boxes
Keep hinges and closures free of dust with a dry cloth, avoid overfilling beyond the intended capacity, and lift by the base rather than the lid when the box is full.
What to avoid
Do
- Dust weekly with a soft, dry cloth
- Blot spills immediately with an absorbent cloth
- Condition leather every four to six months
- Use coasters and placemats on tables
- Rotate and plump cushions regularly
- Keep furniture at least 30cm from heat sources
Avoid
- Direct sunlight and continuous heat sources
- Household cleaning sprays, bleach, or baby wipes on leather
- Sharp objects, pet claws, and rough fabrics such as denim
- Standing or kneeling on footstools or arms
- Soaking leather with water or excess conditioner
- Removing or cutting off the fire safety label
Spills, stains & cleaning products
Most everyday marks come out with prompt, gentle action. Aggressive cleaning almost always causes more damage than the original spill.
Act quickly
Blot the spill immediately with a clean, absorbent, colourfast cloth.
Never rub
Rubbing drives liquid further into the leather and can damage the surface finish.
Test first
Try any leather cleaner on a hidden area before using it on a visible panel.
Ask us
For a stubborn mark or an unfamiliar leather type, contact us before using any product.
Only use products designed for genuine leather furniture. Household surface sprays, bleach-based products, baby wipes, and steam cleaners can strip the finish from natural leather and are not covered if they cause damage.
Fire safety & UK compliance
Fire safety labelling
Upholstered furniture supplied in the UK must comply with the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire Safety) Regulations 1988 (as amended). Every applicable item we supply carries the required permanent fire safety label, which must remain attached to the product — please do not remove it, even after purchase, as it is your ongoing proof of compliance.
Keeping compliance intact
Do not have furniture re-covered or re-filled by a third party using materials that haven't been tested to UK fire safety standards, as this can compromise the item's compliance and will not be covered under your Warranty Policy.
Care, your warranty & your rights
This guide is here to help your furniture stay in great condition — it is not a set of hidden conditions attached to your cover.
Following this guide
Following the routines on this page has no bearing on your statutory rights, and a missed dusting or conditioning date on its own will never invalidate a genuine warranty claim under our Warranty Policy.
Where care genuinely caused the damage
Where damage clearly results from an unsuitable product, method, or environment described in Section 07, rather than a manufacturing fault, we'll always explain this to you clearly, with evidence, before declining a claim on that basis — and your statutory rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 remain unaffected either way.
Getting further help
Not sure which leather you have?
Quote your order number and we'll confirm your exact leather range and the recommended care routine for it, or send you a free swatch to compare against your furniture.
Considering a repair yourself?
Please contact us before attempting any repair, re-covering, or professional cleaning treatment — unauthorised work by a third party may affect your Warranty Policy cover.
Questions about caring for your furniture
Phone
Business hours
Mon–Fri, 09:00–18:00 (GMT), Bolton, England
Company information
SLW Chesterfields, operated by Harlequin Chesterfield Sofa Ltd
- Registered company name
- Harlequin Chesterfield Sofa Ltd
- Company number
- 15921383
- Registered address
- 169 Tottington Road, Bolton, England, BL2 4DF, United Kingdom
- Workshop & trading address
- New Victoria Mills, Wellington Street, Bury, BL8 2A, United Kingdom
- Phone
- +44 07947 700380
For our full warranty terms, see our Warranty Policy. For your right to change your mind about an order, see our Cancellation Policy. For returns, refunds, and faulty-goods procedure, see our Returns & Refunds Policy. For full contractual terms, see our Terms & Conditions.
All of our policies, in one place
Last updated and effective: July 24, 2026 — SLW Chesterfields, operated by Harlequin Chesterfield Sofa Ltd, Company No. 15921383. Registered address: 169 Tottington Road, Bolton, England, BL2 4DF, United Kingdom.