Many people use Clorox wipes to clean their household surfaces and items. But can you use Clorox wipes on leather?
Clorox wipes contain isopropyl alcohol which can remove the essential natural oils and moisture within real leather and cause it to dry out. This is usually not an issue for faux leather items. However, with the right techniques and tips (like re-conditioning the leather immediately after wiping) you should be able to use Clorox wipes on your real leather items as well.
For us to better understand if we can use Clorox wipes on leather it is important to know what Clorox wipes made of and what it is primarily made for.
Clorox wipes contain alcohol, ammonia, and phenol, and this enables them to kill germs and bacteria. Clorox wipes consist of a bleach-free formula that is available in a variety of scents.
Due to how it is formulated, Clorox wipes are best for nonporous surfaces around the household. You can clean using Clorox disinfecting wipes including plastic surfaces, toilet seats, bathtubs, countertops, sinks, and more!
The Clorox website does not mention anything about using it on leather products specifically but for any cleaning or stain removal, you would want to test it out on a small patch of leather or an inconspicuous part of the surface you’re cleaning before applying it onto the whole surface area.
So back to the details of the initial question – Can You Use Clorox Wipes on Leather? The short answer here is no because in its current form it cannot be used for anything porous. But with a few of my tips and tricks, you should be able to make it work.
Before we get back to that, allow me to shed more light on the pros and cons of using Clorox wipes on leather items.
The Pros Of Using Clorox Wipes On Leather
With the right tips and tricks, there are a lot of benefits the Clorox wipes can bring to your leather items whether faux or real leather.
The number one tip that makes the use of Clorox wipes very beneficial to your leather items is making sure to condition the leather after you have to use the Clorox wipes on it.
Below are some of the benefits of using Clorox wipes on your leather items.
1. Clorox Wipes Are Great For Cleaning Faux Leather
Nowadays, you will find a lot of faux leather furniture in the market. These are usually made for people who want cruelty-free leather materials or people who love leather items but cannot afford them or like my sister who simply does not like the smell that comes with genuine leather material.
With Clorox wipes, you can maintain your leather items that are made of vinyl and other synthetic synthetic leather materials such as plastic materials like polyurethane and polyester fibers.
As a result faux leather or synthetic leather are nonporous which makes Clorox wipes perfect for them.
The main benefit of using Clorox wipes on faux leather items is how they can be used all over your furniture to maintain it clean without worrying about any stains or dirt that is on top because you do not need a lot of effort with these wipes.
2. The Clorox Wipes Can Be Used To Removes Odors From Leather
Another important benefit, if you have a really sensitive nose, is that the Clorox wipes can get rid of any bad odors from your leather items.
The Clorox wipe’s active ingredient, hydrogen peroxide breaks down the odors and leaves behind a refreshing scent after wiping down your item.
This makes them perfect for those who have pets in their household where they smell like fur and pet urine so this will remove the odor entirely from every part of the furniture.
The active ingredients also remove all type of dirt and bacteria that causes the awful smell to build up if you do not clean them regularly or often enough.
In addition, this will also ensure that microbes are eliminated on contact which makes it perfect for those with allergies to dust or other things in the air.
While there are other ways how to remove the odor such as by using vinegar and baking soda I find the simple act of using wipes over the surface of leather items pretty much easy.
3. Clorox Wipes Are Great For Easily Removing Lint
Lint can be pretty frustrating to remove from most surfaces around the home and if you’re OCD like me, you would always want the surface of your household items to be as clean as possible.
Clorox wipes are a great way to remove those annoying lint fibers from surfaces such as your clothes or even leather surfaces as!
This is possible because Clorox wipes contain anti-static properties that make them a great tool for removing lint very well and make them look as good as new without using too much effort.
I love this quality about the Clorox wipes because I can always be sure that my home is clean and fresh without having to use too much time.
This saves me a lot of time when I’m dealing with lots of other tasks around the house so I never have to worry about neglecting those smaller household items!
4. Clorox Wipes Is A Quick Fix For Light Stains, Fingerprints, And Dust From Leather
Another interesting benefit of using Clorox wipes on leather items is that it is a super quick way to remove light stains, fingerprints, or dust collected on your leather items.
If I have been neglecting my furniture for a while and it starts accumulating dirt, then the Clorox wipes are perfect to give everything instant cleaning.
I just use one wipe per piece of furniture and do small circular motions with the cloth until it is free from stains and looking as good as new.
This is another benefit because I am saving time and money by not having to buy expensive products to get rid of those pesky marks.
In summary, if you need something quick fix that will make your home sparkle without doing any real work then Clorox wipes are right up your alley! It’s inexpensive, easy to find at almost every store, and it will make your furniture look brand new.
The Cons Of Using Clorox Wipes On Leather
While Clorox wipes are great for light cleaning jobs, there are some drawbacks when trying to use them on leather.
1. Using Clorox Wipes On Your Leather Without Conditioning Can Dry Up The Leather
Natural or real leather is a sensitive material that needs to be cared for to maintain its softness, texture, and beauty.
Using Clorox wipes on your leather without conditioning it can dry up the leather if you did not condition it after you are done cleaning it with the Clorox wipes.
This is because one of the main ingredients of Clorox wipes is isopropyl alcohol. If you know anything about alcohol on leather, it is not very forgiving on leather as it can remove the essential oils and moisture from the leather causing it to gradually dry up.
Why this is such bad news is that this is how leather cracks. The leather will crack and start to peel.
The best way to care for your leather is by conditioning it after using Clorox wipes on the surface of the material.
You can take a brush, cloth, or sponge with warm water, some dish soap, and then thoroughly rub this mixture onto the surface in circular motions until all dirt has been removed from the surface.
Once you are finished cleaning your leather with cold water, use a chamois that has been dipped into leather condition before rubbing it over the whole surface of the leather item while doing so in a circular motion as well.
This will help protect against drying out of the natural oils, leading to cracking later on down the road!
2. Too Much Of Clorox Wipes On Dark Colored Leather Items Can Lighten It
Another thing that makes using Clorox wipes on your leather a bit trick also comes down to what you want the outcome of your leather item.
If you would like the color to stay dark or the same as its original color, then do not use too many Clorox wipes.
It will cause the color of your leather item to become lighter in hue instead which can be good or bad depending on what style suits you as a person may be looking for in your wardrobe or interior!
This happens because the ingredients in the wipes like alcohol or peroxide can react with the leather. The more you use, the faster this will happen and if it’s already lighter, to begin with, it’ll lighten up a lot quicker than say on darker colors.
3. Clorox Wipes May Have An ammonia Smell That Can Lingers After Application
When you find that your leather is starting to become worn and scratched, it’s time for some repair. One option would be to use a Clorox wipe on the surface of this material as an attempt at restoring its appearance to pristine condition or even removing unwanted stains.
However, with all great things comes challenges, and using these wipes can come with certain downsides like leaving behind a chemical smell.
One of those possible chemical smells is ammonia which is a cleaning agent found in these wipes. The ammonia smell emitted from the Clorox wipes can linger for days, even after it has been applied to leather and then dried off.
Although some Clorox wipes will come scented, those scents because they are made for nonporous surfaces can react with the leather fibers and form aromas that are usually not pleasurable to most people.
Most leather enthusiasts would always prefer the natural leathery or earthy smell of leather to any chemical fragrance.
Tips On Using Clorox Wipes On Leather
While there are a lot of other leather care products including wipes that are specially formulated with rich cleaning agents and conditioning oils, there are instances where Clorox wipes may be the only option you would have.
So in the remaining parts of this article, I’m going to share with you some of the best practices so that you can safely and effectively use Clorox wipes on your leather items.
Using Clorox wipes on leather is not my first choice but with the right technique and tips I’m able to use these techniques so I can safely use Clorox wipes on my leather items. Here are tips for using Clorox Wipes on leather:
- Make sure to always condition after you have used Clorox wipes on your real leather items. You can always follow up with an all-natural conditioner like Leather Honey to add back some moisture and shine to your leather.
- Make sure your the surface of the leather you’re cleaning is dry before wiping with a Clorox wipe. This will ensure you do not loose too much of the natural essential oils in the leather.
- Use just one or two wipes per item and then discard them in a sealed trash bag afterwards.
- Always wipe across the grain instead of against it, as this helps remove dirt more effectively.
- Remember to use a clean Clorox wipes every time you want to remove dirt from your leather item, and then follow up with a good leather conditioner.
- Use only gentle pressure when wiping so not too much liquid gets into the pores in which case will lead to the leather lightening up.
- Always test out the color change before using the Clorox wipes on the leather.
Final Thoughts
This article has been a lot of fun to write and it was interesting exploring using Clorox wipes on leather items. I will conclude by saying that I recommend that there are a lot of leather care products that are tailor-made for leather care you can go for.
But if you must use Clorox wipes on your leather items you would want to make sure your leather item is made of synthetic leather or is finished with synthetic materials on its surface.
If you must use Clorox wipes on items that are made from real leather materials make sure to condition the leather item immediately after you have used the Clorox wipes on them.
You must also always test out the color change before using Clorox wipes on your leather piece and make sure to do it gently so as not to allow too much liquid to get into the pores in which case will lead to a lightening of your item.
The article is meant for those who want to learn more about cleaning their leather goods with Clorox wipes without damaging them.
It provides guidelines as well as an explanation of the pros and cons of using Clorox wipes on leather items and the best practices when it comes to using these types of cleaning products.
I hope this was helpful! If you have any other questions or concerns be sure to reach out in the comments below.”
