Why Is My Faux Leather Couch Cracking?

Besides being a kinder alternative to real leather, faux leather is extremely popular for its practicality and durability compared to real leather.

Why Is My Faux Leather Couch Cracking

Typically, most leather is often made from something that is known as “vinyl”, which is a type of material that mimics the properties and texture of true leather extremely well and is often far more affordable than the real deal.

However, despite the fact that faux leather is typically designed to be more cost-effective and durable, this isn’t always the case, as faux leather can sometimes begin to crack and age in a similar fashion to real leather.

The main reason for this simply comes down to wear and tear from everyday usage, and signs of cracking are most commonly seen on faux leather sofas after a period of around 5 years if it has been well cared for during the years prior. 

Nevertheless, even though it is impossible to completely prevent signs of wear in your faux leather couch, there are a variety of different ways that you can help to slow the process down, and we’re going to be talking you through them.

Check out some of the top ways you can keep your faux leather couch from cracking, and maintain its pristine condition for longer below:

Make Sure That Your Couch Has A Protective Treatment

First things first, one of the best ways that you can help to prevent your faux leather couch from cracking for longer is to make sure that you’re giving it a protective treatment at least once every 3 months or so.

There are a variety of different protective treatments on the market that you can opt to use for your couch, although if you’d like a recommendation, then the Rejuvenate High Performance Leather & Vinyl Conditioner is a great product to consider.

Not only will it help to keep your vinyl couch from becoming damaged from everyday use, but it will also help to keep your couch from looking dull and lifeless.

By making sure that you are giving your couch a protective treatment every few months, you will help to make sure that your couch’s faux leather material will remain in optimal condition, and in turn, have a much lower chance of cracking or showing other signs of wear and tear.

Clean Your Faux Leather Couch Regularly

Another way that you can help to prevent your faux leather couch from cracking is by making sure to regularly clean it.

Dirty and built-up debris across the surface of faux leather couches is one of the biggest culprits of premature cracking, so you’ll be making a good choice to regularly give it a clean to make sure that it’s in tip-top condition. 

The best way to do this is by getting some faux-leather-friendly wipes and gently going over the surface of your couch in order to remove all of the debris, dirt, and other contaminants that might have built up across the surface from being sat on.

Alternatively, if you want to use something tailored towards giving your faux leather couch a deeper clean, then the TriNova Leatherette, Vinyl and Faux Leather Cleaner won’t disappoint.

Offering advanced aux leather restoration, this faux leather cleaner will be able to offer long-lasting protection that will help to prevent visible signs of wear (including cracks) while also doubling up as a cleaner that can be used to get rid of even the most stubborn of surface stains.

What’s more, it even comes complete in a convenient spray bottle that will make application easy as can be.

Avoid Wearing Clothing/Shoes That Could Damage The Surface Of Your Couch

Alongside making sure that you’re regularly giving your faux leather couch a thorough clean to help prevent any surface debris from damaging the quality and appearance of your couch, you should also make sure that you’re avoiding clothing that might damage your faux leather couch’s surface.

By this we mean, you should try your best to avoid wearing clothing that has big buckles or something similar that might damage the surface of your faux leather couch and cause it to begin cracking.

In addition to clothing, we also recommend that you (and everyone else that sits on your couch) avoids placing their shoes on the surface of your faux leather couch - especially if they’re wearing heels!

How To Repair Cracked Faux Leather Couches

Even though there are a variety of steps that you can take to help reduce the chance of your faux leather couch cracking, sometimes it can be inevitable - no matter how well you care for your faux leather furniture.

With that being said, if your faux leather couch has become cracked in certain areas, then there isn’t too much that you can do in order to fix it by yourself.

However, one way that you can get your faux leather couch repaired is to seek the help of a professional who will be able to resurface your faux leather couch for you, or alternatively by purchasing a faux leather (or vinyl) couch fixing kit.

The ICONIC Black Leather Repair Kit is a great option to check out. It is suitable for vinyl/ faux leather materials and is an affordable way to repair the surface of your couch if you don’t want to pay to get it completely repaired.

This upholstery repair kit is super easy to use and can be used to fix a variety of wear and tear, including rips, burn holes, and even cracks! It’s a great way to fix a cracked couch on a budget.

As a side note, if you’ve recently purchased your faux leather couch and you’ve noticed that its surface has begun to crack, then this may be due to a defect in the way that it has been manufactured.

If you feel that this might be the case, we recommend that you reach out to its manufacturer for advice, or alternatively use your warranty to get it replaced/repaired if you have a warranty on your couch.