As of late there as been some confusion how to best take care of your leather furniture, complicated by the fact that H&M has recently been putting a tag on their seat deck that instructs the customer to "Contact the dealer for cleaning instructions or Leather Master."

Prior to that, H&M recommended only mild soap and water, and in their warranty policy (posted elsewhere here on the forum) it specifically states that they can only be responsible for the finish that is applied at their factory. In other words, if you used another product on the hide other than soap and water, they would not warranty any hide issues such as a delamination of topcoat (Flaking of the clearcoat).

Because I pride myself in having the RIGHT answer (rather than just have an answer ), I called Tim Rogers today, President of H&M, to discuss this at length. Tim is the main leather expert at Hancock and Moore, and as President of the company , the buck stops with him so to speak.

Tim told me that if the correct Leather Master product is used on a Hancock and Moore hide, and there is a problem, H&M will stand behind it. That means to use a finished (pigmented) product on a finished hide, and aniline products on aniline hides, nubuck on nubuck, etc.

However he also told his preferred cleaning method is a damp rag. If soap is needed, use a mild soap (like a bar of Ivory soap) in a small amount mixed up in a small bowl. Small amounts are important...do not overdo it. What is important is to get all the soap residue off the hide to prevent it from drying out the leather.

There are lots of other leather cleaning products out there, this advice is applicable to Leather Master products only. Use another brand such as Lexol, or Guardian, etc., and you're on your own!

So there you have it. Take it easy with the soap, or use the Leather Master kits if you like (I sell them in my store and use them on my leather furniture at home).

Remember too, clean leather lasts a very long time. Its built up oils that attack the tannins in the hides and cause the leather to crack. Clean it twice a year and you should never have any leather deterioration issues.