When it comes to furniture, there isn't anything more luxurious and elegant than fine leather. But with that elegance comes the challenge of keeping leather clean and maintained so it gets even better with age. Improper cleaning techniques can result in permanent damage, something I know about from personal experience.

To get started, determine the type of leather you're working with. Read the tags or brochure — either will usually have cleaning tips for your specific piece. If you can find this information, follow the guidelines and instructions.

Otherwise, most leather furniture these days has a topcoat to protect the leather, which is usually safe to clean by following these suggestions:

VACUUM. You need to remove all the loose dirt, dust and debris. A vacuum with a soft brush attachment is the best option, as it will get into the seams and crevices. Be gentle, though. Leather is delicate and you don't want to scratch it.

TREAT STAINS. Before you do a general cleaning, you want to treat any stains on the leather.

For ink stains, dip a cotton swab in rubbing alcohol and rub over the ink stain. Dry the leather using a blow dryer on the lowest setting.

For dark stains, such as food, blood or even stains that you can't identify, make a paste using one part cream of tartar and one part lemon juice. Rub the paste on the stain and let it sit for 10 minutes. Remove the paste with a damp rag and moisturizing soap (as described below). Gently rinse the soap and dry and buff the leather with a soft cloth.

For grease stains, apply a thick coating of talcum powder to the stain. Let it sit overnight to draw the grease or oil from the leather. Gently wipe it clean using a lint-free cloth or vacuum.

CLEAN. Mix a few drops of a mild liquid facial cleanser or body wash, such as Dove body wash, Neutrogena facial cleanser or any shampoo that does not contain sodium laurel sulfate — a harsh ingredient that could dry out the leather — with one quart of distilled water until suds form. Chlorine and other contaminants in regular tap water can also damage the leather.

TEST. Test this cleaner in an inconspicuous place on your leather. Scrub a small area and observe how the leather responds.

DIVE IN. Assuming the test gives a good result, dip the clean cloth into the soapy water and wring it out thoroughly. Wipe one small section of the surface at a time.

RINSE. Dip another soft clean rag into distilled water, wring it out thoroughly and then wipe away the soap residue.

DRY. Immediately use another clean soft rag to dry the area.

BUFF. Take a fourth clean soft cloth and buff the leather to restore the luster.

CONDITION. Treat the surface with a nontoxic, high-quality leather protector or conditioner such as Leather Rescue Leather Conditioner. Just follow the label instructions. Trust me, this stuff is awesome!

MAINTAIN. Moving forward, be sure to clean spills immediately. Leather is porous and will soak up just about anything. Never use harsh cleaners or any kind of oil, furniture polish, baby wipes, household cleaners or any product with wax or silicone. This could damage the leather and/or leave the surface feeling sticky. You may be tempted, but don't use saddle soap, varnish, any ammonia-based cleaners — like Windex — or bleach on leather furniture. Any or all of these could cause discoloration or even serious damage.

POSITION PROPERLY. To keep your fine leather furniture from fading, drying out or cracking, don't put it in direct sunlight. Also, keep it at least two feet away from anything that produces heat or air, such as heating vents, fireplaces, radiators and air-conditioning vents.

CAUTION. Be warned that the above steps assume that your leather has a topcoat. Aniline leather, on the other hand, doesn't have a topcoat; it's a natural leather that retains the hide's natural texure and is very stain-absorbent. To reiterate, be sure to always test a treatment in an inconspicuous area, especially with aniline leather. If you have an emergency, a clear mild dishwashing detergent may safely remove a grease stain from this type of leather.

Mary invites questions, comments and tips at [email protected], or c/o Everyday Cheapskate, 12340 Seal Beach Blvd., Suite B-416, Seal Beach, CA 90740. This column will answer questions of general interest, but letters cannot be answered individually. Mary Hunt is the founder of www.DebtProofLiving.com, a personal finance member website and the author of "Debt-Proof Living," released in 2014. To find out more about Mary and read her past columns, please visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.

Photo credit: Steven Depolo