How to Clean a Faux Leather Desk Pad

If you are wondering how to clean faux leather on a desk pad, the answer is short: dust it with a soft, dry cloth, wipe a light mark with a soft, slightly damp cloth, then dry the surface. That is the whole routine for our desk pads, and nothing stronger is part of it. The rest of this guide covers the details: the steps in order, spills, marks that do not lift, and the habits that mean you clean less often.

What you need

• Two soft cloths, one to dampen and one to dry.
• Clean water.

That is all. Our materials and care page names no cleaning product for any set, so sprays, polishes, wipes and conditioners are not part of this routine.

The routine, step by step

1. Clear the pad. Lift the pieces off it; do not drag them across the surface. Move the keyboard and mouse aside.
2. Dust with a dry cloth. Wipe the whole surface with a soft, dry cloth. Most of the time this is the only step needed.
3. Dampen a cloth slightly. Wet a corner of the second cloth and wring it out well. It should feel damp, not wet. Water should never run or pool on the pad.
4. Wipe the mark. Use light strokes over the mark.
5. Dry the surface. Go over the damp area with the dry cloth right away. Do not leave moisture to dry on its own.
6. Put the pieces back once the surface is dry.

Some shops sell this kind of pad as a desk mat. If you searched for how to clean a desk mat, these steps are the care we give for our own faux leather desk pads; for another maker's mat, follow its care instructions.

How often

Our care advice sets no schedule. Dust the pad when you see dust, and use the slightly damp cloth only when there is a light mark to remove. Most desks need the first far more often than the second.

Spills

Coffee, tea and water are the usual ones. The rule is speed: wipe up a spill promptly; do not leave it to sit.

1. Lift anything standing in the liquid.
2. Wipe up the liquid with a soft, dry cloth.
3. Wipe the area with the slightly damp cloth.
4. Dry it.

Then put the cup on a coaster. Most of our sets include one, and it is the cheapest cleaning method there is.

Ink and marks that do not lift

A desk pad is a writing surface, so sooner or later a pen will slip. Try the damp cloth once, lightly. If the mark stays, stop there.

• Do not use an abrasive pad. Abrasive pads are on our list of things to keep away from every surface.
• Do not reach for a solvent. Our care advice names no cleaning product, so alcohol, ink removers and household cleaners are not part of it.
• Ask first. If you want to try a cleaning product on a specific set, contact us before you do.

We would rather say plainly that a mark may stay than suggest a method we cannot stand behind.

What to keep away from the pad

• Abrasive pads and scouring sponges, on any surface.
• Soaking. Never run the pad under a faucet or leave excess moisture on it.
• Knives and other sharp tools. Use a separate cutting mat for craft knives, and keep scissors and letter openers off the pad when they are not in use.
• Dragging. Lift trays and organizers to move them.

Other pieces and other materials

The same routine applies to the rest of a set.

• Trays, pen cups, holders and stands are cleaned like the pad. A velvet-lined or faux leather-lined interior is part of the piece: do not soak it, and keep abrasive pads away from it.
• The mouse pad in the Venus sets is cared for the same way as the desk pad.
• A printed marble-look pattern, as on some Pulsar sets, is printed on faux leather, so it is cleaned like any other faux leather piece.
• The nameplate and the clock. Wipe the gold or silver plate with a soft cloth and do not scrub the printed text. Keep excess moisture away from the nameplate and from a clock.
• Wood veneer sets, and the 17-piece and 5-piece genuine leather sets. The Prestige sets and the 17-piece and 5-piece sets have the same care advice as the rest of the range: a soft, slightly damp cloth, then dry.

If you are not sure which material you have, the Material line on the product page states it. Every set recorded as faux leather is in the faux leather desk sets collection, and our guide to genuine leather vs faux leather explains how to tell the two apart on any listing.

Habits that mean less cleaning

• Cups on a coaster, every time.
• Food off the pad. Eat away from the working surface when you can.
• Pens capped, and in the pen cup when they are not in your hand.
• A pad that fits. A pad that lies flat and clear of the monitor stand is easier to wipe. The desk pad size guide shows how to measure for the two sizes.

Cleaning questions

Can I use disinfecting or alcohol wipes?

They are not part of our care advice, which uses a soft cloth only, dry or slightly damp. Contact us before trying one on your set.

Can I use a cleaning spray or polish?

The same answer applies. The care we describe names no cleaning product.

My pad got very wet. What now?

Wipe the water up promptly with a soft, dry cloth and dry the surface. Soaking a piece and leaving excess moisture on it are both on our list of things to avoid.

Can I order a replacement pad without a whole set?

Every model in Build Your Desk Set has a Desk Pad piece, and a desk pad can be ordered on its own. Check the pad size shown for the model against your set before you order: Genesis, the genuine leather model, has the larger pad.