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How to Clean Vegan Leather Equipale

Keeping your equipales fresh for years to come

By Clay Imports

Everyone knows that Clay Imports makes the world's most well designed clay building products. But did you know that Clay Imports also produces the world's highest quality equipale furniture? Equipales are a praise piece of furniture known for their history and durability. That’s why it is important to keep your equipales in good condition. This guide is going to share with you the best tips and tricks to keep your equipales clean.

What are equipales?

The word “Equipal'' comes from the nahuatl word for “seat” and they were designed by skilled artisans of the Aztec Empire to build a piece of furniture suitable for emperors and high officials. Though equipales are often referred to as Mexican furniture, the tradition of equipale furniture predates Mexico itself, originating from indigenous communities, over 600 years ago.

How equipales are made
All Clay Imports equipales are 100% handmade

Fortunately, nowadays you don’t need to be part of the Aztec court to enjoy this type of seating. Our modern leather equipales are made with the same materials and techniques as ones used when they were conceived centuries ago: a Rosewood frame with a natural leather seat stretched over  a crushed agave fibers cushion and 100% handcrafted.
What are equipales
Equipales are a fantastic handmade piece of furniture

What type of linings do you use for your Equipales?

Clay Imports strives to maintain the traditional design of Equipale furniture while considering sustainability and durability. That’s why we offer two types of materials for Equipale furniture: painted leather, traditional natural leather and vegan synthetic leather. Though natural leather is the original experience and the material most folks want, this material is rather delicate and should only be used indoors. Our vegan leather is designed for outdoor use; they feature a stain and weather-resistant upholstery and a durable deck sealant applied to the rosewood frame, making them a more durable piece of furniture.

White equipales with synthetic leatherClose details of our Sonora Chair

Disclaimer: This equipale cleaning guide is for synthetic vegan leather, is NOT intended to clean natural leather; applying these methods to natural leather will ruin your furniture, so double check your lining before cleaning.

How to Clean Your Vegan Leather Equipale

White equipales with synthetic leather
Oh no Nick, what did you do? :(

Though vegan leather is rather resistant to staining, vegan equipales can still get dirty and worn. If you had an accident or simply your Equipale needs cleaning, this easy to follow guide will teach you how to clean your synthetic vegan leather Equipale.
  • Wipe away any loose dust, dirt or debris from your equipale.
  • Dilute a household, all-purpose cleaner to about the strength that you would use for cleaning a bathroom.
  • Use a plastic bristled brush and liberally scrub the surface. For heavily soiled areas cleaner concentrate can be added directly to the fabric.

How to clean your equipaleBrush the dirt from your equipale smoothly but firmly

  • Rinse and let dry.
  • Once fully dry, you can add a coating of deck protector to the natural wood. Make sure the equipale is completely dry, otherwise, your deck protector could not work as intended.
  • Lastly, if desired, the painted wood base can be touched up with an exterior grade water based paint.

How to paint your equipales

Equipale are known for their endurance and durability, but that doesn’t mean they don’t need maintenance from time to time. By following these steps, you can make sure your vegan equipale will be usable for many years to come. And if you don’t have a Clay imports equipale, take a look at our equipale collection and find yours today! And remember, if you have any questions or require more information, reach out to us at contact@clayimports.com

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