Cleaning Leather

personal view by
Fred Norman, Whipmaker

The author, Fred Norman, has released this into the public domain As of Oct98,
the author can be emailed: FNorm@aol.com

Just as there are all kinds of leather, there are all kinds of 'cleaning' so what is good for one may not be needed for another.  One leather to be especially careful with is suede. don't get it wet! It will 'mat' down easily. There are brass brushes made to bring the nape up, but it is never quite the same again. On smooth leather I use Saddle soap for general cleaning. First I wipe the leather down with a damp cloth. Removing all loose surface dirt. Then I use a shaving brush to work up a lather (I prefer the solid saddle soap over the liquid). I swirl this into the leather, then while it is still damp, I wipe it off. Repeat, only this time let it dry all the way. Later brush it off with a shoe brush. This is good cleaning and conditioning for most smooth leathers.

For added conditioning, I like Fiebings, "Care-4". I think it is better and cheaper than Lexol. Smells better too! I use a spray bottle to put it on. Working it in by bare hand rubbing. (Kinky) Then, after a few minutes, wipe off any excess. Later buff it with a brush or hand rub with soft cloth.

Sterilizing - There are lots of ideas, and lots of preparations out there for this.

I like, "Physan-20" This is a hospital type fungicide, bactericide, viricide. It kills, influenza type A, herpes, and a long list of
other things. It is also sold in a lot of plant stores and nurseries. Same stuff, but with a slightly different label. Thank you EPA!!!  It is safe to handle, (LD 50 is around a quart - This stands for Lethal Dose of 50% of the general population), you can even use it in swimming pools as an algaecide. one qt. to 20K gallons. Smells good too.  The cost is around $30 for a concentrated gallon. The working solution is 1TBS to a gallon of water. So a gallon of this stuff is just about a lifetime supply. It will not harm leather. Rub it in or lightly soak for 10 minutes, then proceed with the above cleaning/conditioning.

I'm available privately for any questions.

Fred Norman, Whipmaker

Excellent books for Dom's,,,