How do I clean leather?

[Midge]

Just wondering if there is a special way to clean my leather jacket. I don't want to be just throwing warm soapy water on it if its going to kull the life of it or damage it in some way!

[ynot slow]

go to any supermarket and see if they have leather care kits or else a furniture shop,usually use cleaner first to remove grime then put on conditioning cream and wipe off(not on road),when dry after short time your ready.:yes:

[ynot slow]

check first your care label inside clothing may give idea what to use as well,try on small area first as you don't want big smeary stripes etc on jacket or pants

[marty]

buy some armour all leather cleaner/conditioner

[Meekey_Mouse]

Hey Midge... after 7yrs of horse riding, you learn how to clean leather lol

Check if there is a label, if there is follow that, if not... here are a few tips :)

Get a soft cloth and a bucket/ice cream container of warm water. Rub/wipe the gear down so that there isn't any dirt on it.

If you don't have a cleaning/leather product go to your bike store, supermarket or saddlery (personally I go to the saddlery.. a lot more to choose from and they are usually happy to help with advice). Get what sort of cleaner you want... some will help tear resistance, water resistance, suppleness, shine etc.. You can also get products that aren't really to clean it but to go into the leather and preserve it. If it has beeswax or lanolin oil in it then it should do quite a nice job.

Rigorously rub the product in, but only use small amounts. If you put too much on then it will take a while to soak in, possibly leaving smears, so your better to use small amounts and rub it in well with a soft cloth.

The more you do it the better you get and the easier/quicker it will be :rockon:

Jas

Edit: Just noticed marty's post... I've never tried armour all... good idea though

[Drum]

Clean?.........Leather?
Won't that make you look ghey?

[onearmedbandit]

I use Tarrago leather care balm. Cleans easily and protects the leather as well. Not sure how much it costs or where to get as I get the wife to do that stuff and she's overseas. (I must say however I've found I spend a lot less money and time at the supermarket than she does!)

[Trudes]

I used my saddle soap on my jacket a couple of times, but found it actually dried the leather a bit, so now I just wipe clean with a damp cloth and then Dubbin it. Lovely and soft now, not sure if this is what you should do with coloured leather though (ie, dyed red leather as apposed to black leather).

[Midge]

Cheers for all the help im sure ill find sumthing like you have suggested to best suit my jacket....... Thanks

[Jantar]

The method I use is to first clean with warm soapy water and a soft cloth to remove any ingrained dirt and dust. Next saddle soap to remove any sweat or salts. You will now have nice clean leather, but it will have lost all of its waterproofing and some of its suppleness.

Next you must revive the leather to regain waterproofing and suppleness. For this step I use an equestrian product containing bees wax, oloe vera and lanolin. There are a number of such products available so go to your nearest equestrian store and see what's available.

Stay away from chemical treatments as these can adversely affect the stitching and allow water to leak in through the seams.

[Laava]

Dubbin it.
+1 for that! What did you use on your footy when you were wee?

[Trudes]

What did you use on your footy when you were wee?

I used a socky, but I was weally wee wee then.:confused:

[MSTRS]

Ahem...dubbin is NOT recommended. It can do badthings to your stitching.

[Trudes]

Ahem...dubbin is NOT recommended. It can do badthings to your stitching.

Thanks MSTRS, wasn't sure if it was the right stuff to use or not.

[MSTRS]

Thought everyone knew not to use dubbin.....
I just clean with warm water (no soap), wet the rag and lay it on the dirty/bug-infested area to soften the gunge, then wipe off. Re-apply Sno-Seal if necessary. Instructions are on the jar, but basically you need to apply to very warm leather, rub in and allow to cool. This opens the pores and cooling 'sucks' the Sno-Seal deep into the leather for a longer protective life

[TerminalAddict]

Ahem...dubbin is NOT recommended. It can do badthings to your stitching.

dubbin was reccomended to me buy a leather supplier :mellow:

[MSTRS]

dubbin was reccomended to me buy a leather supplier :mellow:

Yep - it's fine on leather. Depends on the material used for stitching - there's the risky bit - would you want your jacket to un-panel itself?

[TerminalAddict]

so how should I dubbin my jacket without getting it on the stitching ?

[Trudes]

Re-apply Sno-Seal if necessary. Instructions are on the jar, but basically you need to apply to very warm leather, rub in and allow to cool. This opens the pores and cooling 'sucks' the Sno-Seal deep into the leather for a longer protective life

Where do I buy Sno-Seal from and is it safe to use on all coloured leathers? Also does it water resist the leather a bit, ie, if used on boots?
Thanks.

[MSTRS]

so how should I dubbin my jacket without getting it on the stitching ?

I can't resist.....First, unpick the stitching, then apply the dubbin to the leather, THEN refit the stitching???:innocent:
Seriously, Get yourself another preserver/waterproofer (eg Sno-seal)

[MSTRS]

Where do I buy Sno-Seal from and is it safe to use on all coloured leathers? Also does it water resist the leather a bit, ie, if used on boots?
Thanks.

Any m/c shop should have it. To be honest, I've only used it on black leathers. In the jar, it looks like amber honey so I doubt that a film of it will adversely affect (red) leathers. I've used it for nigh-on 4 years and my leathers are in excellent condition - soft, supple, waterproof.

[Hailwood]

I use elephant wax from Leather Direct....use it about twice a year to warerproof and soften and condition my jacket and pants...excellent stuff..totally recommend it.....

[Drum]

Where do I buy Sno-Seal from .........

Most camping stores stock it (for boots).

[babyB]

:shit::nono::spanking:

Dont put Snowseal on ya leathers!

Leather is Not horse tack so dont treat them like it!

what i do is here.....
38972

if ya wanna know something PM me
or check out other leather postings by me

[scumdog]

Ahem...dubbin is NOT recommended. It can do badthings to your stitching.

Only if it is cotton stitching, nylon is not affected.

[Wasp]

I have a few holes in my leathers..... think they will wash/polish out? :rofl:

thanks for the advice people

[vifferman]

Where do I buy Sno-Seal from and is it safe to use on all coloured leathers? Also does it water resist the leather a bit, ie, if used on boots?
You can get Sno-Seal from bike shops and sports shops that sell tramping gear and stuff like that.
Yes, it's safe on all coloured leathers - I've used it on black, red, blue, white, yellow and grey leather with no problems at all.
Yes, it does make the leather waterproof - it's mainly beeswax. I use it on my wife's leather suit, and on our gloves and boots.
It's a bit of a pain to rub in, especially on items with stretch gussets, but it works well.

[magicfairy]

Go for a ride in the pouring rain for hours.