Tips on cleaning Leather & Leather Products

First determine if your leather item is finished or unfinished. In general finished leather items will have a shiny or smooth surface which may be luggage, handbags, wallets, or garments. Unfinished leather and suede usually have a natural dull finish or nappy finish like saddlery, work boots and shoes or sport gloves.

Purchase good leather cleaner and rub it into leather furniture in even circular motions. Follow with a leather conditioner. Leather Balm with Atom Wax Leather Conditioner is an excellent dressing, which will clean, soften, and condition leather. Do not use saddle soap on a leather couch, as it is too harsh for furniture.

Keep leather out of direct daylight as it will fade or discolor the leather. One idea for removing spots from leather is to rub the spot with a cloth that has been dipped in rubbing alcohol. Contrary to what it would seem water spots can be removed from leather by moistening the area again with a little water. Let dry or gently blow dry and then oil leather with a leather treatment such as mink oil.

Be sure to wipe leather shoes with a damp cloth regularly, and keep them well polished with a paste. For saturated leather shoes, insert shoe trees and let air-dry. For leather garments, gloves and bags that are discolored use a leather spray designed to restore color.

Initially try it on a small amount of leather conditioner in a spot not apparent in case your particular brand of leather does not react well to the treatment. Saddle soap should not be used on a leather couch, as it is too unkind for leather furniture. Do not use products like mink oil, shoe polish and waxes when cleaning leather furniture or garments. Use a damp cloth or sponge to rub saddle soap into the leather working the soap into a light lather. Oil leather with a leather stabilizer such as mink oil or leather balm.

Dry leather needs rehydrating with water and oils. Waxes are not used as the natural oils do not dry out of leather. It is important to uphold a regular cleaning routine. Cleaning dirt off the surface regularly and inhibiting the absorption of body oils into the leather with a protector is the best way of doing this. Automobile leather seats can be cleaned using a 5% solution of detergent like Woolite. This is not what you would expect, but a wool cleaner cleans well and protects all different leathers.

Another choice for cleaning leather is to take a damp cloth, wipe it across moisturizing soap and lather the leather. It is important when removing spots from leather to always test any cleaning method on an isolated spot first.

For suede shoes, try an art gum eraser first and if that doesn’t do the trick, use undiluted white vinegar on a soft cloth, and be sure to blot — never rub when cleaning suede. Suede is an unfinished type of leather that needs to be handled carefully. Some people recommend inexpensive leather cleaning processes, like baking soda or salt.

The best method for cleaning leather is determined by the type of the stain and the type of the leather. The following are instructions for common leather cleaning: Always test the cleaning on a small invisible patch of leather before proceeding on the whole item. You should also follow cleaning with a Fiebing Suede and Fabric Coat leather protector which will act like a ‘scotchgard’ and inhibit dirt and stains from being absorbed and make cleaning easier the next time.

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