What It Is

A good starting point for cleaning leather is to find out if your leather item is finished or unfinished. In general finished leather items will have a shiny or smooth surface which may be luggage, garments, 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. Then use a leather conditioner. Leather Balm with Atom Wax Leather Conditioner is an excellent dressing, as it will clean, soften, and condition leather. Do not use saddle soap on a leather couch, as it is too harsh for furniture.

Leather should be kept out of direct daylight. The reason for this is it will fade or discolor. One suggestion for removing spots from leather is to dip a soft cloth into rubbing alcohol and rub the spot. Water spots can be removed from leather by putting a little water on the spot again, then let it dry or gently blow dry. Oil leather with a leather treatment such as mink oil.

It is recommended 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. Discoloration: For discolored leather garments, gloves and bags use a leather spray designed to restore color.

If you experiment with leather conditioner, first try it on a small corner in the back of the couch, in case your particular brand of leather does not react well to the treatment. Do not use saddle soap on a leather couch, as it is too harsh for furniture. Do not let spills or water dry; they can penetrate the dye in the leather and leave a spot. Avoid 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; work soap into a light lather. Oil leather with a leather preservative such as mink oil.

Dry leather needs rehydrating with water. Do not use oils and waxes as the natural oils do not dry out of leather. It is imperative to maintain a regular cleaning regime cleaning dirt off the surface regularly and inhibiting the absorption of body oils into the leather with a protector. For car leather seats, the owners manual says to use a 5% solution of detergent made for wool ( Woolite). This may sound strange, but it cleans and protects leather of all kinds.

Another option for cleaning leather is to take a damp cloth, wipe it across moisturizing soap and lather the leather. Do not forget to test any cleaning method on an out-of-the-way spot when removing spots from leather.

For suede shoes, try an art gum eraser first and if that doesn’t fix the problem, use undiluted white vinegar on a soft cloth, and be sure to blot — never rub when treating suede. Suede is an unfinished type of leather that needs to be handled with care. Some people recommend low-cost 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 that will make cleaning easier the next time.