Choosinga leathercleaner

Ideally,aleathercleanerwillquicklydissolvesurface grime and willrinseoffcleanly.Thesearchfortheideal leather cleanerhasgoneonforcenturies.Historically, turpentine, gasoline,skimmedmilk,pumice, and soaps havebeenusedascleaners.(2) Modernproducts still includeavarietyofsoaps(saddlesoap,Orvissoap, MurphysOilSoap, etc.)aswellas many newfangled detergentcleaners.

Lookforthesequalitiesinaleathercleaner: TheproductshouldhaveaneutralpH,so it willnot changethenormalacidity oftheleather. Theproductshould notmakeaheavylather,so it canbeeasilyrinsed offandwillnothaveatendency tobuildupinfoldsandcrevices. Bewaryof productsthataretoutedtoclean AND condition.Aswithsaddlesoap,theseonestep productsarenotaslikelyto cleanleatheras effectivelyasaproductspecificallyformulatedonly toclean.

Saddlesoap
Thissoftcreamysoap was developedinthe1800s asa leather cleaner andleatherdressing. Itis madefrom lye,water,and fat,sometimeswith added turpentineor beeswax. Althoughsaddlesoap andsimilarsoftsoaps clearly havetraditionontheir side, theseproductshave seriousdisadvantages forseveralreasons: Saddlesoap ismadewithan excessoffat soit performsasanallinonecleanerandconditioner. Theexcessfatinterfereswiththeabilityofthesoap to efficiently loosenandremove greasy,oilydirt, butitdoesgivetheleatherthatsaddlesoap shine. Saddlesoap andsimilarsoftsoaps arestrongly alkaline with apHof10orabove.(9) Leatheris acidic (pH below7). When treatedregularlywithsaddle soap, leatherwill gradually changefromitsnormally acidicstate toalkaline.ThispHchange will cause theleatherto harden,darken,andweaken.(2) Thethick,fatty latherofsaddlesoapisdifficultto rinse completely fromcrevicesandfolds.An accumulation of driedsaddlesoap intheseareas will causetheleathertodeteriorate evenfaster, duetothegrowthofmold,accumulationofgritty dirt,andthechangeinpH.

Homecleaners
Handdishwashingdetergent(Palmolive, Dawn,Ivory, etc.) and SimpleGreen allpurpose cleanerare inexpensive alternativestocommercial leather cleaners. Useamodestsquirt ofthedetergentorcleaner in apail of cooltolukewarmwater andmixwell.The solution should make fewifanysuds whenappliedtothe leather ThepHoftheseproductsrangesfrom slightlyacid(pH below7) to moderatelyalkaline(pHabove7). The neutralorslightlyacidproductsareintheideapHrange forleather.Becausethesecleaningproductsare not usedfullstrengthlikesaddlesoaporcommercial leather cleaners, eventhehighpHproducts are not likelytocause problems.
Product (5) Doveliquidhand dishwashing detergent (8) Palmoliveregulardishwashingliquid Sunlightdishwashingliquid(9) Ivoryliquidhanddishwashingdetergent(7) DawnUltraliquidhanddishwashingdetergent(7) SimpleGreen allpurposecleaner(6) pH 6.2 6.5 7.3 7.0 7.4 9.0 9.5

Commercial cleaners
Commercialcleanersare made by Lexol,Leather Therapy, Farnam,Absorbine, and many otherreputable companies. These products are typicallyusedby applying theproduct fullstrengthtoadampspongeor cloth,thenrubbingthespongeorclothovertheleather toloosenandliftthegrime.Rinsethespongeorcloth oftentoremovethegrimefromtheleather.Afterthe leatherisclean,rinseitwithacleanclothorsponge dampedwithcleanwater.

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Choosinga leatherconditioner
Afterleatheristanned,oilsandfatsareworkeddeeply intotheleatheratthetanneryinaprocesscalled currying togiveleatherflexibility,toughness,and durability.Theseoilsandfatsaregraduallylostfromthe leatherbyagingand use. Ifyoulookatleatherunderamicroscope,thefibers oftheleatherlooklikeapileofropethat'salltangled up.Oilfromthetanneryorfromyourconditionercoat thesefibersallowingthemtobend,move,andslip acrossoneanother.Theseoilskeeptheleathersoftand supple.Withoutlubrication,leatherfiberswillbecome stiffandbrittle.Whenrepeatedlyflexed,stiff,dryfibers willsimplybreakandtheleatherwilldevelopcracks.
(3)

Theseproducts are bestsuitedforuse on heavywork harness,workboots, andsimilaritemsthatneedtobe protected from harduse,water,and weather.

Lighterbodied conditioners
Commercial leatherconditionersareusuallylighter bodiedliquids.Someare emulsions (mixtures) offats andwater similartotheliquidscurriedintotheleather atthetannery.Theseproducts areformulatedtosoak deeply intotheleatherstructure. Conditioners widelysoldand targetedfor equestrian use are madeby companiessuchasLexol, Leather Therapy,Farnam,Absorbine, andOakwood.(4) Other namebrandconditionersincludeHarnessHoneyand productsbyFiebingsandSheps. Leathertreatedwith theseconditionersshouldhavea dryfeelingafewhoursafterapplication,sothese productsaregoodchoicesforleatherclothing,leather furniture,dressshoes,showtack,andfineharness. Theseconditioners arenotenoughprotectionforwork harness,huntingboots,andsimilarworkandoutdoor itemsmadeofleather.Aheavierleatherdressingcan beusedincombinationwithalighterconditioner the lighterconditionersoaksindeeplyandtheheavier dressingprovidessurfaceprotection.

Oncetheleatherleavesthetannery,it willgradually andinevitably becomebrittleandfragile withtime. Leatherthatisneglectedwilldeterioratemuchfaster thanleatherthatiscaredforproperly.Conditioningto replaceoilslostfromtheleatherthroughtimeanduse isanimportantpartofproperleathercare. Thebestwaytochoosetheproductthatisrightforyou istotryasample therearesomanyproductsto chooseandeveryproducthasitsbenefitsand disadvantages.Regardlessofyourchoice,applythe productwithcare.Overconditioningismuchmore difficulttocorrectthanunderconditioning!

Waxandcream polishes
Althoughpolishesdonotconditiontheleather,theydo protectthesurface,provide shineand color, coverlight scratchesandscuffs,and give somewaterresistance. Therearetwobasictypesofpolishes traditionalwax cakepolishandcreamypastepolish.Usethetypeyou likebest.Choosea colorthatmatches yourharnessor tack,orchoose aneutralpolishtojustprovideshine. PolishesaremadebyKiwi,Meltonian,RedWing,and otherreputablecompanies. Applyathincoat,letdry,andbuffwellwithabrushor softcloth.Avoidpackingthepolishintocrevicesand stitchlines excess polishintheseareasmaydrytoa whitecolorandbehardtoremove. Useatoothbrushto removebuiltuppolish,ifneeded.

Heavierbodied dressings
Traditionally,leatherhasbeenconditionedwith greasy orwaxydressingsorthickoily liquidsbasedonanimal orvegetable fats andoils. Naturalproductsusedas leatherdressingsincludebeef tallow,lard,neatsfootoil, beeswax, lanolin,minkoil,beargrease, oliveoil, linseed oil, beeswax,butter,cedaroil,coconutoil,castoroil, and petroleumjelly. Commerciallyproducedproductsinthiscategory includeSno Seal beeswaxwaterproofer,Pecardleather dressing,Pecard harnessoil, KiwiorFiebingMinkOil, Fiebingneatsfootoilorneatsfootoilcompound. Dressingsmadewithanimalorvegetablefatscan oxidizeandturnrancid, especiallyifoverapplied.This will cause leathertodiscolorandharden.In humid weather, these fatscanalsofeedthegrowthofmildew, whichweakenstheleather.Evenwhenapplied sparingly,anoilyfilm canremainonthe leather surface toruboffonskinandclothing.

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Caringforleatherharnessandtack
Quickcleanaftereveryuse
Useadampclothorspongetowipeoffsweat,oily horsedirt,dust,andmudrightafterthetackor harnessisremovedfromthehorse.Itismucheasierto cleantheleatherwhenitisstilldampfromuse,sodo notwait! Thepointistocleanthesurface,nottodeeplysoakthe leatherwithwater,sowet yourspongeorclothincool orlukewarmwater,andwringitoutuntilitisdamp,not dripping.Rinseandwringtheclothorspongeoftenso youareremovingthedirt,notjustspreadingitaround. Allowtheleathertodrycompletelyinashadyairyplace awayfromdirectheatorsunlight.

Whenitstimetoconditionyourleather, dampenaclothorspongewithwater.Useitto wipea thin,evencoatingofconditioneronallof theleathersurfacesyoucanreach.Openup buckles,reachunderflapsandskirts,andspread conditioneronanysurfacesyoucanreach. Theoneexceptionissuedeorroughout leather.It shouldonlybebrushedtopreserveitsfuzzynap. Givetheconditioneralittletimetosoakin,and thenrecheckthetack.Unusuallydryleathermay needasecondapplication.Wipetheleatherdown withadry,lintfreeragtoremoveanyexcess conditionernotabsorbedbytheleather.(1) Afterconditioning,theleathercanbefurther treatedwithalightwaxpolishorasparingcoatofa heavierleatherdressing,dependingonthepurpose oftheleatheritem. Herearemorespecificrecommendationsforwhenand howtoconditionleather: Leatherthatisusedlightly,suchasfinedriving harness,trailsaddles,purses,leatherupholstery, dressshoes,etc.,may onlyneedconditioningonce ortwiceayearbywipingonalightbodiedleather conditionerthatsoaksindeeply.Buffwithasoft clothtoremoveexcessconditionerandraisea mellowshine.Thiscanbefollowed,ifappropriate, withalightwaxpolish, buffedwellformoreshine. Leatherthatisusedhard,suchasworkharness, workingsaddlesandtack,huntingorworkboots, climbingharness,huntingdogcollars,etc.,needs slightlydifferenttreatment.Conditionlightlybut often,usingalightbodied conditionerthatsoaksin deeply.Followthiswithalightcoatofaheavier (waxyorgreasy)leatherdressingthatwillremain ontheleathersurface.

Thoroughlycleanatleastonceayear
Cleanyourtackthoroughlyatleastonceayearifyou areaweekendoroccasionalriderordriver.Cleanmore often severaltimesaseason ifyourideordrivea lot.Disassemblethesaddle,bridle,harness,etc. completely.Cleantheleatherwithadampspongeor cloth,anoldtoothbrush,toothpicks,cottonswabs,and asuitableleathercleaningproduct(see Choosinga leathercleaner elsewhereinthisarticle).Paycareful attentiontobuckles,folds,stitching lines,andtooling. Rinsethedirtfromyourclothorspongeandother cleaningtoolsasyouwork,soyouareremovingthe dirt,notjustspreadingitaroundontheleather. Avoid saturatingtheleatherwithwater thepointistoclean thesurface,not wettheleathertoitscore. Makesuretheleathercleaningproductisthoroughly rinsedofftheleather,especiallyinthefoldsand crevices.Wipethesurfacedrywithaclean,drycloth.If theleatherneedsconditioning,doitnowwhilethe leatheriscleanandstilldamp.Allowtheleathertodry completelyinashadyairyplaceawayfromdirectheat orsunlight.

Tipsandtricks
UseaSharpieorsimilartypeofpermanentmarkerto touchupscuffsandscratches.The markerworks especiallywellifusedalongtheedgesofleather. Ifanedgeofleatherisroughenedupandfuzzy,lightly rubachunkofbeeswaxorawhiteunscentedcandle overtherougharea.Brisklybuffthewaxwithapieceof denimtocompressandsmooththeroughenedfibers. Awaddingtypeofpolishisbestforpolishing hardware.Thistypeofpolishwillnotrunordriponto theleather.OnebrandeasytofindisNevrDull.

Conditionlightlyandappropriately
Therearemanyconditionersandleatherdressingsout thereandtheyallhavetheirprosandcons.Choose wiselyandapplysparingly. Whenproperlyapplied, a leatherconditionershould soakdeeplyintotheleather,leavingafairlydrysurface. Ifthesurfaceremainsstickyoroilyaday orso after conditioning,youhaveappliedtoomuch. Hereisa good methodto follow:

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Restoringneglectedleather
Neglectedharness,tack,andsaddlesareoften badly distortedoutofshapeaswellasverydirty.Thegeneral ruleaboutnotdeeplywettingtheleatherneedstobe ignoredinthissituation,becausetheleatherhastobe formedbackintoshapeaswellascleaned. Makeupacleaningsolutionbyfillingabucketwith warm(nothot!)waterandmixinginamodestsquirtof handdishwashingliquid(Dawn,Ivory,etc.)orSimple Greencleaner.Addjustenoughcleanertoformalight suds,nomore. Soaksimpler,smalleritems harnessstraps,bridles, reins, etc. inthecleaningsolutionfor5to10minutes. Thiswillsoftenthegrimeandmaketheleathermore pliable.Removetheitemsfromthebucketandclean themwithasponge,cloth,toothbrush,etc.Rinsewell withcool,cleanwater. Donotsoakpadded,complex,orlargeitemssuchasa ridingsaddle,gigsaddle,backpad,orcrupperdock(the stuffed,shapedpiecethatgoesunderthehorsestail). Useaspongeorclothtoapplyenoughcleaningsolution toloosendriedgrimeandmakethedistortedsections ofleathermorepliable. Allareasoftheleathershouldbedampenedatthevery leasttopreventwatermarks discolorationsbetween wettedanddryleather.Ontheotherhand,avoid soaking anypadding,thesaddletree,orotherpartsthat wouldbedamagedbywaterorthat willnotdrywithina reasonabletime. Afterwettingthepiece,thoroughlycleanitwitha sponge,cloth,toothbrush,etc.Useacleanspongeor clothtorinsewellwithcool,cleanwater. Afterthepiecesareclean,wipeoffexcessrinsewater, thenformthedampleatherbackintoitscorrectshape asmuchaspossible.Ifneeded,covertheleatherwith boardsandapplypressurewithclampsorweightsto gentlymoldtheleatherbackintoshape.Ifyoudothis, checktheleatherevery12hoursorso theleather maystarttomoldordiscolorifleftcoveredtoolong. Lightlyconditiontheleatherafterithasbeenreshaped, whileitisstilldamp.Allowtheleathertodrycompletely inashady,airyplaceawayfromdirectheator sunlight. Youmaywanttolightlyconditiontheleatheragain afterithasdried. Donotsoakold,stiffenedleatherwith heavydosesof leatherconditioner inanefforttomakeitlikenew again. Berealistic iftheleatherisolderandwas neglected formanyyears,itwillneverregainthe
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pliabilityandfeelithadwhennew.STOPaftera secondlightconditioning,andletwellenoughalone. Waitsomemonths,thenconditionlightlyagainifyou want.

Storingleatherandmanagingmildew
Theidealplacetostoreharness,tack,andsaddlesisina mouse andinsectproof place withgoodaircirculation, andlittleexposuretodirectsunlight.The relative humidity shouldbe moderate somewhere between 45%and 70%.Ifthehumidityistoolow,theleatherwill dryoutandhardenduetomoistureloss.Ifthehumidity istoohigh,mildew growthmay becomeaserious problem.Thetemperatureshouldbe lowto moderate (below75degreesF),againtominimize thechance of mildewgrowth. Leatherisanorganic nonlivingmaterialthatisnaturally slightlyacidic.Thismakesleatheranidealfoodsource formildew.Youcanonlyminimizethepotentialfor mildewgrowth,notcompletelyeliminateit. Thebest waystocontrolmildewinclude usingyourleatheritems often,keepingtheleatherclean,usingalighthandwith theconditioner,andstoringleather properly. Whenaleather itembecomesmildewed,takeit outdoors soyoudonotcontaminateyourhouseortack roomwithmoldspores.Wipe off the mildewgrowth using aclothdampenedwith asolutionof1cup denaturedorrubbingalcoholand1cupwater.(11) Mildew issometimesconfused withspew,awhite waxycoatingthat canappearonleather.Mildewissoft andpowderyandmayappearaspatchesofwhiteor graywithcurvedorcircularedges.Spewiswaxy fatthat has migrated frominsidetheleathertothesurfaceasa resultoftemperaturechanges. It mayappearinrandom streaksorasanoverallwhitehazewithnoclearedges. Removespewwithasoftdrycloth whenitappears no furthertreatmentshouldbeneeded. Sources:
1. http://www.leathertherapy.com/index.php?main_page=article&artid=33 2.http://www.kb.nl/cons/leather/chapter2en.html 3.http://www.properautocare.com/leclcoex.html 4.http://www.jeffersequine.com/ssc/depts.asp?CID=1&BrowseList=382 5.http://www.biosci.ohiostate.edu/safety/FinalMSDSPage.htm 6.http://www.simplegreen.com/products_msds.php 7.http://annualreport.pg.com/productsafety/ 8.http://www.colgate.com/app/Colgate/US/Corp/ContactUs/MSDS.vsp 9.http://msds.johnsondiversey.com/viewer/wvConsumerBrand.asp 10.http://www.ppd.ufl.edu/pdf/msds/Murphy_Oil_Soap_Liquid.pdf 11. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/HE/HE63300.pdf[

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