How to Clean & Preserve Leather

Leather is a strong, natural material that, if treated properly, ages well. Basic caring for leather can be broken down into three parts: passively preserving it by keeping it in a suitable environment in low light, washing it lightly and conditioning it twice a year. A good leather conditioner will not only improve the appearance of leather but it will prevent it from becoming brittle or otherwise over-drying, particularly if you have a leather product that sees a lot of sun. These three elements together, however, keep the leather in its best state for years to come.

Things You'll Need

• Small bowl
• Warm water
• Saddle or mild soap
• 4 dry cloths
• Leather conditioner

Instructions

1. Keep your leather products in the right environment as that will passively assist in maintaining its condition. The right environment for leather is one which is strictly moderate. The ideal temperature for leather is between 68 and 77 degrees F and neither humid nor dry. Keep leather out of the sun as that can fade the color and make sure it is in an area where it can have a free flow of air around it.

2. Wash the leather very gently by hand twice a year to remove accumulated dirt. In a small bowl of warm water add saddle soap or a very mild soap and work up a good lather. Dip your dry cloth into the lather, not the soapy water, and gently rub into the surface of the leather. Keep in mind that your cloth should scarcely be moistened.

3. Rub a clean, dry cloth across the item to dry it. Do not dry it with a heater or blow dryer as that could warp or ruin your leather.

4. Apply leather conditioner twice a year after washing your leather. Dab a quarter-sized amount of conditioner onto a dry rag once the leather surface has dried. Using the rag, rub the conditioner all over the surface area of your leather product. Use more leather conditioner if needed to cover all areas. You want the leather to look soft and glossy with the leather conditioner, but you don't want to use too much, giving it a greasy, over-saturated appearance.

5. Allow the leather conditioner to sit for 12 hours. Buff the surface of the leather with a clean, dry cloth.

References

• Creative Homemaking: Cleaning and Preserving Leather
• "Saving Stuff;" Don Williams, Louisa Jaggar; 2005
• "Modern Leather Design;" Donald J. Willcox; 1969