There are hundreds of variations of potentially good recipes and we aren’t going to pretend that we have the absolute way of doing it, but let’s give you some guidelines:
- Leather care products compositions can vary greatly by what the manufacturer includes in the formula. Generally, a formula that has very few, water-based, and gentle ingredients is best. The leather will benefit from added moisture, without a lot of additional additives which could adversely react with the leather over time.
- When choosing the leather care products, be very cautious what’s in it. Some with alcohol will not be preferable, as the alcohol will pull moisture out from inside the leather; the opposite of what we want to do.
- Since leather is a natural product so suggest using the leather care products with as many natural ingredients as possible – meaning animal fats (like lanolin and tallow) and animal oils (cod or neatsfoot oil) and bit of natural wax will also do the leather some good.
- Oils derived from natural fats are generally more similar to those originally present in the leather fibers, making them more suitable for conditioning leather.
- You could use an animal oil alone, but the addition of natural wax makes it easier to apply. Basically you want to feed the leather and impregnate it slightly to make it more resistant to stains and wear.
- lighter oils are better than heavier oils. Heavier oils can block the leather pores, stain the leather, or make it feel greasy. Lighter oils generally penetrate the leather more deeply, evenly, and don’t have a noticeable feel to them.
- Some folks use common oils such as olive oil, canola oil, vegetable oil, etc. While these might add some moisture back into the leather, they might be a little too heavy for applications outside of saddlery and related uses. Outside of those uses, these heavier oils could oversaturate stain, and lead to faster decomposition of the leather fibers than with a more suitable oil.
- Use the leather care products that have not suffered the technical progress of chemistry such as the addition of silicones, resins and other petroleum-based products which are harmful to fine leathers. In general terms more natural and gentle oils will be the best for any type of leather over synthetic oils.
- Many of the leather care products available on the market today are based on petroleum jelly extracted from crude oil. If we compare the chemical structure of petroleum jelly with animal fat molecules, we can see that these clearly differ from one another, which in turn affects its ability to penetrate the leather. Animal fats are thus both very beneficial in leather care and gentle for the environment – we see that as a great advantage!
- There are some finishes that are synthetic, such as acrylic. These form a waterproof seal, which is preferable for some uses, though overall not as desirable as other options. The acrylic surface will make it hard to condition the leather in the future, since it’s essentially a plastic coating sealing in the leather underneath.
- Vaseline is not good for leather. Since it is petroleum based, it will over time accelerate the breakdown of leather fibers. Also, it will form a nearly-un removable surface coating. This will prevent the leather from being properly conditioned in the future.
- If the leather care products have an unnatural smell or too many weird ingredients think twice about using it. Because oils and fats affect the smell of leather and fatliquors of good quality do not have an intrusive odor.
- Some leather care products have a very high pH, which could damage the leather. So more neutral pH leather care products are most recommended. Also using a product with neutral pH minimizes the risk of leather irritation.
- Many shoe polishes are finishes with color pigments that closely match the shoes they’re being used on. This both help protect the leather underneath, while also hiding minor scratches and blemishes, due to the color in the finish.
- Oils and conditioners does not fix scratches on leather. Applying any leather oil or conditioner to leather with scratches can help reduce the look of some scratches. This is mainly because leather that is conditioned and nourished will swell a tiny bit, becoming soft, supple, and a little darker. Thus, scratches will be a little darker and closer in color tone to the original leather, and a bit less noticeable.
- Over time it is normal that the wax dries and cracks because the solvents evaporate. But if you prevent solvents from evaporating in some way this could be regarded as a pro-tip.
Some people don’t like to have shiny shoes, however the leather still needs to be nourished in order to prevent from cracking. Leather is comprised of natural fibers. Over time, exposure to the elements such as heat, sun, dirt, rain, and grime will draw out some of its natural moisture. This can lead to drying, lightening of the color, and ultimately cracking of the leather material. It’s important to maintain it with leather polish, oil or conditioner that helps ensure it will retain the proper levels of moisture and flexibility over time. because you will extend the life span of leather’s goods by conditioning and feeding them. In return they’ll look more beautiful and be with longer.
Some indicators that a natural leather item is losing moisture:
- It will begin to lighten in color.
Leather begins to lighten in color as moisture is lost. If one notices this, it’s likely time to condition the leather and add some moisture back to help keep the fibers strong. - It becomes less flexible and somewhat stiff.
If a leather item has lost a lot of moisture, it can begin to stiffen and crack. This is a key sign that it will need to be conditioned to restore moisture to the leather fibers, and allow it to become flexible again.
- It’s always a good idea to polish all leather goods when you purchase them, for example you never know the leather used on your new wallet how many years has been on a shelf in the factory, or you don’t know if your new shoes spent a lot of time in a damp storage room before leaving the shop. Either way get into a rhythm, so you know when it’s time to condition.
- Carefully remove dust and dirt before applying the product with a damp cloth (NOT WET) or sponge.
- Do not use with excessive amounts of water. Water dries out leather. then let it dry for without the aid of any artificial heat sources. If it’s wet, when you apply the polish, you could potentially trap moisture in the leather, which worst case could cause it to rot.
- Always test the material compatibility on an inconspicuous area. This is because in some cases, leather conditioners change the actual color of the product and you might not be happy with that.
- When dry apply a small amount of cream wax and spread evenly in a circular motion over shoes, etc. with the sponge.
- Once the oil has been applied, let it dry. Many factors can influence dry time here too, such as leather thickness, how much cleaner was applied, ambient temperature, and ambient humidity.
- If you feel it needs a lot of oil, apply in thin, light layers and allow to dry before doing it again. This will help ensure that not too much oil goes on, which could clog the leather pores and prevent proper finishing later (as well as a tacky, greasy feel).
- In most cases, you need to brush and polish to make it shining.
- To ensure your leather lasts as long as possible we highly recommend treating your leather 2-3 times a year depending on use.
- Saddles are a thicker leather that require a lot of oil and don’t need to handle as delicately as, say, shoe leather. A quality leather oil will help make saddles and tack last a very long time.
- Leather couches see a lot of “traffic”, thus it’s important that the leather care product is used that will absorb deeply without being sticky or tacky. Heavier oils can pose those issues, while lighter oils will go on smooth and not leave residue on the surface.
Bag, not like shoes, are not in permanent and direct contact with dirt and water so they don’t get that much dirty and don’t need that much cleaning, feeding and recoloring.
Because of its very high concentration of nutritious components and waxes, shining once per week after wearing them few times is enough. If there is a mirror shine everyday on the shoes, you can buff them with a hair brush or with a shining cloth. Just in case you have been through an extremely bad weather, water, snow, you should let them dry peacefully with a wooden shoetree away from any height and then you should shine them.
After buying nice shoes, you want them to keep their original shape to look as nice as the first day you bought them. By using wooden shoetrees, you will be able to do so.
The leather is flexible if you don’t use a shoetree, your shoes will naturally bend and wrinkle especially at the front part. The shoetree should put just right after you take off your shoes in order for them to get back to their original shape when the leather is still warm and humid.
You have different material and shape for shoetrees. The best one in most of the case would be the one recommended by your shoemaker because the shape usually perfectly match the shape of the shoes. You can easily by yourself find the proper shoetree for your shoes by putting the shoetree in your shoes and touching them, the wood should completely fill the shoe and you should have any empty space when you touch it. Always go for the full last shoetree and use only wooden shoetree for the shoe to be able to dry properly
Over time it is normal that the wax dries and cracks because the solvents evaporate however in some products with the reduction of solvents the concentration of hard waxes is increased and a high shine can be achieved more easily.
Talcum powder or cornstarch can be used to help remove oil from leather. Leather is naturally porous and absorbs oils/moisture. Thus, if an undesired oil stains the leather, it can be a bit tricky to remove. To try, place a liberal amount of talcum powder or cornstarch over the stain, and let it sit to absorb the oil. Usually, overnight is best to allow time for the talcum or cornstarch to draw some of the oil out.
Depending on how much oil is staining the leather, or how deep it is, multiple talcum/cornstarch applications might be needed.
Faux leather generally will not need conditioning in the same way that natural leather does. Thus, in most cases faux leather does not need leather oil. For example, many faux leathers are plastic-based, or even 100% plastic. They’re often waterproof and won’t really absorb oils rubbed into the surface.
