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.
Buy good leather cleaner and rub, using a circular motion it into leather. Follow with a leather conditioner. Leather Balm with Atom Wax Leather Conditioner is an outstanding dressing to 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 sunlight as it will fade or discolor. One tip 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 moistening the area again with a little water. Let it dry or gently blow dry. Oil leather with a leather preservative 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.
If you decide to use at leather conditioner, first try it on a small section not noticeable in case your particular brand of leather does not react well to the action. Spills or water need to be cleaned up immediately as 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. Saddle soap is not recommended on a leather couch, as it is too harsh for furniture. As a finishing step, oil leather with a leather preservative.
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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