Whether it’s your favorite pair of calfskin cowboy boots or a beloved belt, caring for your leather wear is imperative if you want these items to remain in good condition for their lifetime. Since leather is a durable, strong material, maintenance is typically minimal but still necessary.
Follow these basic guidelines to ensure you get the best wear out of your leather goods.
Items Needed
- A piece of cloth to protect your surface when cleaning
- Horsehair brush
- Saddle soap
- Leather Conditioner (optional)
- Shoe polish (optional)
- A few old rags
Removing Dust and Dirt
The first step to proper care begins with cleaning your leather item. Whether it’s a pair of cowboy boots, a belt or other object, you will want to start with gently wiping the dirt and dust off.
AllenBoots.com states, “Routinely cleaning and conditioning will prevent the dirt and dust from cutting away and drying out the microscopic fibers that make your cowboy boots [and other leather articles] strong and durable.” Therefore this is a routine step in caring for your leather that should never be skipped.
- Start by placing a piece of cloth on your table or cleaning surface to protect the area. If you are cleaning boots, it is ideal to remove the laces at this time.
- Simply set them aside to replace after your cleaning is complete. Then place your leather upon the clothed surface and gently wipe away the dust and grime.
- Next, using a horsehair brush, you will brush the surface of the leather. You can give your boots or other products a vigorous brushing at this point, but remember you are simply knocking dirt and dust away not scrubbing it off with this brush.
Applying Saddle Soap
- Next, you will use your saddle soap to clean your boots. Pro tip, you can either use a small bowl of water during this step, or you can just fill the empty lid of your saddle soap with a bit of water. As you will only be using water to dampen your rag, either option works.
- Grab one of your rags and wrap one end around a few of your fingers. Then dip your covered fingers into your water and into the saddle soap. Swirl it around until you see lather, then apply the product directly to your boots.
- Working in small sections, make circular motions with the saddle soap until the entire leather surface has been cleaned. Do not use an excess of saddle soap—this is a product that should be used sparingly.
- Set aside your product and let it air dry.
Conditioning Your Leather
- While this is an optional step, conditioning is important when it comes to long term leather care. Particularly with boots that are often exposed to water, conditioning will keep irreparable cracking to a minimum.
- In fact, according to the site Real Men Real Style, you should condition your leather boots before you even wear them for the first time.
Wipe Down Your Boots
Just like the first step to cleaning, place your boots on a piece of cloth and wipe them down with a cloth and a horsehair brush. You want to remove the dust and debris before applying your conditioner.
Applying Conditioner
- Open your conditioner and set it beside your boots. Grab one of your clean rags and apply the conditioner to it. Then begin to rub the product into your boots, paying particular attention to creases and folds.
- If your boots have been neglected and the leather is dry, you may need to apply conditioner 2-3 times. Otherwise, if they are already in good condition, a single application will work just fine.
- Using an additional rag, you will wipe away excess conditioner and set your boots aside to dry. After 12 hours, return to your boots and wipe away any leftover product and then your boots are good for the next 3-4 months.
Taking care of your leather products is an easy, yet necessary, part of owning leather wear.
