OK
Here is my take on leather cleaning and conditioning...
I use saddle soap to clean and then I use mink oil to re-moisturize.
When you are cleaning, you are basically removing the oils from the leather along
with the dirt, so, it will need to do replaced.
There are tons of options to get this done.
Im just going to tell ya what I use and how I do it.
My son is still wearing a jacket Ive had from before high school.
(Ill try to find a pic.)
Any way...
The important thing is to not use alcohol or petroleum based stuff.
Think of it this way...
Leather is a skin, with fibers and pores, and they need proper lubrication just like
your skin. Because it no longer has a body to provide natural oils, we gotta provide
these oils or moisturizes for it.
A lot of products claiming to be "cleaners" and "conditioners or preservatives" are
not.
They contain harmful chemicals, petroleum, pine tar, or alcohol to clean, waterproof
or condition leather.
Ive heard, some people use a plain unscented moisturizer on leather stuff, but there
is moisturizers specifically designed for leather also.
Like I said, I use mink oil.
To use saddle soap, dampen a cloth, dip the cloth in the saddle soap, and work up a
lather.
Work the SOAP into a LATHER, ya know, bubbles, foam...
NOT into the LEATHER, into a lather.
Once you have a lather, rub the cloth with some lather on it in circular motions on
the leather. (not the soap itself, but the lather from the soap)
[you would be surprised at how many folks rub the soap onto the leather]
Allow the saddle soap foam to remain on the leather for just a few minutes.
Wipe off the soap using a damp washcloth. Be sure to wipe everything down good and
thoroughly so that no soap is left behind, it can cause the leather to dry out and
become cracked.
Even conditioned it will dry out because the soap is in the pores and not the oil.
In all fairness, there is statements like this...
"Many people swear by mink oil to condition and waterproof their motorcycle leather.
There are really two fundamentally different approaches to motorcycle leather care:
The way I describe it to customers is mink oil vs. a Lexol-type leather conditioner.
It's like putting Vaseline on your hands vs. Jergens lotion. Mink oil will clog the
pores of your leather, just as Vaseline creates a barrier between your skin and the
environment. That's why it will make your leather motorcycle accessories waterproof.
It will also eventually dry out your leather because the pores are clogged. You will
also notice your leather accessories may have a whitish haze to it. That's what
happens when mink oil solidifies in cold weather. To answer the question, it makes
more sense to put mink oil on your boots, if you so desire, and use a conditioner or
product like Chilhowee Buffalo Butter specifically designed for leather care and the
conditioning of quality Deer, Elk, Buffalo, and Cow hide."
In my opinion...
~"The way I describe it to customers..." you are a salesman or, you got sold a sales
pitch.
~If your leathers feel like Vaseline, you have put WAY too much mink oil on and did
not rub it in.
~My jacket is no longer alive to have natural oils filling in the pores, so its ok
for the mink oil to be there.
~I have yet to see any MAINTAINED leather product dry out using mink oil. Ever.
Unmaintained, yes, pores are clogged up with old, dried mink oil.
But Ill be maintaining my stuff because the pores need to be filled with something.
~If there becomes a whitish haze, once again, you have used too much mink oil or did
not rub it in enough.
Good luck and wear your gear...
Some gear.
Any gear.
ANYTHING.
