Determine first if your leather item is finished or unfinished. Finished leather items will generally have a shiny or smooth surface which may be wallets, luggage, handbags, or garments. Unfinished leather and suede usually have a natural dull finish or nappy finish like saddlery, work boots and shoes or sport gloves etc.
Purchase 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 a great dressing to clean, soften, and condition leather. Do not use saddle soap on a leather couch, as it is too abrasive for furniture.
Direct sunlight can be very unpleasant on leather as it will fade or discolor the leather. Removing spots from leather can be accomplished by dipping a soft cloth into rubbing alcohol and rubbing the spot. Water spots can actually be removed from the leather by moistening the area again with a little water. Let the leather dry out or gently blow dry. Oil leather with a leather protection such as mink oil after removing the spots.
Make sure to wipe leather shoes with a damp cloth frequently, and preserve them well polished with a paste. For waterlogged leather shoes, insert shoe trees and let air-dry. Discoloration: For leather garments, gloves and bags that are discolored use a leather spray designed to restore color.
At the start, try it on a small amount of leather conditioner in a spot not apparent in case your particular brand of leather does not react well to the treatment. Saddle soap should not be used on a leather couch, as it is too unkind for leather furniture. Do not use 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 working the soap into a light lather. Oil leather with a leather stabilizer such as mink oil or leather balm.
Dry out leather needs re-hydrating with water and oils. Waxes are not advisable as it will dry out of the leather. It is essential to maintain a regular cleaning system cleaning dirt off the surface regularly. Stopping the absorption of body oils into the leather with a protector is the best way to doing this. Car owners manual suggest using a 5% solution of detergent made for wool on car leather seats. This cleans and protects leather of all kinds.
Further more alternative for cleaning leather is to take a damp cloth, wipe it across moisturizing soap and lather the leather. Remember: When removing spots from leather, always test any cleaning method on an out-of-the-way spot first.
Suede is an unfinished type of leather that needs to be addressed carefully. For suede items, 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 treating suede. Some people recommend low-cost leather cleaning processes, like baking soda or salt.
The best way to clean leather is determined by what kind of stain and the type of the leather. Advice for common leather cleaning is always test small indiscernible patch of leather before proceeding on the whole item. Follow cleaning the item with a Suede and Fabric leather protector which will act as a protector and inhibit dirt and stains from being absorbed. This will make the job lighter in the future.
