What Not to Do When Cleaning Your Leather
Properly caring and cleaning for your leather is the difference between it lasting for generations or just a few years. People who own and use leather know that not cleaning it is detrimental to its stability. Contaminants can penetrate deep into the leather and break down the fibers. To understand how to properly care for leather, you must know what to do and what NOT to do.
Use do it yourself solutions
Not all do-it-yourself (DIY) solutions are actually effective. What some people say and show on social media could do more damage than good on your leather. Many videos will have significant editing to hide unwanted results or only show their preferred outcome.
Use alcohol/vinegar
This is a controversial cleaning method, but information about the side effects is often withheld. The danger of using alcohol is significantly more severe than the payout. When you use alcohol, it will lead up to drying out your leather. Once leather starts to dry out, more damage happens to the fibers deep inside the leather. The damage that occurs to the fibers is unrecoverable and will only lessen the life of your leather.
Vinegar is very similar to alcohol as it also dries out leather and can damage the fibers. Some articles and websites tell you that vinegar is safe to use, but be careful, or you may ruin your leather instead of cleaning it.
Using dusting sprays
Leather is a natural product, and we don’t want to clean it with chemicals. Dustings sprays and many other cleaning sprays will have chemicals that are not suitable for your leather. Only natural cleaning supplies should be used, or your leather will perish and break down.
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Storing leather improperly
This may seem relatively straightforward, but it is essential to store leather in a controlled area once you have finished caring for it. When storing leather or placing it somewhere too dry, make sure the area is not too warm or cold. The proper temperature to store the leather is 60-70 degrees Fahrenheit. If it is not stored correctly, it will lead to cracking and/or breaking of the fibers.
Not condition
Refusing to condition or treat your leather is one of the biggest mistakes you can make. Using conditionings or dressings, like Mad Cow Leather Products, will add extra layers of protection to your leather. This should be the last step after the contaminants are removed. Leather will dry out, so moisturizing it, at least twice a year is beneficial to its longevity.
What to do?
To clean your leather the safest option would be to use a mild detergent (water and a few drops of dish soap). Use the detergent to wipe all the contaminants off of the leather. After the leather has been cleaned, you will want to let it dry, and then you will want to condition or treat your leather. Using all-natural products is best to keep your leather life as long as possible. Avoid using cleaners with chemicals as they can leave behind a sticky residue. Using a good conditioner will ensure that your leather is moisturized to keep it looking great. Mad Cow Leather Products has a whole line to help you clean and protect your leather! Check out our products here!