How to Clean with Saddle Soap

Local leather guy, S’Berg has been cleaning his leather gear with saddle soap for over 20 years. Here, he gives a step-by-step guide on how to clean your treasured leather gear and ensure it stays in good condition for a lifetime.

Ever since my first bit of leather gear, I was told in the store to get a tin of saddle soap and for good reason. “Leather’s an investment”, I was told. This little prime nugget of information was probably the best advice I was given. I’ve since been cleaning with my leathers with saddle soap now for over 20 years. In this article, I give an opinion on one method of cleaning. Follow it and you’ll ensure your leather gear lasts you a lifetime: it’s an “investment for life” after all!

Nothing compares to leather. Other products can try and mimic the depth of feel of leather. But, nothing else will do. It’s a living material. Each item of leather gear is unique. Look closely and you’ll see some tiny scratches and bumps on the hide. It’s unique. And, it’s yours. Treasure it!

You’ve invested in genuine leather gear, you should accept that you’ll have to clean, polish, condition and buff on a regular basis. These are, if you like, the duties and responsibilities of every leatherman. Failure to look after your leathers regularly will result in it initially looking dull, tired, stained and gradually it will develop tiny cracks, become brittle and generally degrade. This includes everything down to gloves, wallets, belts and every add-on you can think of.

Fiebing Saddle Soap (USA), contains glycerine which gives a gloss finish.

It’s surprising just how much dirt leather will collect after a few nights out. Dust, dirt and grime from modern day living. But then there are the other ‘spills of life’: beer, liquids and stuff that’s a bit thicker and (you know what I am saying here) sticky and and those liquids that contain chemicals (the ones you buy in the shops) - which, if harmful to skin contact, will also damage your leather if left on.

I’d agree with the argument that saddle soap is the best leather cleaning product around. Some ingredients are interesting: glycerin, lanolin and beeswax are added in with the Fiebing brand; some brands add a little bit of Neatsfoot oil which therefore negates the need for buying and using Neatsfoot for conditioning - though that’s a personal choice covered elsewhere on the LeatherWest blog. As the name suggests, it’s original purpose was for cleaning leather saddles and other leather-based horse ‘tack’ (harnesses and the like), but it’s now used the world over for leather gear in general.

Made in the UK, Carr & Day and Brecknell & Turner saddle leather conditioning soap doesn’t contain glycerine (which produces a high glossy finish), but instead gives a matt finish with a softer feel. So the choice is done to your preference: glossy and sturdy / matt finish and a softer feel. I suppose it all depends on the ‘tongue test’.

Preperation

Before cleaning, let’s say, a pair of jeans or breeches, make sure you prepare. Clear a table, so you can sit and really have a ‘good go’ at cleaning. Wash/clean table down first. Then let the table dry. I do this because your cleaned (and slightly damp) leather will pick up any number of crumbs and dust you can’t see. If you make this mistake - you’ll be back to cleaning them again!

Get your kit together! You will need a number of cloths. Usually four is the advice: one each for washing, cleaning, polishing and buffing (that’s for applying a ‘conditioner’ - covered elsewhere). For cleaning with saddle soap, get a dusting cloth (make sure it is clean and tack free), so it won’t pick up any dust, etc.

A second cloth for cleaning with saddle soap might be needed. However, saddle soap in a tin usually comes with a sponge, which can be better to get into the nooks and crannies of leather gear, particularly stitching and hems and joins, collars, pocket flaps on shirts for example.

I usually have a third clean cloth handy (polishing cloth) to rub the leather after I have finished cleaning.

Make sure you have a bowl of clean water to squeeze out your cleaning cloth/sponge. The saddle soap excess comes out and with it the dirt it is holding. You’be quite surprised on the first time how black the water will become and a scum develops on the top of the water. The water will need changing regularly.

It’s important to note that the exact steps to using saddle soap will vary depending on the product you are cleaning. If you are cleaning a pair of leather boots, for example, you’ll want to scrub them vigorously to remove any hardened dirt; leather jeans and breeches, might require some pressured cleaning and a “bit of wellie” from you! But if you’re cleaning a leather jacket, leather shirt, you’ll want to be a bit more cautious until you get your cleaning technique right to avoid any accidental damage.

So, you’ve cleaned and cleared your table. Get your cloths at the ready and a tin of saddle soap.

Washing

You are ready to begin. First wipe down your jeans with your wash cloth (because we are talking about cleaning jeans as an example, you can follow each stage for any item of leather gear) with a damp cloth - make sure you have wrung it out. Doing this removes any dust and dirt that’s settled on the surface of the leather. This isn’t going to clean the leather itself, it will remove some of the surface dirt which could act as a barrier to a good deep clean.

Cleaning

When you’ve done this, next, rub a small amount of saddle soap into your second ‘cleaning’ cloth or a sponge if supplied (if you prefer). Dab a small amount of saddle soap and starting working in small clockwise circles in a methodical pattern to the front of the jeans. I’ve found using the ‘clockwise’ method means the saddle soap ‘settles’ in to the leather, which at this point shouldn’t be visible any longer.

If using the yellow version of saddle soap, you may see some evidence the soap has not been absorbed. You’ll need to go over areas where the yellow is evident (particularly where the soap ‘catches’ in the stitching). Again, keep going over these areas in a clockwise action until all the yellow has gone. However, you may have used too much saddle soap at this time. So, just keep going over these areas until the leather has adsorbed the soap.

Change the Water

At regular intervals during cleaning with saddle soap, squeeze out your sponge/cloth in the the bowl of water. You’ll immediately see the water turning dark yellow and then black after a few rinses. Change the water at this time. You are taking off surface and ingrained dirt. Clean water ensures that as much of the dirt as possible is being removed and ‘held’ by the soap and not being spread around the leather.

Once the soap has disappeared into your leather. Leave to dry. Then, repeat all these steps again on the back of the jeans, etc. You’ll be surprised how little saddle soap you actually need to clean your leathers. If you feel any ‘damp’ areas, go over with a clean ‘polishing’ cloth. This will soak up excess water. Better to take off now excess water now then allow the leather to adsorb it which means it gets hard and brittle! (I know, I have done it and it has required ’emergency’ action like loads of conditioner!)

Drying

When you have cleaned all areas, just hang up and allow to dry. It’s best to leave for a while hanging to dry. Saddle soap contains waxes and oils, so I have found it better to let these rich substances sink into the leather. In the long run it help to nourish and protect your leather from future spills and stains.

And that is it for cleaning, The next step is conditioning which is covered elsewhere on the LeatherWest blog.

Tips

I’ve said it once, and I’ll saying it again and again: get your kit together! Make sure you have a ‘leather care tin’ separate from anything else like polish for shoes. Don’t mix them up! Ensure you have four cloths for different purposes. Mark them 1,2 etc. Don’t mix the cloths up or use them for anything other than the intended purpose. A wash cloth is a wash cloth, a polishing cloth is a polishing cloth!

Saddle soap is available from a number of stores including the bigger gay leather wear stores, though I would get saddle soap and conditioners from elsewhere: as a captive market, the price hikes are quite high. Check elsewhere on the usual e-Stores for alternative supplies which will be cheaper.

If a sponge isn’t supplied with the soap, get a good quality one. Cheap sponges are a false economy. They tend to break quickly and leave little pieces of yellow sponge stuck on your leather while you are cleaning - a nightmare to get off as well.

When travelling, a take a pack of disposable leather cleaning cloths (Sheraton for example), in case an ’emergency clean’ is required. Great also to keep boots in tip-toe condition at a leather pride! You’ll pick up loads of dust, scruffs and scratches (especially at night when you’ve been on ‘manoeuvres’) and more so if it has been raining.

Good luck guys, and get cleaning!

Links:

• Fiebing Saddle Soap Shop, based in Milwaukee, US. Fiebing’s signature product. Used all over the world on fine saddlery, boots, shoes and other smooth leather articles. It lubricates leather fibres as it cleans to prevent the leather becoming brittle, whilst maintaining suppleness and strength. Available in yellow, white and black. Fiebing’s Black Saddle Soap Paste works especially well on all black harness and tack, so especially good for harness, belts, Sam Browne belts, wallets, wrist bands, gauntlets and bicep bands.
• Passier® Saddle Soap (Germany) effectively cleans leather without changing its colour. Having a low solvent content, this leather soap is good for any type of leather. Packaged in a convenient tin with sponge, its has pleasant smell and it’s easy to use. Usually comes in a 200 ml tin with sponge.
• Brecknell & Turner ® Saddle and Leather Conditioning Soap, made in the UK, a soft blended soap with a slightly thicker application. It does not contain glycerine which produces a high glossy finish, but instead gives a matt finish for a softer feel. Comes in two sizes jars with a cleaning sponge.