I like effax products and higher standards, but honestly ever since I started using Tack Butter (the leather wash and the original butter which is like a balm,) I haven’t been able to go back to anything else.
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Damp cloth to clean then slick with glycerin saddle soap bar for daily cleaning. Love Stubben Hamanol as it can be used to make saddles tacky by leaving a thin coat, replenish parched prices to a glow or be polished shiny with a soft brush after it “ dries”. Not my favorite scent but it has grown on me as the smell of gorgeous leather!
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Dont use MOS straight. I put an inch or so at the bottom of a spray bottle and fill the rest with water
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lol. You would think that would be very obvious but thank you for the reminder 
I used to use HSL, until I realized the dye was coming out of my saddle… Love their stuff, until that happened.
I’m on the hunt to find good cleaning products. My saddle now goes grey whenever I clean it, which is very weird.
Whew!! I’m glad I’m not the only one this happened to. I thought it was strange when it happened to the one saddle, but after it occurred again with the second, I knew something wasn’t right.
As a comparison I cleaned just half of the lighter brown panels with HSL. They looked bleached and needed quite a bit of conditioner to restore the regular color.
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I followed a vintage Coach restorer on titktok for a while and he was using castile soap and then Leather CPR (which I have been using for YEARS).
I grew up using Murphy’s Oil Soap or Fiebings and then a conditioner. But recently made the switch to liquid castile soap and have been really liking that. Plus my trusty Leather CPR.
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I quite like the Belvoir products…I use the cleaner, the conditioner, and the balsam as needed. Generally I do the damp cloth routine to wipe everything down after riding, and use the Belvoir products for the monthly deep clean. I like them because they work really well and aren’t had heavy/greasy as the Lesther Therapy stuff.
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I’m pretty sure it’s available in the States, but I love Christian Lowe saddle cleaning line. Everything Christian makes is incredible. He’s been a saddle fitter for a very long time so knows what leather needs. I really like the leather cleaner and balm but he was an oil, and even laundry detergent! I’m very picky with leather products and I don’t like the sticky feel that most leave, but this line doesn’t leave a residue!
Oh interesting. I’ll have to look in to that. I have such a bad taste in my mouth from Paramount. I ordered and paid for product I never received. Terrible, terrible customer service. I know it’s not his business anymore, I didn’t realize he himself was still in business. I would love to support local (which, heh, I tried to do with Paramount…)
Prefacing this with the following caveat emptor: I do this to leather I am responsible for. It turns out very nice. I regularly get compliments from folks on my tack/people asking how I do it. But at least one person will read this and be horrified that I’d do this to leather. That’s fine! You don’t have to! But for the curious, read on.
There are four processes I use, listed in descending order of intrusiveness/invasiveness. They likely all use things you already have in the house. I have revived some really, really nasty stuff with this.
Deep cleaning
I take a blue Scotch-Brite scrubby, very hot water, and Dawn dish soap, and I literally scrub the leather. Hard. Until the gunk has gone away and it feels clean. If the leather has jockeys (small greasy nodules), I may also scrape those with a butter knife. I then wipe it down with a clean rag with very hot water.
I only have to do this on tack that has been neglected/had a thick layer of crud accumulated on it, so it’s a once-and-done for items I personally use. I guess it’s theoretically possible I might someday let a piece of my own get disgusting enough to need this again, but it hasn’t happened yet.
Oiling
For new or really cheap/cardboardy tack, I have occasionally chosen to dip, but it’s easy to go too far with that; now I generally prefer to brush a light coat of very warm oil onto the rough side using my fingers, roll it, and repeat until it feels the way I like (which is generally personal.) I then wipe it down with a clean rag with very hot water to remove the oil on the smooth side.
I use extra virgin olive oil because I like the way it smells and the darkening effect; I haven’t personally had any problems with it going rancid over years, but I know some are concerned about that, so ultimately it’s a personal choice.
After an initial oiling when new, I oil very rarely. I do oil after I deep clean per the above.
Show cleaning
I take everything apart and wipe it down with a clean rag with very hot water. I put bits in the dishwasher as well; stirrups and rubber reins get rinsed at the sink with very hot water. (My stirrups are aluminum, so I don’t put them in the dishwasher to avoid dulling; if you have typical stainless Fillis iron, it’s fine to throw those in there as well in addition to the rubber pads.) I scrub everything that’s not just straight solid leather strap (laced reins, browbands, buckles, etc.) with an old toothbrush dipped in same hot water.
Following the cleaning, I wipe everything down with Higher Standards on a just-barely-kissed-with-water sponge. This brings the shine! Personally I like Woody’s Confidence Blend, but they’re all great. Likely whatever glycerin-based saddle soap you like will do the same; this part is to lock in moisture and add shine, though, not to actually clean.
Daily cleaning
I wipe my bridle with a clean rag with warm water after 90% of rides (I’ll occasionally skip a day if I’m tight on time) and at least dunk the bit after every ride. I don’t wipe my saddle down after every ride, but try to make sure I do that as well weekly. I don’t apply products on a regular basis; if it’s clean and sufficiently conditioned, which show cleaning/oiling as needed accomplishes, wiping it down with a rag with everything in place makes it look great.
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No way!!! I’ve been googling it so hard to see if this is a thing. So happy you responded!
I bought his stuff when he first started it, can’t say I was overly impressed by it, just seemed like all the other cleaners out there. The mitt pilled up on me after the first use, which was frustrating. People swear by it, and love it, but I didn’t feel like it was the best of the best, still searching for that.
I love the tack cleaning and conditioning mitt set I found at Dover and have given several as gifts to happy recipients:
https://www.doversaddlery.com/cavi-mitt-tack-combo-kit/p/X1-31110/
Hi Guys! @LadyB and @pony_baloney
This is not a problem that I’ve had with anything I’ve ever used or tested our products on! I am so sorry you have had an issue with it. I’ve had so many people use it over the 10 years we’ve been in business and if this is a thing, I’m unaware of it. I’ve used all the scents on everything from purses to car seats to leather furniture to tack and haven’t had it pull color out of anything.
I do always suggest that people test the soap on an inconspicuous spot, because no matter how many people have used and tested it, I cannot account for how leather was finished or has been treated or cared for in the past. There is just too much variability in how leather is treated and tanned to be able to say any product is always safe.
We don’t use anything in the soap that is any type of bleaching agent – if you don’t mind, reach out to me at info@hsleathercare.com and let me know what scent you had. I’ve never had the essential oils cause an issue, but I’d like to keep track of it, if I can.
And if you ordered directly from us, and had an issue, I’d be glad to do a refund for the product and I’d like to know what issues you had.
I’m having a manufacturing issue at the moment, but it has nothing to do with the product, and everything to do with my husband being able to clear the decks and get the soap made! But, we are still here and always glad to answer questions and try to help with issues!
Libby
Higher Standards Leather Care
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As one of the original testers for HSL, I have used it on old tack, new tack, leather couch, leather car seats, and have never had an issue with color.
How strange! I am NOT disagreeing and believe the posters who had difficulties, but I am wondering what caused this.
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Agreed! I’ve used HSL as my primary cleaner and conditioner for years, on fancy nice tack, on abused crummy tack, on everything in between and never had an issue. I definitely believe the folks who have, I just wonder what was different about their soap/how it reacted with their leather/etc! So strange.
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My horse seems to be allergic to Higher Standards. At least the Woody’s Confidence Blend. No knocks on the company. Just a weird event. I’ve recently found Moss Goat’s Milk Saddle Soap which I am liking to clean my boots. My go to for the tack is a damp rag once a week and a once every few months cleaning with Effax Combi-leather followed by Leder Balsam. I just never let stuff get so dirty that I have to spend much time deep cleaning it.
An idea and a question.
First the idea: I use a package of water-based baby wipes (non-flushable, gentle care). I open the little plastic door and add liquid saddle soap. Now I have a package of tack wipes that are easy to store and use after I ride…
AND the question: I have a pair of newbuck boots. What do I use to CLEAN them? I see the suggestion above but it sounds like a finish, not a cleaner.
