I use different cleaners/conditioners depending on what I’m trying to do, like others on this thread. But I have to mention Skidmore’s as no one has brought it up yet! It’s a beeswax based product. I love it when I’m not cleaning off lots of gunk (then I use Effax combi) or when I want deep conditioning (Effax lederbalsam) but when I’m in between and just want a light conditioning product that soaks in quickly, unlike the balsam products where I feel they need at least 24 hours to set before I want to sit on that leather.
Loving this thread! I’m a Higher Standards lover myself and for deep cleaning I use Castille soap followed by Neatsfoot oil. There are some great suggestions that I’ve written down and will try out some of them!
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I think I like glycerine because it’s humectant, ie holds moisture.
One trainer I groomed for would have me finish all tack with a light rubbing in of glycerine to ‘seal’ the clean, oiled leather.
While what I’ve read suggests there is glycerine in Castile soap, I would guess there’s more in a bar of Glycerine soap [ie a clear bar] making it more humectant than Castile?
I use Higher Standards leather cleaning and conditioning products, and also Hydrophane leather dressing to oil tack when needed. I was cleaning all my tack nearly every weekend but now I use Tub-o-Towels on it after every use to help keep it cleaner longer.
So I make soap for fun. And chemistry is cool True castile soap the only fat is olive oil, it’s a bit of a pain because it take 6 months to set, but OMG makes the best stuff for tack and humans. I’ve only made it once, and I"m about to run out, so I guess I should make more.
I haven’t found any of the off the shelf castile soaps to only use olive oil as their fats it’s usually a mix, mainly again because it takes so long for just olive oil to set.
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From time to time in Greek or Italian delis and some times in health food stores I’ve come across a basic green soap that the ingredients were basically olive oil and salt. I remember liking it back when. I thonk it was greek. I haven’t seen it in a while. Most olive oil soap is not pure olive oil and now I know why. Thank you!
For every day cleaning, I like Feibings Leather New spray. It doesn’t strip color out and my bridle work stays new looking. I will use that one day and plain water the next. I also use Effax Cream Soap, but I cut it 50% with water because I do think the Effax cleaners strip color. About once or twice a week, I condition my saddle with either Hennig leather fat or Effax Lederbalsam. I like a little wax on my saddle. I never use these on my bridle work. The bridles get thoroughly worked over with an oil, hydroplane or Effax oil, when new, and then wiped down with oil about once a year or so…if and when they need it.
For getting rid of black gunk, I like the Moss Rock spray cleaner. It dissolves it better than anything else.
For the first time, I tried Espana shampoo and Espana hair conditioner on my dressage bridle. Impressed! They are not sticky or slippery, have good feel, pliable but not overly stretchy as other leather cleaners had made them feel. I have recently learned that Espana products have multiple uses. I picked mine up at the local feed store but Espana does have a website too.
I go for what I can find during my weekly grocery shopping trip, lol – Murphy’s Oil Soap and olive oil. Though it has never happened to my tack, I have been told that mice may chew olive-oiled leather.
Well my most favorite method is to use biothane tack and throw it in the washing machine. Comes out like new. Besides, how else can I have a purple bridle and breast plate?!?!?!
Leather cleaning methods depend on the filth of the leather.
Most filthy dirt encrusted stuff: Start with a mixture of ammonia and hot water and a scrub brush
Dawn soap would likely also be a good filth buster upper.
Next glycerin soap and a brush.
That should get the leather clean.
For conditioning I like olive oil, neatsfood oil, or Passier Lederbalsam
I usually follow that up with glycerin soap to remove any excess gunk.
When I am on top of things I wipe down leather after every ride with a solution of liquid castile soap and water…
but most of the time it’s benign neglect with cleaning when things really need it. Despite this routine, all of my leather stuff always cleans up well and looks nice.
I wipe down my tack with a damp cloth after almost every use. I use Higher Standards about once a month for a real cleaning. If I skip a cleaning or if there’s a lot of gunk building up I use Efax Combi. I use either Efax or Passier Lederbalsam for conditioning if I need it but the Higher Standards doesn’t seem to strip the leather much so as long as I’m cleaning regularly it doesn’t seem to be an issue.
It’s pretty humid here and I’ve never had an issue with mold.
Oh, and if I don’t keep an eye on it I always find my dog licking my Passier Lederbalsam so I suspect there must be fat or something that tastes delicious in it haha.
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Wow this is exactly what I do! I think overconditioned tack is gross, prone to mold, and breaks more easily.
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