Guide to Basic Leather Care

For minor soiling or marks, spot clean with Renapur Leather Balsam and a soft cloth.
Before any cleaning or polishing begins remove any dust or surface dirt with a soft cloth or soft brush, paying special attention to seams, stitching and any creases.
Apply the Renapur to any marks you want to quickly refresh, and gently buff in a circular motion, working it into the leather and removing any excess product.
Dry your garment away from direct sunlight or heaters.

You may need to have garments professionally dry cleaned if they are heavily soiled or complicated to clean (e.g. garments with a fabric lining).
If cleaning yourself, use Lyddy’s Saddle Soap with a damp white or colourfast soft sponge.
Rub the surface lightly until a lather forms, and work this into the leather thoroughly to remove soaked in grime.
Wipe away the excess and let dry away from direct heat for a few hours.
Follow your saddle soap with a leather conditioner such as Angelus Leather Balm or Lyddy’s Boot-Goo.
Both of these products can be applied in multiple layers to increase shine, and soften stiff aged leather.
Allow the garment sufficient time to dry (between 30 minutes to several hours, depending on the temperature)
Once garment is dry, buff with a dry cloth to polish.

Use a conditioner such as Angelus Leather Balm or Lyddy’s Boot-Goo.
Both of these products can be applied in multiple layers to increase shine, and soften stiff aged leather.
Apply product with a soft white cotton cloth and leave to dry between coats, 30 mins to a few hours depending on temperature.
Gently buff surface in a circular motions with a clean soft cloth to finish.
The consistent use of a good conditioner will help repel water and prevent future stains.

Patch test before using a conditioner and take note of the manufacturer’s instructions.

Use Lyddy’s Dubbin in a colour that matches your leather (we stock Lyddy’s Black Dubbin and the neutral Waproo Dun-N-Shine), before using a leather conditioner.
This can disguise scuffs and scratches.
Keep in mind that coloured dubbin may transfer to other garments and items as you wear your newly polished item, so exercise caution.
You may want to layer Angelus Leather Balm or Lyddy’s Boot-Goo over the dubbin after it has dried and been polished to help prevent this.

Leather is not waterproof. It may dispel rain or splashing for a short time, but like footwear it will eventually be permeated by the water.
Water resistance can be increased by an application of Renapur Leather Balsam, Lyddy’s Black Dubbin, Waproo Dub-N-Shine, Angelus Leather Balm or Lyddy’s Boot-Goo.
If leather gets thoroughly wet, dry it flat away from direct heat or sunlight.
You may need to reshape the leather using paper wads once it is dry.
You will need to condition the leather again once it is dry to restore the natural oils, otherwise it will become brittle and stiff.
If wet from sweat, salts and body oils from your skin should be removed via cleaning and conditioning after the garment has been dried.
If it is completely saturated, professional dry cleaning may be the best option.

Always store your leather in a dry place.
Ensure your item is fully dried before storing. For example, after getting wet in the rain, contact with sweat and cleaning / polishing.
Humidity will cause mould, and if the mould is significant, the garment will be damaged beyond repair.
If you notice mould, dry the garment thoroughly and brush the mould off with a heavy but soft-bristled brush.
After removing any mould, clean and polish carefully as per the above, or take the item to a professional leather dry cleaner.
Store your Leathers away from sunlight, in a cloth garment bag or ventilated trunk.
Do not store in a sealed plastic container, as this may cause mould to grow; Leather needs to breathe.