How To Clean Just About Anything That’s Leather

Splashed out on a £150 leather handbag and panicking now you’ve spilled Sambuca on it while on a night out? There’s no reason to freak out. Leather’s one of the toughest and durable materials around (have you seen the size of some cows? Seriously). With some elbow grease and know-how, you can make sure your leather bags, jackets, shoes and boots last for years to come.

Shoes and boots

Scuffed, unhappy-looking leather boots? Start by removing the laces – you can wash them with some warm water and soap or just throw them into the laundry with the rest of your clothes. Wipe off any loose dirt with a slightly damp cloth or a brush. Pack the shoe with wadded-up newspaper; this makes sure you can get to all the creases in leather. If you have any salt stains from winter (they’re the white marks that look like this), you can wipe them off with a mixture of one part water to one part white vinegar – just dip a cloth in the solution and blot over the shoe to remove the stain.

Now it’s time to tackle the scuffs and dirt. Invest in a quality wax-based treatment that will clean and protect your leater, like Doc Martens’ multi-purpose Wonder Basalm or Cherry Blossom’s footwear-specific Paste Polish. Skint? You can substitute in a pinch with Vaseline.

Apply to the leather with a brush or a soft cloth (like an old T-shirt or a microfibre cloth) in small, circular motions and work into the creases and seams. A small dab will do. Let the shoe absorb the polish for a good 15 to 20 minutes – the wax will make the leather suppler and stop your leather from cracking. Now buff vigorously with a different cloth for an Army-standard shine.

FYI, you’ll need special products for suede shoes or any kind of similar unfinished leather products – if you’re not sure what your item is made of, check the care label.

Handbags

Empty your bag, then turn it upside down and shake to dislodge the dirt. Try not to be grossed out by the pack of gum circa 2012 or the mangled, unused tampon that will inevitably fall out. Wipe the inside of the bag with a soft cloth or use a lint roller to pick up any stray dirt.

Plain old soap and water will do wonders for the outside of the bag. Lather up clean cloth with a gentle soap like Dove or Neutrogena, then squeeze out as much excess water as you can. Gently rub the bag, concentrating on any stains. Rinse the cloth of any suds, wring it out so it’s barely wet and then wipe the bag off. Now dry thoroughly with a towel.

Then apply a leather conditioner like Wonder Basalm (shoe polish isn’t recommended). Always remember to test a tiny bit of the conditioner on the underside of your bag or somewhere discreet – some conditioners can darken leather. If you’ve got an ink stain from a leaky pen, you can remove it by gently applying rubbing alcohol with a cotton ball, and then applying the conditioner.

Jackets and coats

You can use the same soap and water tactic on your leather jackets and coats – it works to spot treat stains, too. Accidentally spilled salad dressing on your jacket during lunch? Apply some cornstarch to the oil stain to pull out the oil, pat it in and let it soak for 15 to 20 minutes. Use an old toothbrush to brush it off and then use a towel to wipe it off. If you’re looking at a big stain, it’s worth taking it to a professional drycleaners.

The jury’s still out on washing your leather jacket. Some bloggers swear by it not only as a way to clean the jacket but also to achieve that lived-in second skin look, Emmanuelle Alt-style. Most professional cleaners don’t advise this, but if you’re hell bent on DIY, you can consult this machine wash tutorial or this handwash guide. Don’t say I didn’t warn you, though.

Follow Zing on Twitter @misszing

This article originally appeared on The Debrief.