How to Care for Leather

Leather is a classic material. Durable, stylish, and tough, a good piece of leather should last you a lifetime. However, like most things, you need to show your leather some love. The better you maintain your leather the longer it will last and the better it will look. It’s a special kind of material that you can’t just throw in the wash, so it’s important to understand how to maintain it.

  1. Keep leather items out of the sun.The sun will dry the leather out and cause it to become brittle. Once your leather has become brittle it will begin to crack and deteriorate.
  1. Keep the items in a cool, dry place when not in use.Mildew can deteriorate leather if it is allowed to grow on it. Don’t leave your items in a humid or wet basement – this could promote the growth of mildew.
  • Don’t keep your leather in plastic either. Removing all air supply from the leather is bad for the material.
  1. Keep leather away from abrasives that can scuff or cut it. Once leather has been damaged, there is no way to repair it. Keep in mind that you can only prevent this to a degree, so don’t obsess over it. Try not to leave your leather on a gravel driveway, for example
  1. Add moisture to your leather. If you find that your leather is starting to dry out or crack it may be time to moisturize the material. Buy a leather dressing or a leather cream. There are a number of oils and waxes that can help you reduce the cracks and dryness in your leather. Any natural oil can be applied on waxed leather to infuse more life into the leather.

Polished leather. Caring for polished leather is a little different than other types of leather. You'll need a dry rag, a can of shoe polish, and a shoe brush. Brush off debris using the brush, then add a nickel sized dollop of shoe polish to your rag. Rug the polish over the shoe and then use the brush again to give the shoe a little elbow grease.

  • Buff out the rest of the polish with the rag. It should shine by the time you're done with it

Suede Leather: Keep suede leather dry. If you have an article of suede leather that gets very wet you should try to blot out as much water as possible using a paper towel. Like other types of leather, you should never apply heat.