Are you familiar with the different types of leather care products? Whether you own a leather jacket, trousers, shirt, vest or any other garment made of real leather, you’ll need to care for it. Real leather is a soft yet durable material. Like all materials, though, it can degrade over time when neglected. By properly caring for your leather garments, you can protect them from premature wear and tear. Here are seven common types of leather care products.
#1) Leather Cleaners
Leather cleaners are exactly what they sound like: products that are designed to clean real leather. They are available in a variety of forms, some of which include sprays, foaming agents, wiping pads and liquids.
You can typically clean real leather using a damp washcloth and a small amount of gentle dish soap. Squeeze a few drops of dish soap onto a damp washcloth, after which you can blot the surface of your leather garment until it comes clean. But for stubborn stains and blemishes, you may need a little extra cleaning power, which is where a leather cleaner comes into play. You can use a leather cleaner to remove stubborn stains and revitalize the appearance of your leather garment.
#2) Leather Polishes
For a more lustrous appearance, you may want to use a leather polish on your leather garments. Leather polishes are products that restore the shine and luster of real leather. When exposed to sunlight for a prolonged period, real leather can develop a dull appearance. It will turn to a lighter tone, and it will lose some of its natural luster. A simple solution is to use a leather polish.
Leather polishes are designed to restore the shine and luster of real leather. When applied to the surface of a leather garment, they will fill in scratches while simultaneously leaving behind a shiny texture. If you own a dull leather garment, polishing it may be the answer. You don’t need to replace the leather garment. Instead, you just need to apply a leather polish to it.
#3) Leather Oils
We can’t talk about the different types of leather care products without mentioning leather oils. Leather oils are products that are designed to soften and improve the flexibility of real leather.
One of the main ways that real leather differs from other textiles is its porous texture. When viewing real leather under a microscope, you’ll notice that it has many small and shallow holes. Known as “pores,” these holes allow real leather to breathe. Garments made of real leather will absorb moisture from the air, and they’ll release moisture back into the surrounding air.
Some of the most popular leather oils include the following:
- Almond oil
- Mink oil
- Lanolin oil
- Coconut oil
- Olive oil
- Neatsfoot oil
#4) Leather Waxes
There are also leather waxes. Leather waxes are products that, when applied to the surface of real leather, create a protective barrier. You can use them on just about any leather garment. If you’re worried that a leather garment will succumb to damage, a leather wax may help. Leather waxes are easy to apply, and once applied, they will protect the underlying leather from damage.
Leather waxes aren’t the same as leather oils. Some people assume they refer to the same type of leather care product, but they are two different types of leather care products with their own specific purpose. As previously mentioned, leather oils are designed to soften and improve the flexibility of real leather. Real leather is naturally soft, but it can become stiff over time. Applying a leather wax will soften it and, thus, make the leather more flexible. Leather waxes aren’t designed to soften real leather. Rather, they are designed to protect real leather from common forms of damage, such as scratches.
#5) Leather Conditioners
One of the most important types of leather care products is leather conditioners. Leather conditioners are designed to hydrate and moisturize real leather. Real leather, of course, can dry out. When left in a room or space with a low humidity level, the moisture within a leather garment will evaporate. The end result is a dry leather garment that’s prone to cracking and peeling. Leather conditioners will prevent this from happening by hydrating and moisturizing leather garments.
Keep in mind that you should only apply a leather conditioner occasionally. For most leather garments, conditioning once every two to three months will suffice. If you condition a leather garment too much, it may become saturated in excess moisture. Leather conditioners contain moisture, which is essentially how they work. You can still use a leather conditioner on your leather garments, but use caution to ensure that you don’t overdo it.
#6) Leather Sealers
For maximum protection against the rain, humidity, ultraviolet (UV) sunlight and other forms of environmental damage, you may want to use a leather sealer. Leather sealers live up to their namesake by “sealing” real leather.
Leather sealers work by creating a barrier on the surface of real leather. While invisible to the naked eye, this barrier helps to repel water and other liquids, as well as dirt and other debris, that can cause damage to the real leather over time. Most leather sealers are made of several ingredients, including waxes and oils. You can apply them by rubbing them into the surface of a leather garment.
#7) Leather Deodorizer
Finally, there are leather deodorizer available. Leather deodorizer are designed to remove bad odors. They are typically used on leather shoes. If you own a pair of leather shoes, you can keep them smelling fresh by using a leather deodorizer.
Other types of leather garments typically don’t require deorodrizing. Jackets and vests, for instance, won’t develop bad odors. Shoes, boots and other forms of footwear, however, may develop bad odors. Using a leather deodorizer will remove bad odors from leather footwear.