leather care

susan · 07-15-2004, 05:53 PM

posted 11-28-2003 05:22
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hi,
as you can see i deleted my post, but i know from the forum that you really care about old leather, so i will send you my 2cents in private. i have been asked several times to speak to groups in my business about this, and i will share with you what i know, for what it is worth.
you are correct about doing as little as possible to leather. typically in the market today applying ANY product to leather voids all manufacturer's warranties because it is well known that surface applications to leather will clog the pores, smothering it. as it is dead tissue, it cannot replenish its' moisture (water, not oil) and eventually it will dry like any other organic substance. but that would be over a period of several hundred years if left alone.
oil will displace water in the cells of the leather, and since all oil breaks down/becomes rancid/rots eventually, it will take with it the cells it has impregnated. it abrades the cells further as it "floats" dirt, mold spores and the like in it. as you say, ok for temporary articles, but unacceptable for antiquities.
the question is what about the surface appearance, of course. dyes are semi permeable as applied to leather; the leather still breathes with application. a light coating of parafin wax (liquid) does not soak into the pores, and if applied sparringly enough, will not cover the pourus surface...the leather still breathes. this as opposed to oil and petroleum that completely seal the surface. the actual finish should be only a few cells thick on the product and for breathability, and the trick is to remember to maintain(refinish or maintain) only those few delicate millimeters of cells.
when the popular cosmetic company with a pink logo and theme came out with its product for skin care they based it on the concept of tanning a hide. the surface skin was cleaned, then flushed with water, and a light coat of petroleum based product was steamed on. the idea was to plump up the cells with water, and use the petroleum to seal the skin, slowing drying. it worked because the cells are alive, and can replenish water from within. dead cells (leather) won't do that; they will never "replenish". no matter what goo you put on it, thinking you are "restoring it" or preserving it.
here is my own leather experiment; several years ago my young daughther fell into the river wearing a nubuck-type leather jacket. attending to her, i threw it on the floor for several days comming back to find it full of mud, green slime, and mold. having nothing to loose, i threw it into the washing machine with castile soap. as you probably know, castile soap is pretty much a surfactant, not a detergent. it is made of oil, and will disolve oil and strip it without damaging much. coat came out clean, but hanging it to dry left it stiff and hard. threw it into storage and packed it around for several years moving. two years ago when i pulled it out, it was still pretty stiff and unwearable. fast forward to seattle; pulled it out of storage now, nothing else changed but the humidity, and the coat is just as soft as nice as new. i take it to prove that water is the only thing that can really bring the leather back to life, and that can only be done when it isn't "gooed up" or sealed.
steaming will dull a shinny finish on leather, and help remove some of that goo. light steam won't damage much. freezing will kill mold and bacteria, so can sometimes help in cleaning. it will, however, freeze dry the product, so it must be brought back to its original moisture level to be made right.
also i thought your idea of a toothbrush on those old linen threads a good idea, i would go one further and stipulate a natural bristle only, as the plastic bristles will cut the delicate thread as they do your gums.
so, i apologize for all this rambling, if repeating anything already agreed upon in the forum, or if i sound like i am trying to tell an expert like yourself something new rather than reinforcing what you already know. you can see why i deleted my post!
anyway; for what it is worth.

susan
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susan · 07-15-2004, 06:07 PM

This last post was from a letter I wrote to Jerry Burney last year. I deleted the post because I was a little worried about a conflict of interest with my job. Now running my own business, I feel no compunction with talking about after market leather products, and how similar they seem to the "care" or restoration products discussed on the forum.
I would go a little further to say that I have been taught never to use tap water to clean leather. Distilled water on a virgin rag is recommended. The rag should be cotton that has been washed in distilled water, with no fabric softner or other additive. No other rags or paper products, such as paper towels, should be used.
Susan

Edward Tinker · 07-15-2004, 06:41 PM

Thanks Susan, this is good info to share,

Ed

Tomathvl · 07-16-2004, 09:05 PM

http://garciaaviation.com/conserve.html
Interesting reading that should add to the discussion.
Tom

07-15-2004, 05:53 PM	#1
susan User Join Date: Jun 2002 Posts: 45 Thanks: 4 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	leather care posted 11-28-2003 05:22 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- hi, as you can see i deleted my post, but i know from the forum that you really care about old leather, so i will send you my 2cents in private. i have been asked several times to speak to groups in my business about this, and i will share with you what i know, for what it is worth. you are correct about doing as little as possible to leather. typically in the market today applying ANY product to leather voids all manufacturer's warranties because it is well known that surface applications to leather will clog the pores, smothering it. as it is dead tissue, it cannot replenish its' moisture (water, not oil) and eventually it will dry like any other organic substance. but that would be over a period of several hundred years if left alone. oil will displace water in the cells of the leather, and since all oil breaks down/becomes rancid/rots eventually, it will take with it the cells it has impregnated. it abrades the cells further as it "floats" dirt, mold spores and the like in it. as you say, ok for temporary articles, but unacceptable for antiquities. the question is what about the surface appearance, of course. dyes are semi permeable as applied to leather; the leather still breathes with application. a light coating of parafin wax (liquid) does not soak into the pores, and if applied sparringly enough, will not cover the pourus surface...the leather still breathes. this as opposed to oil and petroleum that completely seal the surface. the actual finish should be only a few cells thick on the product and for breathability, and the trick is to remember to maintain(refinish or maintain) only those few delicate millimeters of cells. when the popular cosmetic company with a pink logo and theme came out with its product for skin care they based it on the concept of tanning a hide. the surface skin was cleaned, then flushed with water, and a light coat of petroleum based product was steamed on. the idea was to plump up the cells with water, and use the petroleum to seal the skin, slowing drying. it worked because the cells are alive, and can replenish water from within. dead cells (leather) won't do that; they will never "replenish". no matter what goo you put on it, thinking you are "restoring it" or preserving it. here is my own leather experiment; several years ago my young daughther fell into the river wearing a nubuck-type leather jacket. attending to her, i threw it on the floor for several days comming back to find it full of mud, green slime, and mold. having nothing to loose, i threw it into the washing machine with castile soap. as you probably know, castile soap is pretty much a surfactant, not a detergent. it is made of oil, and will disolve oil and strip it without damaging much. coat came out clean, but hanging it to dry left it stiff and hard. threw it into storage and packed it around for several years moving. two years ago when i pulled it out, it was still pretty stiff and unwearable. fast forward to seattle; pulled it out of storage now, nothing else changed but the humidity, and the coat is just as soft as nice as new. i take it to prove that water is the only thing that can really bring the leather back to life, and that can only be done when it isn't "gooed up" or sealed. steaming will dull a shinny finish on leather, and help remove some of that goo. light steam won't damage much. freezing will kill mold and bacteria, so can sometimes help in cleaning. it will, however, freeze dry the product, so it must be brought back to its original moisture level to be made right. also i thought your idea of a toothbrush on those old linen threads a good idea, i would go one further and stipulate a natural bristle only, as the plastic bristles will cut the delicate thread as they do your gums. so, i apologize for all this rambling, if repeating anything already agreed upon in the forum, or if i sound like i am trying to tell an expert like yourself something new rather than reinforcing what you already know. you can see why i deleted my post! anyway; for what it is worth. susan --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

07-15-2004, 06:41 PM	#3
Edward Tinker Super Moderator Eternal Lifer LugerForum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: North of Spokane, WA Posts: 15,916 Thanks: 1,992 Thanked 4,507 Times in 2,081 Posts	Thanks Susan, this is good info to share, Ed __________________ Edward Tinker ************ Co-Author of Police Lugers - Co-Author of Simson Lugers Author of Veteran Bring Backs Vol I, Vol II, Vol III and Vol IV

07-15-2004, 06:07 PM	#2
susan User Join Date: Jun 2002 Posts: 45 Thanks: 4 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	This last post was from a letter I wrote to Jerry Burney last year. I deleted the post because I was a little worried about a conflict of interest with my job. Now running my own business, I feel no compunction with talking about after market leather products, and how similar they seem to the "care" or restoration products discussed on the forum. I would go a little further to say that I have been taught never to use tap water to clean leather. Distilled water on a virgin rag is recommended. The rag should be cotton that has been washed in distilled water, with no fabric softner or other additive. No other rags or paper products, such as paper towels, should be used. Susan

07-16-2004, 09:05 PM	#4
Tomathvl User Join Date: May 2004 Location: Milan, IN Posts: 363 Thanks: 3 Thanked 48 Times in 19 Posts	http://garciaaviation.com/conserve.html Interesting reading that should add to the discussion. Tom