Mix 1 cup white vinegar, 1/2 cup coconut oil or EVOO, 1 tsp dish soap, and ten drops of an essential oil. This amount will do a chair of this size. Wipe on and wipe off with a clean cloth. I tried it in a spray bottle and dipped the cloth into the blend.
Oil + Vinegar: Mix 1/2 cup olive oil with 1/4 cup of vinegar in a spray bottle. Spritz on the stain, let sit for five minutes and wipe. Whatever you do, avoid bleach or ammonia-based cleaners as they can damage the leather.
Mild soap and water.
If you can, use saddle soap to give your leather a deeper clean. But if you can't get your hands on it, dilute mild unscented hand soap or dish soap in water as a replacement. You can then dampen a washcloth with the soapy solution to gently remove stains.
This may sound surprising, but vinegar can work wonders on leather. If the stain is older, tougher, and the leather is more durable, grab a cleaning cloth and dampen it thoroughly with white vinegar, then gently rub the stained area.
Olive oil, and every oily substance for that matter, will not “nourish” your leather, but actually accelerate its deterioration. Leather is extremely permeable, and will soak up any oils you put on it. When oil first saturates leather, it seeps to the back—to the part you can't see.
Bruschetta with olive oil, balsamic vinegar and tomato gives us plenty to be grateful for, but did you know that olive oil has a stack of uses around the home? This yummy oil can be used to clean and protect everything from leather couches to cast iron pans.
It's widely agreed that plain old dish soap and water are the best cleaners for all types of leather.
You should not use Windex on leather. It will ruin your leather product because it usually contains alcohol. Alcohol will dry out your leather, eventually making it unusable.
We don't recommend using pure coconut oil to condition leather because it's easy to over condition leather goods. It's difficult to apply the right amount of pure coconut oil to the type of leather you have. Too much oil may over soften and weaken the leather, causing your boots to wear out faster.
1 cup rubbing alcohol + 1 cup lukewarm water = 1 cup rubbing alcohol + 1 cup lukewarm water = 1 cup rubbing alcohol + 1 cup lukewarm water = 1 cup Soak a soft cloth in the liquid for a few minutes. Before applying the leather, wring it out thoroughly and allow it to air dry.
Mix a solution of warm water and dish soap. You can also make a cleaning solution of one part vinegar to one part water. Dip a soft cloth into the solution, wring it out and wipe the jacket. Use a second clean, damp cloth to wipe off the cleaning solution.
Rubbing alcohol
Pour some rubbing alcohol on a cotton ball or pad and rub in circular motions over the leather school shoe. Then all you need to do is let the boots dry.
Regular maintenance cleaning:
Olive oil + white vinegar: shake together in a spray bottle, lightly mist leather bag, and wipe clean with a dry cloth. Moisturizing soap: rub a damp cloth over a bar of moisturizing soap (like Dove), then bring to lather on the surface of your leather bag. Wipe/buff clean.
Essential oils such as lavender, eucalyptus, citronella, lemon, and orange are all antibacterial, anti-viral, and provide a cleansing action to the leather.
Dissolve one part washing-up liquid in five parts lukewarm water. Using a soft, lint-free, white cloth, dab with the solution. Don't wet too much. Leave for a few minutes and wipe off.
The high alcohol concentration immediately breaks the finish on smooth leather, dissolves dyes and in worst cases even damage the actual grain of the leather. To avoid getting hand sanitiser on your shoes, be careful especially when you use bottles with pumps in stores etc.
Here's a great trick to get small marks, stains and sauces out of your leather items, specifically jackets: use baby wipes. They are as safe on leather as they are on a baby's bottom. Just take your baby wipe and start wiping in a circular motion. Don't scrub!
When it comes to leather, you're better off using either water or cleaning products specifically designed for leather. Popular home remedies like baking soda, white vinegar, cream of tartar, and lemon juice can be harsh on delicate leathers and make the problem even worse.
Many people will simply use a regular soap or detergent to tackle the stains, but this is not a good idea – soap residue left on the leather can prevent the material from breathing, causing dry patches and cracking.
You can use a commercial leather cleaner, or you can make your own. Mix warm water and Castile soap or liquid dish washing soap together in a bucket. Use a ratio of 5 parts water to 1 part soap. Dampen a cloth with the solution and wipe down the seat surfaces.
Vaseline can be used for softening leather. Before applying Vaseline to leather, start by dabbing a small cotton pad with rubbing alcohol over the leather surface. You'll want to dab each section of the surface until it starts to shine. Try to make the shine even across the entire surface.
The best way how to clean a leather couch and the entire surface would be to mix 2 parts white vinegar with 1 part olive oil in a spray bottle and shake well. You can also add a few drops of fragrant essential oils to cut the vinegar scent.
Baby oil is a pretty light lubricant (it's mineral oil with some fragrance added) but will still over-soften the leather, much like mink oil would do.