Mix two cups of warm water, a tablespoon of natural baby soap and a splash of vinegar in a bowl. Use a microfiber cloth to rub the conditioning mixture into the leather, making sure not to soak the area. Simply moisten the leather and leave the conditioner on the furniture.
Apply a dime-sized amount of designated leather conditioner (like mink oil) to a soft cloth (microfiber is best but not necessary). Avoid using DIY leather care products, like olive oil or coconut oil, which can potentially harm your item. Begin rubbing the clean leather in circular motions with the cloth.
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.
Neatsfoot oil, lanolin, almond oil, and mink oil are best for softening your leather. All of these are natural oils that moisturize leather, keeping it from drying and cracking. The fats in these natural oils will deeply moisturize the hide in leather products. Use neatsfoot oil for quick fixes.
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.
You may get darker leather if you use coconut oil, albeit temporarily. But what it's best known for is leaving a spotty, patch-like appearance to the leather and sticky feeling. Treating leather with coconut oil does have a few upsides: it will soften the leather and provide a thin layer of waterproof protection.
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.
Oils like olive oil, coconut oil, and jojoba oil are all effective at softening leather. Simply apply a small amount of oil to the leather and rub it with a cloth. Be sure to test the oil on an inconspicuous area first to ensure it doesn't damage the leather.
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.
To make and apply baby soap-based leather conditioner: Mix one quart of warm water, one tablespoon of soap, and a couple drops of vinegar. Dip a cloth into the mixture, wringing it out so it's damp and not wet. Wipe down the entire surface of the leather furniture piece.
Use a leather conditioner, it will help repair dried leather, reduce visibility of scratches, and help to keep the leather looking as good as new. If you don't have leather conditioner on hand, use body lotion as a substitute.
Use beeswax and oils to make homemade leather conditioner. Use a small amount on a soft cloth to rub into the leather and buff it to a shine. In the top of a double boiler, combine. 3 tablespoons beeswax pellets. 1/4 cup coconut oil, sweet almond, or olive oil.
Inexpensive hair conditioners contain more wax than fancy conditioners, so they're great for moisturizing and protecting leather. Use a clean rag to gently rub small amounts of the conditioner into clean, dry leather.
Beeswax Rejuvenates, Nourishes, and Protects Leather
If you've been wondering how to protect leather boots, beeswax leather dressing is your answer! Beeswax is not just for waterproofing boots; it also improves their durability by rejuvenating and hardening the leather.
WD-40 makes stiff leather items soft and supple. Dog collars, baseball gloves, work boots, shoes, and sandals all benefit from a spray. As a bonus, you'll remove stubborn stains which means the lubricant is particularly useful in treating vintage items.
Out of all the leather oils we sampled, mink oil showed the best result, removing surface scratches and subtly darkening the tone of the leather for a uniform finish. In addition, mink oil is a natural leather softener, provides temporary waterproof resistance and improves flexibility by lubricating cracked fibres.
Does Vaseline Soften Leather? As a leather conditioner, petroleum jelly softens and protects the leather from cracking and drying out. This will work well on leather and patent leather bags, shoes, jackets, and other things, such as leather belts, purses, coats, and leather watch straps.
Mink oil easily permeates leather and replenishes internal fibres, meaning it works especially well with our full-grain Vachetta leather, which is highly porous. But apart from suede, it also represents a great option for other types of leather.
Eventually, body oils affect leather by destroying it completely. Adding to your woes, you probably won't even notice this is happening until a lot of oils have already soaked in. The first symptoms you're likely to observe are flaking or a darkening spot.
Using household oils on your leather will damage it. Instead, use a leather cleaning and conditioner product, like Leather Honey Leather Cleaner and Leather Honey Leather Conditioner.
Be sure to avoid these products when cleaning your leather: Baking soda, white vinegar, cream of tartar, and lemon juice. Some sources online cite these common household products as a DIY solution for cleaning leather. This is actually false as they can be extremely harsh on the material and make stains worse.
In this case, regular dusting and a simple wipe with a damp cloth from time to time will certainly suffice. Smooth, fine and patent leathers will benefit from a soft leather cream to nourish, hydrate and preserve their supple qualities. Gentle creams and conditioners may also be used to remove light scratches.