Homemade Natural Eco Green Leather Cleaner and Conditioner
20Thankyou so much for all of your comments, facebook messages, tweets, and emails sharing your natural green cleaning tips. I have been overwhelmed by the response, and I am LOVING learning all of your fabulous eco-friendly cleaning tricks. Don't forget to enter to win a Full Circle Natural Green Cleaning Kit.
So, we move onto leather today. What is the best natural way to clean and restore leather? Well, I have tried all kinds of natural leather cleaners, and in my opinion, nothing beats flaxseed oil (linseed oil if you live in Australia.) or olive oil. Adding in just a little bit of white distilled vinegar helps to cut through the oil and add a cleaning power which prevents an oily residue forming on your leather. I always test each new leather surface by rubbing a tiny bit on with a flour sack cloth (or any other soft cloth) and then wiping over with the other end.
This natural homemade leather solution cleans and conditions in one step. Flaxseed oil is very delicate and should be kept in the fridge. Olive oil can be kept in a cool dark place in the pantry. This natural leather cleaner and conditioner works on leather chairs, sofas, shoes and bags. I always make up small quantities of this cleaning solution as I need it, so as not to waste any. I also don’t have to worry about the expiration date of my product. Store the mixture in a little glass bottle and give it a good shake before using.
Leather chairs and sofas should be cleaned regularly, and kept out of direct sunlight to avoid fading. I always use the soft brush attachment of my vacuum cleaner to clean dust particles off. I then wipe over the leather surface with a soft cloth and then buff with a TINY bit of this solution. It is very important that you only use a very small amount, otherwise it can contribute to the deterioration of your leather. You don't want it to absorb too much oil. If you use just a tiny bit for the whole surface and buff off immediately, the results are spectacular.
How do you clean your leather? Please share your natural green leather tips!
Homemade Natural Eco Green Leather Cleaner and Conditioner
- ½ cup flaxseed oil / linseed oil or olive oil
- 1/8 cup distilled white vinegar
- Mix together and store in a small glass bottle.
- Shake well before use.
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Wipe a TINY amount onto your leather surface with a soft cloth, buff immediately, and wipe off.
*NOTE: It is very important that you only use a very small amount, otherwise it can contribute to the deterioration of your leather. You don't want it to absorb too much oil. If you use just a tiny bit for the whole surface and buff off immediately, the results are spectacular.
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Add Your GruntI only have one leather chair, but I am going to try this on it this weekend.
I am really loving all of these natural cleaning tips.
Thanks Felicity. Glad you are enjoying the little cleaning tips.
I tried this and the wood cleaner and they were both fantastic. Thankyou
I have some white leather I’d like to protect. Do you know if this will discolor or darken leather at all?
I have only used this on blue, brown, and black leather. So, I can’t honestly speak about white leather.
The best thing to do is to test a very small piece underneath to see.
But, it really should be fine because it absorbs it almost immediately.
But please test a spot.
White leather can be so tricky….....
will the eco friendly leather cleaner work on a rough surface leather? My gloves are rough leather and arein dire need of a cleaning.
I have used this successfully on rough leather. I always suggest testing a small surface area before going to town. Good Luck :)
i have a new leather pistol holster and belt what do i use to clean and preserve it thanks
It depends on the leather. This works on all leather I have tried. Always test on a really small spot at the back to see if the surface will react well.
Hi, Thanks for post, its well explained and very informative, now looking forward for some advice.
Last month I had given my very old suede leather jacket for cleaning, which upon receiving I find, that it has become very stiff and the surface texture is off (kind-of dry n flat). I doubt its because the cleaners have washed or soaked it in water!.
I am wondering if this leather conditioner can be used on suede Jackets as well, for softening the stiffness, so that its easy to fold and wear.. possibly looks nice too:)
Thanking you in advance- J
Thanks Joseph.
No. Absolutely do not use this mixture on your suede. I have used a little bit of plain white vinegar to clean stains on suede, but that is it. Try using a suede brush to gently bring the texture back to life. Alternatively, I would take it to a reputable dry-cleaner to treat.
Homemade Natural Eco Green Leather Cleaner and Conditioner is a wonderful product that we can use in our everyday life! Thanks for sharing this article of yours..
Pleasure. Nice to be connected with others who are spreading the word about natural cleaning products.
I always use a tiny pea size drop and start there, adding more as I need it. I would rather increase the amount than have too much. Good Luck :)
Please, please, please, do not use linseed oil. If you must, please dispose of your rags and paper towels properly by burning them, or hanging them to dry in a well ventilated area until they are completely hardened. When I was younger, my entire house was burned to the ground from a paper towel with linseed oil on it. It had spontaneously combusted after being put in the trash can. Thankfully no one was hurt in the fire, but we lost everything.
Ashley,
Thankyou SO much for sharing your personal story with us so that we can all benefit. I really really appreciate it. I will be drying all of my rags more thoroughly before storing them now!
I am so sorry that happened to you and your family…..I am glad nobody was hurt.
Ashley, thanks for the tip. I am so sorry for what happened to you. I just used the olive oil version and it was great. You only need a tiny bit and the leather comes up beautifully.
I am so glad this worked well for you.