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How to Take Care of Your Leather Products

How to Take Care of Your Leather Products

As with any quality bridle or saddle maker, our pride is in the finish of each piece's leather. Bridle leather belts have both the raw ends of the leather's flesh, and grain sides finished with wax, allowing for long-lasting wear for years to come. This labor-intensive process goes into each of our leather pieces handcrafted for our clients' discerning palettes. We use only the best bridle leather, made to stand the test of time. Handcrafted by expert artisans right here in Lexington, Kentucky, our leather goods deserve to be treated with care. We've put together a few tips for how best to take care of your Bluegrass Belts leather goods. Check them out below:  
Bluegrass Belts How to Take Care of Leather Products

MAINTAINING YOUR LEATHER

 Maintain your favorite leather pieces regularly to ensure soft and supple leather. Leather can be cleaned and restored with a regimen of leather care products designed to clean, condition, and protect.

Leather Care can help maintain your product longer. We recommend conditioning your leather at a minimum of every six months. If you are in a dryer (hot or cold) climate, please condition your product as soon as it feels less supple, dull, or faded. 

Tips & Tricks

- Never wash your leather bag in the washing machine. 

- Keep cosmetics inside a pouch or small case. Cap all pens and anything that might leak on the leather. 

- Avoid cleaning products with alcohol, turpentine, or other mineral spirits. We recommend Neatsfoot products, specially formulated to extend the life and preserve the leather's natural beauty. 

- Store leather bags properly when not in use; keep out of direct sunlight and in low humidity as sunlight fades and dries leather. 

- If the leather gets wet, absorb as much water as possible with a thick hand towel and then air dry.

Your item should be cleaned with a damp cloth when necessary and a coat of feed applied either when the leather starts to look or feel dry, has been exposed to inclement weather or a damp environment, or you wish to make the item look smart.

If your leatherwork has got soaking wet, it should be allowed to dry at room temperature and never hung in front of a fire or radiator. Once the item has dried out, a dressing of Neetsfoot Oil may be applied to rejuvenate the item. Apply using your hands as the warmth will help the oil penetrate the fibers.

How To:

1. Leather is susceptible to absorbing grease and oils; handle with clean hands. Repeat every six months or as needed to clean, condition, and protect leather goods from soiling and water spots.

2. Apply a cleaner made specifically for the leather needing maintenance. We recommend using our All-In-One Leather Solution.

3.Using a soft cotton cloth, apply approximately 1 oz of the solution all over the leather.

4. Allow the leather to dry for at least 12 hours away from sunlight and heat.

5. When dry, buff the leather with a soft cotton cloth using a circular motion.

CLEANING YOUR LEATHER

Fine leather deserves good care because even the best leather will dry and crack over time. If handled roughly or stored improperly, your leather goods may stain or prematurely deteriorate. Quality leather cleaners and conditioners preserve the character and extend the natural life of the leather. Our belts are designed with bridle leather – top quality leather that has gone through an extensive tanning and finishing process; only the best quality hides free of flaws are selected. The final product is very soft and flexible, yet firm in its ability to withstand daily use. Quality bridle leather only gets better with proper cleaning and conditioning.

HOW TO ENHANCE THE NATURAL BEAUTY:

Use this method twice a year to clean and polish all fine smooth leathers. 

- Dampen a soft cotton cloth with warm water. 

- Using a circular motion, carefully clean the leather. 

- Allow to dry for at least 11 hours away from direct sunlight and heat. 

- Before completely dry, rub Saddle Oil all over the leather. 

- If needed, apply a second coat within 30 minutes. 

- Finish drying. How to Preserve Leather & Repel Water: 

- Condition leather once a year to repel water and keep leather soft. 

- Dampen a soft cotton cloth with warm water. 

- Warm the leather with a hairdryer on low for 30 seconds 

- Apply Mink Oil Crème, including the strap and all seams and stitching. 

- Allow leather to dry for 12 hours away from sunlight and heat. 

- Apply a second coat for additional weather protection.

 Bluegrass Belts Brown Leather Hoof Pick Belt

REDUCING SCRATCHES & REMOVING SPOTS 

It's common for leather to get scratches and spots over time from everyday use. Though it is challenging to repair leather because it is an organic material, there are several methods of minimizing the damage's appearance with a little care. Your leather goods will patina before your very eyes – a reflection of the journey you've taken. A patina naturally develops in response to your environment and makes your bag one of a kind. The transformation in its coloring is a characteristic of quality leather and signifies its inherent beauty.

HOW TO REDUCE SCRATCHES

- Leather is susceptible to absorbing grease and oils; handle with clean hands. 

- Locate the scratch or spot on the leather goods 

- Using the oils from your hands, bend and work the spot back and forth over the scratch and marks. 

- Continue as needed working the leather. The scratch will continue to disappear over time.

HOW TO REMOVE SPOTS:

1. Remove spots as soon as they appear; don't let them sit on the leather too long.

2. Use a baby wipe and fold it in half. Do not use wipes that contain alcohol, dyes, or fragrance.

3. Place your hand on the opposite side of the stain and wipe away, cleaning the spot and surrounding area.

4. Rub with moderate pressure to remove the stain; using too much force may discolor the leather. 

Bluegrass Belts 1-5-inch-hoof-pick-belt-shell-pouch-set

FABRIC CARE

Bluegrass Belt's latest collections showcase the diversity of leather, our medium of choice, when paired with functional and unique textiles found worldwide, including our wax coated canvas and classic hoof pick buckles. Taking care of the fabric will help ensure the lifetime of your leather goods. When maintaining the material on your leather goods, be careful never to get the leather wet as it will discolor, wrinkle, or crock.

HOW TO CLEAN COTTON CANVAS & WOOL:

1. Using a soft-bristled brush, gently brush the canvas using a circular motion.

2. If the spot remains, dab gently using a soft cotton cloth with warm water without detergent.

3. Allow the spot to dry.

4. If the spot still remains, use a mild detergent with a gentle concentration (such as Woolite) and spot clean again; use a soft cotton cloth with the mild detergent solution and dab gently. Note: We recommend performing a test in a hidden place to ensure the detergent will not alter the color of the fabric.

5. If the spot still remains, please contact us at clb@bluegrassbelts.com.