Conditioning
Replacing what cleaning and age removed. The leather trade fences it far more tightly than the market does, and its frequency is measured in months.
Precautions
- Test on an inconspicuous area first
- Check the manufacturer's instructions
In detail
Conditioning is the aftercare step for materials whose flexibility or appearance depends on something that cleaning and time deplete — leather most obviously, but also oiled timber and, in a different sense, a water-repellent finish. The leather institute's guidance is unusually precise, and it is stricter than expected in every direction. On frequency: deep cleaning and conditioning is described as necessary only every four to six months, against a market that implies far more often. On product: never use anything with a high pH, abrasives, alcohol, butyl cellosolve, a strong solvent, saddle soap, mink oil, wax, furniture polish, glass cleaner, or caustic household cleaners such as soap or dish detergent — because these vary widely in compatibility with today's water-based leather finishes and may cause cracking. On technique: onto a clean white cotton rag rather than onto the leather, with no more force than a firm handshake. And over-applying leaves the surface tacky, which then transfers to clothing. Behind all of it: a modern finished material is a coating rather than a hide.
Why
- Conditioning is explained by Coating thickness
Sources for this page
Sources
Leather Care and Cleaning Guide
The Leather Institute, 2011 · Trade or professional body
Relied on for: That deep cleaning and conditioning is necessary only every four to six months, that saddle soap, mink oil, wax, furniture polish, glass cleaner, alcohol, strong solvents and caustic household cleaners must never be used, that product goes on a white cotton rag with no more force than a firm handshake, and that over-applying leaves the surface tacky. (states this directly)