How to Care for Leather So It Lasts a Lifetime
Introduction
Even the highest quality leather will not last a lifetime if not cared for. The biggest battle you'll have beyond general wear and tear or more substantial little accidents is the leather drying out or getting too wet.
But don't worry, there is no daily ritual that must be upheld – it's far less strenuous! As a general rule, when purchasing any care product, choose those with natural ingredients, as you're taking care of natural materials.
Leather Type
Firstly, the type of leather will determine what care should be taken. For the purposes of care, we can separate these types into the following:
- Smooth leather
- Suede/Nubuck
Generally, all leather types should be kept clean in dry environments away from direct sunlight to increase longevity.
Smooth Leather
What is it?
This covers most leather and is often called either full-grain or top-grain leather. It's made from the upper layers of the hide, so you may see marks and wrinkles as you would see on the outer skin of a cow.
Care Advice
Firstly, gently wipe the leather with a lightly damp soft cloth (ideally microfiber) to remove any dirt. If this is not doing the trick, use a leather cleaner spray sparingly, as the leather should never be soaked.
Once the leather is clean, then leather balsam can be applied (again sparingly, otherwise the surface will become greasy). This will hydrate the leather and give it an additional layer of protection.
We would advise doing this every 3-6 months, depending on how much the leather piece is being used.
Recommended Products
Balsam:
https://tadhg.co/collections/leather-care
Cleaning Spray:
https://renapur.com/collections/all-products/products/renapur-leather-cleaner-spray
Brush:
https://renapur.com/products/renapur-suede-leather-fabric-polishing-and-cleaning-brush
Suede & Nubuck
We categorised these together as they require the same type of care and do have quite similar surface finishes.
What are they?
Suede is split leather that can be found away from the surface of the hide and Nubuck comes from the surface of the hide; however, it's been sanded to create a velvet-like texture. Below is an image of the Nubuck seen on the inside of a belt and on the right is suede.
Care Advice
These two materials are more susceptible to damage from water, and the same processes apply when it comes to upkeep.
The first thing you should do when you get any suede or nubuck product that may be exposed to water is apply a protectant layer (this is usually a spray). This will improve water resistance, which is typically one of the most common issues that these two leathers face.
From then on, you can use a suede brush or a rubber to remove surface marks and for deeper stains, you can use a specific suede foam with the suede brush to keep it in its best condition.
Recommended Products
Suede protectant spray:
https://renapur.com/products/renapur-suede-fabric-protector
Suede brush:
https://renapur.com/products/renapur-suede-leather-fabric-polishing-and-cleaning-brush
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