Leather care

Contributor: Darklyvan Darklyvan
I noticed a complete lack of products to help us care for our leather toys and accessories. How many others think Eden needs to sell some leather cleaners and conditioners?
12/10/2011
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Contributor: Eucaly Eucaly
This is a good idea!
12/10/2011
Contributor: bdvnt bdvnt
Excellent idea. It would also be good to help us pick "skin safe" products. Some cleaners and conditioners have oils and stuff in them that shouldn't be against the skin. Most of the leather things sold here are for more intimate contact than shoe care products were intended for.
12/10/2011
Contributor: Kitka Kitka
Great idea and bdvnt has a good point about "skin safe" products.
12/10/2011
Contributor: GravyCakes GravyCakes
that sounds like an excellent idea.
12/10/2011
Contributor: badk1tty badk1tty
Quote:
Originally posted by Darklyvan
I noticed a complete lack of products to help us care for our leather toys and accessories. How many others think Eden needs to sell some leather cleaners and conditioners?
Sounds like a good idea to me.
12/10/2011
Contributor: Cherrylane Cherrylane
I deal with leather a lot and I'm not sure you'll find too many brands marketing their leather cleaners as "skin safe" or whatever. Part of the problem is that because it is not a "body product" so most makers do not provide a full ingredient list. That said, I've personally never had an issue with most cleaners. I tend to try and stay away from glycerine leather soaps though as they seem to try a lot of leather products out and can remove the color in certain types of treated leathers.

I do however have an absolute favorite leather conditioner. I use it on just about every leather item I own, it's amazing. It softens stiff leather in no time, conditions out blemishes and scratches, refreshes old leather. It's by far the best stuff I have ever used and it's just incredibly moisturizing and wonderful. And to top it all off, it SMELLS amazing. It's not scented or anything like that. To me, it smells like a nice leather conditioner should. Almost edible.

It's called Leder-Balsam by a brand called Effax link

They do not provide their whole ingredient list outright on the website or on the container, but they do note that some of the primary ingredients in the conditioner is beeswax, lanolin and avocado oil (probably part of why it smells so good). They also have a readily accessible option on their website to request more info on the ingredients of their products.
12/10/2011
Contributor: sarahswallows sarahswallows
Quote:
Originally posted by Cherrylane
I deal with leather a lot and I'm not sure you'll find too many brands marketing their leather cleaners as "skin safe" or whatever. Part of the problem is that because it is not a "body product" so most makers do not ... more
Leather cleaners and conditioners meant for horse tack should be fairly skin safe
12/10/2011
Contributor: Jennysweets Jennysweets
Quote:
Originally posted by Darklyvan
I noticed a complete lack of products to help us care for our leather toys and accessories. How many others think Eden needs to sell some leather cleaners and conditioners?
Yes we definitely need some on Eden
12/10/2011
Contributor: Sir Sir
This would be a wonderful addition.
12/10/2011
Contributor: Darklyvan Darklyvan
Quote:
Originally posted by Cherrylane
I deal with leather a lot and I'm not sure you'll find too many brands marketing their leather cleaners as "skin safe" or whatever. Part of the problem is that because it is not a "body product" so most makers do not ... more
I will need to try this
12/11/2011
Contributor: Beck Beck
That would be nice
12/11/2011
Contributor: The-IT-Guy-And-My-Secretary The-IT-Guy-And-My-Secretary
Quote:
Originally posted by Darklyvan
I noticed a complete lack of products to help us care for our leather toys and accessories. How many others think Eden needs to sell some leather cleaners and conditioners?
I would agree and maybe have some cleaning products sold specifically by the companies that make the leathers so that you know the products will work with the leather.
12/11/2011
Contributor: Jennysweets Jennysweets
Quote:
Originally posted by The-IT-Guy-And-My-Secretary
I would agree and maybe have some cleaning products sold specifically by the companies that make the leathers so that you know the products will work with the leather.
This would be best
12/11/2011
Contributor: Cherrylane Cherrylane
Quote:
Originally posted by Jennysweets
This would be best
I think the problem with that is that in my experience, companies that make leather often do not also make cleaner and conditioners. Not only that, but most toy companies that are making products with leather aren't making the leather either, even when they say handmade. Particularly with BDSM stuff. They're purchasing the leather from some other company that usually isn't disclosed.

It's not a particular science, really. Leather care products are just what they say they are. Some are just higher quality than others. Lexol makes decent fairly priced entry level cleaners and conditioners.

The thing to know though, is that leather CANNOT be sterilized. Hopefully you all already know this. Anything that would truly sterilize leather would also damage it. You can clean grime away with cleanser, but bacteria will likely still remain. You could wipe down the surface with alcohol or hydrogen peroxide, but again, there's a high change that could damage the leather. At the very least, dry it out and change the color. Water is also, generally speaking, not that good for leather.

And no matter how you clean your leather, you should always use some kind of conditioner after because cleanser/cleaners and even water will dry the leather out and no one wants that.
12/12/2011
Contributor: Darklyvan Darklyvan
Quote:
Originally posted by The-IT-Guy-And-My-Secretary
I would agree and maybe have some cleaning products sold specifically by the companies that make the leathers so that you know the products will work with the leather.
I checked Aslan's site and they did not have anything
12/16/2011
Contributor: sarahswallows sarahswallows
Quote:
Originally posted by Darklyvan
I checked Aslan's site and they did not have anything
that is too bad, we need something
01/11/2012
Contributor: switzerland switzerland
good idea! but i guess leather cleaners/conditioners/ etc are so widely available anywhere...
01/11/2012
Contributor: Cherrylane Cherrylane
Quote:
Originally posted by Darklyvan
I checked Aslan's site and they did not have anything
This is because most places that make leather products don't make the leather they use. They buy the leather from an independent tannery. SOME tanneries have their own cleansers and conditions but many do not, and they all tend to be very expensive comparatively.

Honestly, I've tried some here and there and I think the only thing you really have to watch out for as far as something "not working" with leather is that it's high quality and that you're using it properly. Some cleansers dry out leather. Some leathers need to be washed with a glycerine soap while others cannot be washed this way, and it often dries leather out if not conditioned after. Most leather worth being cleansed need to be conditioned after cleansing.

The other thing to note is that at least with some of the leather quality I've seen in bdsm type gear is that no matter how high quality the stuff you use, the leather is often of so low a grade and so cheap that it very well might not absorb anything properly or benefit from it. If the outer coating seems painted on or plasticy, the edges are coated with a plasticy lining (you may think this is a design element or to protect it somehow, but it's not. It's to hide the blue center of leather than has been insufficiently tanned during a chrome tanning process to save money), the center of the leather is a blue color, or the leather is feather light compared, you are dealing with cheap leather. Invest in cleaners and conditioners at your own risk...

Actually, I think I might post a separate thread about this...
01/11/2012
Contributor: Jennysweets Jennysweets
you may be able to find something in your local walmart
02/11/2012