What Cleans Leather?

Moisturizing Soap

• Common moisturizing soaps like Dove work just fine on finished leather articles such as coats, shoes and furniture. Take a damp cloth, and put a sliver of the soap onto the cloth. Work up lather, and rub the cloth onto the leather. Just keep the cloth damp, not wet, because you don't want to get a lot of water on leather. Take a fresh, dry cloth and wipe off the lather. Using a third dry cloth, dry and buff the leather back to tip-top condition.

Rubbing Alcohol

• Using common rubbing alcohol from your bathroom cabinets can take care of mildew, mold and ink stains. To rid mildew and mold from leather, mix 1 cup of rubbing alcohol with 1 cup of tap water. Moisten a clean cloth with the mixture, and wipe it on the mildew or mold. Allow the leather to air dry. Setting up a house fan will cut down on drying time for a large item such as a leather sofa or chair.

Cornstarch and Talcum Powder

• Oil and grease stains can make leather unsightly. Fortunately, there's a fairly easy remedy. Blot away any excess oil or grease with a clean dry cloth, and sprinkle talcum powder or cornstarch on the stain. Let the powdery substance go to work for four hours or more to absorb the oil. With another clean cloth, wipe off the powder and clean the leather.

Vinegar

• Vinegar can be a good choice when cleaning leather. For general cleaning, mix one part white vinegar with two parts Neat's foot oil. If you can't find Neat's, look for a raw or food-grade linseed oil. Take a lint-free white cloth, and swirl on the mixture. Let it sit overnight, and buff the item with a fresh cloth to clean and restore luster.

  Vinegar is also handy for cleaning less pliable items like leather shoes and belts. Pour a cup of vinegar into a bowl, and add 2 tbsp. of olive oil, beeswax or cold-pressed nut oil. Dip a clean cloth into the solution, and smear it onto the leather item. Let it sit for at least an hour so it can absorb into the leather. Follow up with a clean, lint-free cloth to buff the leather dry, clean and shiny.

  Winter weather can wreak havoc on leather boots and shoes. Road salt can leave an ugly white ring. Put vinegar to the rescue by mixing one part white vinegar with one part tap water. Dip a lint-free cloth into the solution, and wipe it over the salt. Follow up with the vinegar-based general cleaning solution.