Although leather is a robust material, it needs sufficient care to withstand the stresses of everyday life. Unfortunately, many people simply do not take enough care of their shoes. The result: sunlight, dirt and moisture leave marks and discoloration that, if left unprotected, leave unsightly signs of wear. It's a shame, really: There is a suitable cleaning and care product for every type of leather. Sustainable products that use natural ingredients to clean and care for your favorite pieces without attacking or damaging the fibers of the material are ideal for this and help your shoes to have a long life.
What different types of leather care are there?
As already mentioned, there are suitable care products for every type of leather. They protect the natural material from external influences, have a nourishing effect and allow your favorite pieces made of natural and artificial leather to withstand all the influences of everyday life.
Leather care cream:
Care creams have a moisturizing effect and are applied with a soft sponge or cloth. In most cases they contain a UV filter that prevents your shoes from fading. Ideally, the ingredients also contain antioxidants. They counteract the natural aging of leather and are an ideal addition to leather care.
Leather care milk:
Care milk consists of water, oils and fats. The thin emulsion is applied to the leather with a soft cloth and worked in. Just like care creams, the milk has a moisturizing effect and protects the material from drying out. Compared to creams, emulsions have the advantage that they can penetrate deeper into the material due to their liquid consistency.
Leather oil:
As the name suggests, leather oils consist of various oils, waxes, preservatives and fragrances. Their liquid nature allows them to penetrate deep into the material. Old, dried-out leather in particular gets a real boost of care from the highly moisturizing ingredients and becomes as supple and shiny as before. However, leather oils are not suitable for all types of leather! Only covered leather benefits from a care treatment. Open-pored aniline or suede leather is very sensitive and has almost no surface protection. That's why you should avoid treating these types of leather with leather oil.
Leather grease:
Leather grease contains Vaseline or animal fats such as wool fat as nourishing ingredients. This type of leather care is mainly used in the field of shoe care. It has the property of being very moisturising and should therefore only be applied sparingly. Leather greases such as theEmma Green Shoe Leather Care for Soft & Smooth LeatherBut they have another positive effect: They are water-repellent, clean your shoes made of opaque smooth leather effectively and have a waterproofing effect at the same time. However, you should remember one thing: leather grease is not suitable for open-pored leather types such as rough and aniline leather! The rich care would leave ugly stains on the sensitive material that would be almost impossible to remove.
Shoe polish:
This type of leather care product is suitable for cleaning smooth leather. It also has a waterproofing effect and protects your shoes from external influences such as moisture, dryness and the stresses of everyday life. When using it, you should note that it should only be applied sparingly. If you use too much, this would have counterproductive effects and the shoe polish would clog the leather pores. This would mean that the breathability of the material would be restricted and the material would lose its natural appearance over time.
Saddle soap:
Saddle soap is alkaline. The leather care product can be used in solid or liquid form. In the past, it was mainly used to clean and care for saddles and straps. Today, this is hardly the case anymore. The alkaline soap has been replaced by environmentally friendly household products such as Vaseline and leather cream. The sustainable products have the advantage that they do not harm Mother Nature, but still penetrate deep into the pores of the material. They ensure that the natural material remains wonderfully supple. Another plus point: They leave a wafer-thin protective shield on the leather surface, which protects the leather from harmful UV rays as well as from moisture and wetness.
Leather care shoes: How do you apply leather care products correctly?
In order to apply the various leather care products correctly and work them into the material, you need the right tools. But here too, you should bear a few things in mind: Not every cloth or brush is equally suitable for optimal leather care. To ensure that the fibers of the different types of leather are not damaged, the various cleaning tools have completely different properties. They are precisely tailored to the surface structure of the respective leather and prevent anything from going wrong during care.
Dirt brushes:
Dirt brushes have relatively hard bristles that allow the user to remove coarse dirt effectively and easily. Most of them are equipped with pig bristles or natural fibers, which are made from the leaves of the agave. Dirt brushes made of synthetic fibers are also available in stores. However, they have sharper edges and are not suitable for treating soft leather.
Leather care application brushes:
These types of brushes are designed to apply leather care products to the surface of the material. They have soft bristles and guarantee that the care product is applied gently. They are available with a handle or as a so-called jar brush and in different sizes. We recommend that you always use a different application brush for different leather colors. This will prevent the different colors from mixing together and leaving annoying discoloration on your shoes during treatment. It is also advisable to wash the fine bristles from time to time with a mild soap cleaner.
Polishing brushes:
Polishing brushes are equipped with very soft bristles. High-quality brushes are made of horsehair and ensure a wonderful surface shine during treatment. When you work the care product, such as natural beeswax or a sustainable leather cream, into the material, the friction produced creates heat. This literally melts the care product, which means that the products can penetrate deep into the material. The result: a well-maintained shoe with a wonderful shine.
Suede brushes:
These types of brushes come in different designs. Models with brass bristles are ideal for roughening and cleaning the surface of suede. Shoe brushes with bristles made of natural rubber or rubber and those with wild boar bristles are ideal for caring for sensitive nappa leather.
Cleaning cloths & sponges:
Soft cotton cloths and sponges are ideal for removing light dirt from the leather surface or applying nourishing care products. Warning: You should avoid using microfiber cloths to care for your shoes. They can irreversibly damage the surface structure of leather!
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