Topic: Clean the leathers while waiting for spring

[PeWe]

I cleaned the leather jacket and trousers I have used last season. I had forgotten that last ride had wet roads making it dirtier.

Into the shower room. Sprayed warm  water on the outside followed up with a sponge and leather soap. Rinsed with warm water.

Brought the leathers direct the garage for massage in leather balsam before the pores closing.  Do this on dry leather does not work, pores are closed. Steam would be even better.

Rich amount everywhere. Heat gun afterwards to let it flow in as much as possible, impregnate all seams. Hair dryer work fine too. Heat gun in not hottest setting, as a hair dryer.

I'll let it soak in for a few days and wipe it with dry cloths. Too greasy trousers where they hit the tank cause ugly residues on tank.

Only an additional light clean and polish of the bikes which can be done inside garage with cloths, degreaser, window cleaning spray and chrome polish.

Waiting for spring.
3 months possible for first ride in first week of April.
Snow can come back as it has done the last years,  next ride end of April or a week later.

[seanbarney41]

Nice job PeWe!  Nothing better than leather for both safety and fashion.  Would love to see what products you use as so few wear leather here in the U.S.  Even fewer take care of it.  Leather care products are hard to find locally.

[RAFster122s]

FWIW, Farm and fleet stores that deal with livestock normally carry Lexol leather cleaning and conditioning products at lower prices than conventional stores.

[PeWe]

I used a Swedish product I bought in a shop for horse stuff and riding leathers.
Saddles, boots and horse leather gear need care.

[RAFster122s]

I used a Swedish product I bought in a shop for horse stuff and riding leathers.
Saddles, boots and horse leather gear need care.

This is why many places like a Tractor Supply and similar farm related stores here carry leather care products, for horse tack, boots, etc. I like a Bee's wax product for my leather boots and shoes called SnoSeal. Works great on keeping salts out of leather and protects the leather too giving a renewable wax finish.

[rocket johnny]

 i just wipe my jacket with a clean damp  cloth ,,  apply sno-seal and chase it with a heat gun on low .   only paid 40 bucks for the jacket   

[scottly]

I've used saddle soap, mink oil, and Avon Skin-so-soft, which is basically scented mineral oil. Unfortunately, while the leather of the jacket I bought in 1978 is still in good, but well worn condition, I have gained significantly in circumference in the last few years and it no longer fits.  

[simon#42]

I have a horse hide jacket that goes rock hard if I don’t keep it moist , like scottly I use mink oil which works well

[Stev-o]

Nice job PeWe! 

+1...nice jacket! 

[PeWe]

Nice job PeWe! 

+1...nice jacket!

Thanks!
I bought the jacket 2012. Started to use it 2014.
The size to cover my belly. It had room for a warm wool sweater under and still has
I have another tight perforated summer leather jacket with no wiggle room. Tested it yesterday, wife said it looked good That jacket has been too tight some years

The balm I used this time "Ekol leather balm" contains:
Wool grease/lanolin, mink oil, vaseline, beeswax.
Most of it had penetrated the leather today. Used a dry cotton cloth to massage all surfaces. A little bit too much here and there, just a gew spots so leather has welcomed it well.

My favourite gloves got a massage today.  The most worn ones no longer available today.
My hands do not like hard finger protection nor vent holes that make pain into my finger joints.

Gloves on my hands, put them under the tap, hot water and make sure the leather got a good soak while I massaged my hands. After a minute they were wet, warm and soft.

Leather balm in tube, wet warm gloves still on and massage a string of the balm so the gloves leather will be covered. Massaged for a few minutes.

This time better than before when I used the balm on dry leather. It did not penetrate the leather as this time ehen wet and warm.

The leather has now 3 months for to get dry.

I forgot one year. I was not happy to realize that I should have done it several months ago. Needed the leather "today".

This thread to remind you all to do your leathers in time.





EDIT:
My garage is warm and dry so the learhers will dry. 21-23*C constantly.

Do indoors if your garage is not heated. Let it dry indoors too. It will probably take a week or 2 for my jacket and trousers and get all moist out.
Hang free so it will not mould. Never happened for me but might be possible.

My 2-piece leathers from the 80's is a little bit too tight.
+30kg more man need a lot more leather!!

[BenelliSEI]

PeWe…… Nice work. I pulled out two pairs of boots and gave the good cleaning and then “mink oil”. The rest of my gear is not leather. Phew!

[PeWe]

PeWe…… Nice work. I pulled out two pairs of boots and gave the good cleaning and then “mink oil”. The rest of my gear is not leather. Phew!

Good reminder,
I have boots in need too. 2 pair 

[Don R]

 I wore my leather jacket to a friend's 100th birthday party last week. After I got there, I noticed there were bug splatters on the front.
 I also have a leather jacket that my wife bought me in the late 70's, it no longer fits but for a brief moment when the diet I was on was working a couple years ago it fit again.

[RAFster122s]

Most all of my gear is textile, finding a affording leather is more challenging. While my textile jacket and pants tell you not to soak them they need a good immersion and short soak for them to scrub clean and rinse water stay clear. So I fill the tub, add some good detergent that is gentle, use a stiff bristle scrub brush and give them a scrub, let them soak a bit, drain and rinse off them refill tub to check progress. Rescrub as needed. My one summer jacket has a lot of white air flowing mesh and it can be a pain to get clean but it fortunately scrubs clean most of the time. Keeping it clean in dusty and dirty riding conditions requires a good cleaning ever 2-3 months. Most of the year the sun and dry air makes it dry really quickly after it is left to drop off for about 15-30 minutes hanging it up from the shower head water pipe before taking it outside.
My boots are a waterproof air variety by Alpinestars, starting to show some age from scuffs and wear but they keep my feet and ankles protected And dry if I am riding in rain. A pair of wool socks and different insoles in winter and the air affect isn't so bad, my feet don't sweat in winter and they stay warm, so I haven't had the need to get a different winter pair of riding boots. They were made in 2018. I generally do not ride in temps below 45F. Anything below 50F and the air temp at highway speeds gets to be freezing temps due to wind chill.

Don't forget to wash your helmet liner and cheek pads and clean and wax the exterior of your helmet.

[PeWe]

I bought most of my  leathers and boots on sale, 50% off.
The jacket above for less than 50% of original price when the shop closed down 2012.
My summer jacket also 50% off with matching trousers.

TCX X-Tour EVO boots 50% off too. Nearby shop cleared the stock as they do on regular basis  I could not resist since my very comfortable Alpinestars WEB2  GTX might need replacement. But they continue to be comfortable without cracking up.

Clean helmet can be something to do. No dirty feel yet, but must be time for it.

[scottly]

The balm I used this time "Ekol leather balm" contains:
Wool grease/lanolin, mink oil, vaseline, beeswax.

I just went through another skin cancer surgery, and the #1 recommendation to help the wound heal is vaseline. If it's good for human skin, its probably good for cow skin.

[RAFster122s]

It took a long time for the guy who refined and developed Vaseline to get people to use it, talking 10's of years.
Carmex which I believe uses Vaseline, Bee's wax, menthol and campfor is very good for chapped lips and cold sores...FWIW

Honey is a natural product that can help things heal as well...used as a salve like Vaseline.  Needs to be raw honey though, not pasteurized.

Heal up well Scott...

[scottly]

Carmex is #1 for cold sores and fever blisters in my book!

[HondaMan]

You guys are embarrasing me...about 25 years ago I took my made-to-match-Honda-colors Brooks riding leather jacket (it was in Honda Blue-Green) in to be cleaned for the first time, and a new liner made for it. What I got back was clean and had a new liner, but the color was (and still is) Baby Blue because the cleaner washed all the color out of the leather and re-dyed it in another color so it doesn't match the pants. The pants are still Blue-Green. Brooks made these jacket sets in tribute to Honda for the CB750 in 1970-1975 (I got mine in 1972, really hard to get even then), then went back to black and brown. Mel Gibson wore a black one in Lethal Weapon with the same signature dual-striped sleeves and shoulders, which always makes me smile... Now its being copied by someone else, like this:

https://www.nycjackets.com/product/mel-gibson-lethal-weapon-jacket/?gad_source=5&gclid=EAIaIQobChMInP7I8qz0igMVZgytBh0l7jkaEAQYASABEgJNoPD_BwE

But, I haven't cleaned them since then. I'm afraid to!

[PeWe]

The balm I used this time "Ekol leather balm" contains:
Wool grease/lanolin, mink oil, vaseline, beeswax.

I just went through another skin cancer surgery, and the #1 recommendation to help the wound heal is vaseline. If it's good for human skin, its probably good for cow skin.

Back in the 70-80's young women had a tin jar of vaseline in their small handbag. For lips and whatever they used it for.

The company I work for used vaseline on PE connections as rust protection, during the 70-90's.


I bought Manuka fill (honey based) for our cat after surgery.

I use it too when I have used my ultra sharp japanese knives in damascus steel
Like this
https://www.thevetstore.net/shop/manuka-fill/

[HondaMan]

The balm I used this time "Ekol leather balm" contains:
Wool grease/lanolin, mink oil, vaseline, beeswax.

I just went through another skin cancer surgery, and the #1 recommendation to help the wound heal is vaseline. If it's good for human skin, its probably good for cow skin.

Back in the 70-80's yong women had a tin jar of vaseline in their small handbag. For lips and whatever they used it for.

The company I work for used vaseline on PE connections as rust protection, during the 70-90's.


I bought Manuka fill (honey based) for our cat after surgery.

I use it too when I have used my ultra sharp japanese knives in damascus steel
Like this
https://www.thevetstore.net/shop/manuka-fill/

Ow!
You make me hurt in sympathy.

[scottly]

Back in the 70-80's young women had a tin jar of vaseline in their small handbag. For lips and whatever they used it for.

In John Steinbeck's 1937 novel "Of mice and men", the antagonist, Curley, wears one "glove fulla vaseline...he's keepin' that hand soft for his wife."

[PeWe]

I did the leather boots today.
Rinsed them with warm tap water followed by massage with a sponge with leather soap.
Rinsed again with warm water.
Wiped off the dripping water and leather balm on.

Used a heat gun to make it float into  the seams.
My oldest most used Alpinestars  boots needed a 2nd session with leather balm.
My TCX used a few rides each year since I bought them on 50% sale early 2021 as a replacement when the other boots will be too worn which will not happen the nearest time.
They are a little warmer and sit firmer with taller stems. Still comfortable.
Probably the most protective of them.

 

[BenelliSEI]

I have a pair of the TCX boots. More worn and very comfortable!

[PeWe]

I look forward to use my TCX again. They need break-in time.