How does one care for leather goods?
Caring for leather can be difficult. The best way to preserve leather items is by monitoring environmental factors and maintaining relative humidity, light levels, and temperature at an appropriate level. See the Display & Storage tab for more information.
Deterioration
There are three main ways in which leather deteriorates. It can become brittle, it can biodegenerate (rot), or it can suffer from red rot. The leather parts of the surgical kit on the right are NOT deteriorating, but they do have rips and folds from wear.
If leather is brittle, it can be made more supple by dressing the leather (see below). Biodegeneration is most likely to occur in leather that has been stored in an area where the relative humidity (RH) is above 70%. For more on the best storage methods for leather, go to the Display & Storage tab. Please see the Red Rot page for more information on red rot.
Below are two ways to care for leather goods that are in circulation. Items that are only on display will likely not need either of these treatments.
Washing Leather
*Powdery leathers are likely to darken extremely when washed. Always do a spot check on an inconspicuous spot before washing leather items.*
Use cold water or, still better, potassium lactate, and saddle soap. The amount of water or potassium lactate should be kept at a bare minimum in the soap solution.
Apply the solution to the leather with cotton balls or a sponge as quickly and gently as possible.
Use clean damp cotton balls to remove the residual soap.
Any soap that remains after cleaning can be removed with a soft brush.
Dressing Leather
*Lubricating leather should be avoided unless deemed absolutely necessary. Too much lubrication can attract dust and even mold. It can also seal the surface, inhibiting moisture absorption, which will cause the leather to dry out further. This process can darken leather.*
Leather dressing is applied to lubricate leather and is more important for items that are being used than for items that are only on display. It helps restore and soften leathers that have lost their flexibility.
BRITISH MUSEUM LEATHER DRESSING TREATMENT (BML)
Copied from the Conservation Research Laboratory Nautical Archaeology Program Texas A&M University, College Station webpage:
200 gm (7 oz) anhydrous lanolin
30 ml (1 oz) cedarwood oil (acts as a fungicide)
15 gm (½ oz) beeswax (optional)
350 ml diethyl ether (B.P. 15-25°C) or 330 ml of hexane
Heat the first three items together (beeswax can be omitted; its function is to act as a polish) and then pour the molten liquid into the ether or hexane.
Allow to cool while constantly stirring. Exercise extreme caution, as ether and hexane have low boiling points and are very flammable. Apply sparingly to the leather and rub well.
Wait two days, then polish the treated leather with a soft cloth. Very hard leather can be soaked in a solution of one part BML: three parts Stoddards Solvent. BML darkens the leather, but it is a treatment with a good success record.
See the Resources page for more information.
Used with permission from Holmer Lewis © 2014
Used with permission from Lewis © 2014
Civil War surgical kit. Used with permission from Johns © 2014
