Leather Restoration at Home
by TreeHugger on 03.24.05
Old-but-loved leather coats, belts, or shoes can often be restored with Neatsfoot Oil as the first step. Neatsfoot has long been used by saddlery shops and horsemen to maintain or restore leather. These days it generally sold in small, overpriced containers or formulated into a disgusting white emulsion that's not suitable for big projects. TreeHuggers can buy the real thing in bulk to extend the lives of great old products like heirloom jackets and belts.
Neatsfoot oil is is a natural preservative that repels water and protects against the stiffening of repeated wetting-drying. Soaking dried, scratched, or stiffened leathers in neatsfoot fully restores them to original softness.
Caveats: neatsfoot oil is not for suede and should not be put on textiles as it will stain. It will permanently darken light colored leathers. During and for a period of up to a week after application, neatsfoot imparts a characteristic, not unpleasant odor. As time passes the odor dissipates completely and the tone will again lighten somewhat.
Laquered leathers:if your coat has a shiny surface, it likely has been laquered. On older coats the laquer has often worn off from the elbows and under the cuffs. Neatsfoot oil will work on such a coat if the laquer is a dark color; but repeated applications are needed to penetrate the tiny wrinkles. After the neatsfoot has completely dried, and the odor no longer in evidence, you can (optionally) pay an outside service for re-laquering. For laquered belts, you have to apply from the reverse side and wait for the odor to dissipate before wearging.
Technique Suggestions: Have lots of old newspaper at hand, whether you are working on a belt, shoes, or coat. Rubber gloves are recommended but not critical. Use old paint brushes to apply.
To treat a jacket or coat, put on it hangar and stuff the sleeves and body with lots of newspaper to open up the folds and provide access to where the sun don't shine. Manage it like you were painting. Put paper on the floor and hang the coat up so it is convenient to reach all around. Apply lots of neatsfoot with an old paint brush, top to bottom.
Leave for a day and examine for areas where penetration is incomplete. Re-apply in those areas for up to four times until all leather has been penetrated. A week or two later you'll find the entire coat is very soft and pliable. If needed, you can take it to a cleaners or specialty shop to replace buttons, zippers, cuff linings etc. When done it will be just like new.
Works spectacularly on shoes or boots that have been dried out by road salt.
by: John Laumer
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my problem with leather shoes is usually on the inside where the moisture levels vary wildly. the leather in there is always very thin and once it gets brittle, the lining just cracks and crumbles. is neatsfoot oil appropriate for inside shoes? will it stain socks?
Public reply: I have used neatsfoot on the linings of high quality men's shoes, wiht good result. It simply does not absorb into any polymer-based "man made" materials, though, so if those last, neatsfoot will save the soft leather lining and keep the whole item on your feet for a lot longer.
YOu might try stuffing the shoes first with wet towel to leach out some of the perspiration salts. After they dry fully, paint the insides with neatsfoot. Let them sit a day and then re-stuff with dry paper towels or a cotton rag. THey will soak up any excess. In a week or two there will be no free liquid left as the atmospheric oxygen slowly polymerizes the neatsfoot.
what about using this on a leather couch or the leather seats in my auto?
Public reply #2: Be cautious about couch/car seat leather that may be treated for grease or water resistance. Test on an underflap and make sure you can get even penetration of the laquer after several tries. Let it dry to make sure you like the color result.
If that works, I'd use a sponge to apply so as not to soak it too much. You don't want to have to wait too long for it to dry and lose the odor, especially if its your only car.
For a relatively new car I'd talk with a dealer about restoration options. If the car is old and the seats looking pretty scruffy what's to lose?
I have a pr of sandals I wore in Florda for 3 weeks
The humidity combined with hot feet and leather - have left an odor in his shoe - (insole)
How can I remove that odor so that when I put the shoe back on - it will no longer smell like sweaty leather! Thanks
I have a two-cowhide suitcase set purchased over 50 years ago. They have not been used since the mid 50s. The leather still is in excellent condition but has numerous scuffs and small scratches, but no gouges. I am trying to figure out the best way of removing the scuffs and scratches and restoring the leather. I would appreciate any suggestions and recommendations for available products to assist me.
Thank you,
Ed Mazur