Boots look brilliant with certain outfits, but they can be pretty expensive. Hence, many people are afraid to use saddle soap to clean them.
If you are wondering why, then let me tell you that some people believe saddle soap may damage leather surfaces. Likewise, others believe it can cause discoloration of the leather over time, both of which aren’t really true.
Now I had some very dirty boots, which needed to be cleaned, and I wanted to figure out a way to do so. That is when my husband stepped in and told me about the entire process.
It involves very few things and you should find all the required materials in the house itself. But remember that not all types of leather can be cleaned with saddle soap, so I have also included the exceptions in this read.
That said, if you know how to use saddle soap on boots correctly, you will have sparkling clean boots within a day every time they become dirty.
Hi! I am Stacy Smith, and today I will tell you all about the process. So, dive in!
Before anything else, I will walk you through the materials that you should keep handy for the process. These include:
Saddle soap is mainly made of wax and fat and is an astringent. This means it will work really well in cleaning out dirt, stains and pulling out oil from the surface of the boots. But you will have to make sure that essential oils are not pulled out, as that could cause the leather to dry up.
I have broken down the entire process into steps so that it becomes easy for you to understand.
First of all, you will need to clean the brush properly if you are using older brushes. There shouldn’t be any residues stuck between the bristles, as you would not want them to create any marks on the surface of the shoes.
My husband always runs his fingers through the bristles to remove any leftover polish. But remember to wash your hands after this.
Next, take off the shoelaces to prevent them from damage. Then, use the brush to clean everywhere while paying special attention to the folds and tongue.
A lot of dirt marks and scuffs will be removed at this stage, as constant scrubbing would cause the wax and oil to get heated up. They will then easily move around the surface of the boots, pulling out dirt in the process.
After you have rubbed the surface well, dip the brush in a bowl of water. Once your brush is wet, place it in the soap tin and move it around to let the bristles catch the soap
Ensure that there are no large soap particles stuck between the bristles before you start scrubbing the boots. If you spot some, dip the brush in some water and rub it on the surface of the water container to form a thick lather, which will break up the soap chunks.
After the brush has a nice lather, start working on your boots. Scrub each part gently for around 5 to 10 seconds. It is best to scrub in a circular motion so that you can clean it evenly. Don’t scrub for too long or apply too much pressure since you don’t want the leather to absorb too much soap.
After scrubbing, use a microfiber fabric or a paper towel to remove the soap from the surface. The saddle soap will then not penetrate too much as you are removing it immediately. When you start wiping, you should see marks and stains disappearing slowly. My husband uses this as a crucial check to ensure that the surface isn’t getting dried up by any extra soap.
Once you have cleaned the entire surface, you can move on to find any remaining stain or mark and spot clean it. Such patches are usually more stubborn and resistant to the soap, so they need to be taken care of separately.
Here, you can rub the soap directly on the stains and ensure that it gets into the leather. Use your fingers to rub it well so that the gunk comes off. Then, brush over that area to create a lather.
Finally, take a fresh wet cloth and wipe the surface once more. My husband told me that I needed to pay extra attention to the folds and stitches, which may retain some soap. If necessary, wipe the surface multiple times to ensure that there’s no leftover soap.
After that, keep the boots in a dry place and let them dry for 24 hours. On the next day, I ensure to condition the leather well, as that prevents the top from drying out.
Before going ahead with the process, always check the kind of leather that your boots are made of.
While saddle soap works on most types of leather, it’s not suitable for suede and roughout, and there are milder alternatives to clean such boots. I learned this the hard way, and hence, I wanted to let you know about it.
Also, ensure that you do not soak the boots in soap or water, as that would only have detrimental effects on them.
And my husband suggests that I leave the boots out (but not under direct sunlight, in the rain, or snow) for at least two days to make sure that they are completely dry. You can even use a hairdryer for the process if the weather is humid.
I will now leave you to it, and I am sure you will do a great job. And when you do, tell me about your experience in the comments section below.
Goodbye and take care!
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