Expensive leather can only be wiped and partially cleaned, but if it is a leather purse that has been used for a long time, or other abrasive leather products, it can be put into the washing machine. Make sure to use the right soap and cold water to avoid deformation of the leather. To be on the safe side, hand wash the leather. Unfinished leather products should be protected and maintained with extra care.

Method 1: Hand wash

Whether it is basic maintenance or deep cleaning, you can choose to hand wash leather. Hand washing not only treats local scratches and dirt, but also effectively cleans the leather deeply. However, if the leather product is expensive or made of hard leather, it is safe to leave it to a professional to clean.

Make liquid soap with olive soap.

Pour a dash of olive soap into a bowl of distilled water. Use your hands or a whisk to stir the solution so that the soap is evenly dispersed and lather.

To better protect your leather, use a soap specifically designed to clean it. Many general retailers, hardware stores and craft stores carry these soaps. If you don't have olive soap or a leather-specific cleaner, use a mild soap, such as dish soap, instead. Test the cleaning solution on a nondescript spot on the leather to make sure it won't damage the leather before moving on to more visible areas.

Dip a soft lint-free cloth into the cleaning solution. Use a microfiber cloth, but if you're out of options, you can always use a regular rag. Do not use harsh and friction tools, such as scrubbing pads. They scratch the leather and make the finish dull and cloudy.

In general, when cleaning leather, you can not use irritating cleaning products. They can cause a negative reaction and cause the leather surface to deform.

Wipe the leather with a cloth to remove any dirt. Rub against the grain of the leather. When you encounter clumped dirt or hard-to-remove stains, wipe them off in a gentle circular motion.

When cleaning, try not to let the leather completely wet. This will damage the leather. During the cleaning process, if the leather is too wet, you may wish to wait for it to dry a little before continuing to clean.

Take another clean rag and wipe off the soap layer and any remaining dirt. After cleaning the leather, be very careful to wipe off all the soap, otherwise the soap that remains will make the leather dry and crack. Take a clean lint-free cloth, wet it with clean water, and then wipe the surface of the leather that is no longer dirt.

Let the leather product air dry. Hang it on a hanger, or place it on a suitable surface, such as a chair or drying rack, to ensure that the leather product is not out of shape. Let it dry completely. Do not expose the leather to direct sunlight, which can cause it to dry out and crack.

Apply leather conditioner. This is a step designed to protect the leather and restore it to a smooth, flat surface. Follow the instructions of the treatment agent to achieve results. The usual practice is to dip the conditioner into a clean and dry lint-free cloth and polish the leather.

Over time, the oils that help keep the leather soft and elastic gradually disappear from the surface of the leather. Especially after cleaning, if you do not apply leather care agent to supplement these oils, leather products will become very fragile and easy to damage. Never use mink oil, leather wax and other products to clean finished leather. They can damage the appearance of such leather products and the polish used for finishing.

Method 2: Machine wash

Choose cheap leather products for machine washing. Be warned that machine washing may damage leather products. Durable leather products such as boots and jackets are more suitable for machine washing.

Brightly colored leather should not be machine washed or it may fade. Unless you are willing to take a risk, leather products with delicate stitches or many small decorative items should not be machine washed, they can be easily damaged by washing machines. If the leather item to be cleaned is expensive, such as expensive boots or high-quality suede jackets, clean it only partially or leave it to a professional.

Buy or make your own olive soap. Abrasive soaps tend to damage leather, while olive soaps are relatively mild and less irritating to leather. Any type of olive soap will do. If you can't buy one, you can make one.

Pour about 60 ml of soap into the laundry detergent adding port. Olive soap is used in the same way as regular laundry detergent. Add soap as requested by the washing machine and then choose "cold water" for washing.

Place the leather product in the washing machine and run a gentle wash program. To prevent leather products from being bumped and beaten too much when cleaning, you can put a few black clothes in to absorb the impact. Run the machine's gentle wash program.

If possible, first turn the leather product from the inside out, close all zippers, and fasten all fasteners. This will help "wash out" the stain and prevent damage to visible parts of the leather.

Run the cleaning program. Pay close attention to the leather products in the washing machine during the cleaning process. After cleaning, take it out as soon as possible, don't let it dry inside.

If leather is allowed to dry while wrinkled or out of shape, it will become deformed.

Back to its original form. Unroll leather products to lay or hang them flat. Smooth out creases and wrinkles that formed during cleaning. Sometimes, you might be able to give it a little tug while it's still wet, to stretch it out a little bit.

Be careful when stretching the leather, too much force may crack. It's not easy to fix, and it's not cheap.

Let the leather product air dry. Do not expose the leather to direct sunlight, or the oil that keeps the leather soft will evaporate. [18] Hang it up and let it air dry in a sunny room. Opening the Windows encourages air flow and helps it dry faster.

Do not use a hair dryer or other directly applied heat source to dry leather products. If you are going to use the dryer, remember to set it to "low" or "no heat" mode.

Apply leather conditioner. Leather care agents help protect the leather and restore its original texture. A paper towel or a soft lint-free cloth is usually applied to the leather. After applying the conditioner, the leather product is ready to use immediately.

If you don't have a commercially available leather conditioner in your home, you can also apply a thin layer of olive oil. To use as a conditioner, dip a rag in a little olive oil and gently rub it into the leather.

Method 3: Clean unfinished leather products

Identify unfinished leather products. Unfinished leather products with rough surfaces are usually used in construction boots, saddles, baseball gloves and other items that are easily worn.

Remove dirt with saddle soap. Pour the saddle soap onto a clean, damp cloth and wipe the leather. When a lot of soap bubbles have formed on the surface of the leather, rinse it off with water. As usual, don't let the leather get wet.

If you find water in the leather, pause and let it air dry slightly first to avoid damaging the leather.

Use a soft brush to remove serious dirt and clean up cracks. Rags may not be able to clean cracks or stubborn dirt. Wipe them with a brush with very soft bristles, such as a nylon brush, so as not to damage the leather surface.

Before using the brush, first test its wiping effect on the leather in an inconspicuous place to avoid accidentally damaging the leather.

Wipe off the remaining soap bubbles. Dampen a clean lint-free cloth with water. Wring out excess water, then wipe off any remaining soap or dirt with a cloth. Work all night. Unfinished leather products are more likely to seep than finished leather. So, you need to let it air dry for at least 8 hours or overnight.

Care for the leather. Apply leather conditioner to dry leather products, for example you can use mink oil. Use an unused cloth to apply a generous amount of oil to leather products, especially to cracks and worn areas. Now, leather products are ready to use immediately.