Leather - cleaning and care

Reading time: 6 mins

Regular training, sweat and cosmetic residues and sebum, as well as exposure to the sun, take a toll on leather of all kinds. The natural product is long-lasting and undemanding, but needs a little care from time to time in order to remain attractive and functional for many years.

Contents

Natural product leather
Clean leather properly
Not every leather gets soap
Care and preservation after cleaning
How do I properly care for the leather of the ARTZT Vintage Series?
Properly avoid new soiling and mold

Natural product leather

Equipment for sports and training is expensive and if you take care of your equipment regularly, you will save a lot of money in the long run and extend the life of your training equipment.

Leather, as a natural product, requires a certain amount of care – just like human skin – in order to retain its positive properties. So get to the leather soap and suitable care products! Whether it's an elegant sports bag made of smooth leather, leather-covered dumbbell handles made of nubuck or suede or vintage-style fitness equipment made of oiled leather - there are individual care rituals for all types of leather.

>> Reading tip: Real leather vs. imitation leather - That makes the difference

Clean leather properly

Sure, optical accents on almost natural suede, nubuck or vintage leather make real leather so appealing, but it is also clear: leather, as a natural product, requires a certain amount of care - just like human skin - in order to achieve its positive properties receive.

Before starting care, the leather is first thoroughly cleaned, because without cleaning, dirt, dust and salts from training sweat as well as sebum from oiling and greasing would penetrate the leather and decompose it over time. Stains and mildew also like to cavort on grubby leather that is used or stored in a damp environment.

Dirt in seams and crevices attracts moisture, and it is precisely here that cleaning should be done more frequently to avoid mildew and mildew. Regular dust removal is therefore just as important as supplying the leather with oils and fats. This can be done with a soft brush and in hard-to-reach places with a narrow vacuum cleaner nozzle or brush. An insider tip from the leather specialist: Dust can be very easily removed from particularly fine seams with compressed air from the compressor. But special mini attachments for the normal vacuum cleaner also work perfectly when cleaning corners, edges or seams, etc.

After the dust has been removed, the porous leather becomes damp - not wet! – wiped with a microfiber cloth. With the help of a very fine steel or rubber brush, the leather can be carefully roughened again after drying.

Extra tip: If the dust is already stuck in a seam, you can try your luck with an electric (ultrasonic) toothbrush. Of course, when used dry, it is usually possible to remove even stubborn crusts of dust.

Not every leather gets soap

After dusting, smooth leather is cleaned with a high-quality saddle or leather soap. The soap is foamed up with a little water using a soft sponge and then applied to the leather. Adhering dirt and sweat, i.e. everything that particularly soils the leather and puts a lot of strain on it, is loosened and can be removed and wiped away with a sponge in a second "wash cycle". The foam of the saddle soap is then allowed to act for a moment until it has dried slightly and is then rubbed off with a soft cloth. Complete drying of the dirt-soap mixture should be avoided, so treat larger leather areas piece by piece.

Incidentally, suede and nubuck leather and the specially refined, open-pored cowhide of the Artzt Vintage Series products do not like saddle or leather soap. Rough, open-pored leather sticks together and becomes smooth when treated with a sponge and saddle soap, thereby losing its unique look and feel.

These types of leather are thoroughly rubbed down with a damp microfiber cloth without any other additives - if in doubt, change the cloth more often or rinse it out and then wring it out vigorously if it is heavily soiled.

Care and preservation after cleaning

After cleaning with soap, smooth leather must also dry thoroughly. The same applies to the types of leather that are wiped with a damp cloth, such as the high-quality cowhide of the fitness tools from the ARTZT Vintage Series. It is best to store the leather overnight in a dry place that is not too warm (not near the heater!), where the residual moisture can escape easily.

Under no circumstances should leather be allowed to dry in the sun! In general, even with good care, leather becomes brittle under UV radiation and dries out, so leather items should generally not be exposed to the blazing sun for longer than necessary.

Once the leather has dried well, it can be cared for further if necessary.

Suede leather and nubuck leather becomes greasy and smooth through the use of oils and fats, which is usually undesirable. To roughen it up again after cleaning, brush it with a special rubber suede brush. However, all suede and nubuck leather becomes "greasy" over time and with use. Incidentally, it can then be treated like any other open-pored leather - but with the result that the rough effect gradually disappears.

All smooth, open-pored leather surfaces can be oiled or greased.

It goes without saying that high-quality oils or high-quality fats and care products based on beeswax are used, depending on the leather and the demands! If you reach for oil, you can also use high-quality vegetable oils in addition to special leather oils. Peanut oil is an insider tip here!

However, one should be extremely economical with oils: applied too thickly they make the leather spongy and too soft, which is undesirable in sports and fitness and leads to losses in use.

While oil penetrates quickly and deeply into the leather, but does not offer any protection against moisture and moisture, high-quality beeswax-based leather care products such as various combination products on the market form a protective film on the leather surface, which largely prevents moisture from penetrating the leather.

Light natural leather in particular darkens considerably when oiled, which is why natural-colored leather items should generally be treated with care products based on beeswax.

How do I properly care for the leather of the ARTZT Vintage Series?

The classic fitness tools of the ARTZT Vintage Series, like the leather of the bench, horse and box, are made of high-quality, open-pored cowhide that is specially hand-finished. It is precisely the daily use of these items that contributes to strengthening the individual look of the classics and maintaining the desired look. However, it is also important to carry out the care rituals described above. Anyone who regularly takes the damp microfiber cloth in their hands and rubs in a high-quality vegetable oil sparingly and thinly after drying will enjoy the products for many years, if not decades.

Properly avoid new soiling and mold

When all the leather parts are clean and well cared for again, the question naturally arises as to how this condition can be maintained for as long as possible. Not easy with daily use and sweaty training. Above all, sticks and mold can quickly damage medicine balls and the like if they are not stored in an airy and dry place. If you want to be on the safe side, rub the leather with a terry towel after training and air the training room well. The following applies to sports bags made of leather: After sport, take out all damp objects such as clothes, shoes and towels and store the bag in a dry place until it is used again.