Saddle soap is a great product for cleaning leather, but it can be expensive and hard to find a good one. So what do you use instead? There are a lot of household items you could use instead of saddle soap and this article will show you which ones and how to use them.
Here’s is a list of what you can use instead of saddle soap or a leather cleaner;
- Mild Dish Soap And Warm Water
- Lemon Juice And Cream Of Tartar
- Baking Soda Or Corn Starch In Warm Water
- Vinegar Or Lemon Juice With Water
- White Vinegar And Linseed Oil
- Toothpaste
Keep reading to find out about the step-by-step process on how to use mild dish soap and warm water, lemon juice and cream of tartar, baking soda, etc as alternatives to saddle soap.
Details On What You Can Use Instead of Saddle Soap Or A Leather Cleaner
I will always encourage you to use specially formulated leather cleaners for your precious leather goods but I understand this might not be feasible for everyone.
While some of you are looking for a chemical-free way of cleaning your leather items, others might simply be on a budget.
Whatever the case may be, I’m going to share with you some of my personal best alternatives to leather cleaners or saddle soap. These options are what I personally use and work great for my leather items.
1. Mild Dish Soap And Warm Water
Dish soap on its own is a super safe cleaner for leather goods and is an extremely popular substitute for saddle soap.
Most people have some dish soap in their house, so this is a good place to start. Mild dish soap although is made for your dishes won’t damage your leather, but you will need to make sure that it is a soap and not detergent.
Dish soap can be used to safely clean your leather, but you will need to use it with warm water. Warm water is better for cleaning anything and just helps get the dirt out of all those little pores in the leather.
Warm water on the other hand is also the safest way to clean leather and it will help get any grime or dirt that is stuck in the pores of your leather out.
If you need to mix anything together, then warm water with a few drops of dish soap should do the trick.
For best results make sure that whatever you use has been mixed well before using on your products as some dirt and grime may be stuck in your leather.
Here’s how you use mild dish soap and warm water as your alternative to saddle soap.
Step One:
Add a few drops of dish soap to your warm water and mix well. About one tablespoon of dish soap should be enough to get the job done, but you can add more if need be.
Step Two:
Using a clean cloth or sponge, apply your mixture over your leather surface and begin working it in small circular motions until you see some dirt coming up.
Step Three:
Once you’ve got some dirt and grime coming up on your cloth, use a clean dry towel to wipe off any excess moisture and let it air dry naturally or with the help of a fan.
If you feel like there is still some dirt or grime left over, then repeat this process until it’s all gone and let it air dry completely before use.
Step 4:
Condition the leather item using a good leather conditioner and let it air dry again before using the item.
2. Lemon Juice And Cream Of Tartar
Lemon juice and cream of tartar are two other household items that can be used instead of saddle soap. Lemon juice is great for getting stains and dirt out, while the cream of tartar is a great alternative to saddle soap for regular cleaning.
Cream of tartar can also help remove some staining that lemon juice leaves behind and it can also help get rid of dirt or grime that is stuck deep into the pores on your leather.
Lemon juice is a great natural cleaner because it can break up any dirt or grime that is in the pores of your leather, but you should never use lemon juice on white or light-colored leather as it may cause some discoloration.
Cream of tartar can also help to break up dirt and grime, but it can also help to remove staining that lemon juice might leave behind.
Cream of tartar when combined with lemon juice can be an extremely effective cleaner for your leather, but you will need to use it with warm water.
Here’s how you can use lemon juice and cream of tartar as your alternative to saddle soap.
Step One:
Using one to one ratio, add one tablespoon of lemon juice to one tablespoon of cream of tartar into your warm water and mix well.
Step Two:
Test the mixture on a small inconspicuous part of the leather and see if it causes any discoloration. If the mixture is safe, then go ahead and apply it to your leather with a clean cloth or sponge.
Step Three:
Work the mixture into your leather using gentle circular motions until you see the stains or some dirt coming up onto your cloth or sponge. Be very gentle with your leather as you don’t want to damage the material.
Step Four:
Once you have some dirt coming up on your cloth or sponge, use a clean dry towel to wipe off any excess moisture and let it air dry again.
Condition the leather item using your favorite leather conditioner and let it air dry again before using the item.
3. Baking Soda Or Corn Starch In Warm Water
Using baking soda or cornstarch in warm water can be a great alternative to saddle soap if you need something that is milder.
Baking soda and cornstarch are two other household items that can be used instead of saddle soap. Baking soda is great for getting stains and dirt out, while cornstarch can be used for regular cleaning.
Baking soda when combined with warm water, it’s a great natural cleaner because it can break up any dirt or grime that is in the pores of your leather, but it should never be used on white or light-colored leather as this may cause some bleaching.
Here’s how you can use baking soda or cornstarch as your alternative to saddle soap.
Step One:
Using one to one ratio, add a small amount of baking soda or cornstarch into your warm water and mix well.
Step Two:
Test the mixture on a small inconspicuous part of the leather and see if it causes any discoloration. If the mixture is safe, then go ahead and apply it to your leather with a clean cloth or sponge.
Step Three:
Work the mixture into your leather using gentle circular motions until you see the stains or some dirt coming up onto your cloth or sponge. Be very gentle with your leather as you don’t want to damage the material.
Step Four:
Once you have some dirt coming up on your cloth or sponge, use a clean dry towel to wipe off any excess moisture and let it air dry again.
Step Five:
Condition the leather item using your favorite leather conditioner and let it air dry again before using the item.
4. Vinegar Or Lemon Juice With Water
These two household items not only smell fantastic but also do a great job at cleaning leather.
Some people like to mix them together, while others prefer using just one or the other. Vinegar is especially good because it has properties that help break up dirt and grime, while lemon juice can also help to remove stains that may be on your leather.
Here’s how you can use vinegar or lemon juice with water as your alternative to saddle soap.
Step One:
Using a 50/50 ratio of water to vinegar or lemon juice, mix well.
Step Two:
Test the mixture on a small inconspicuous part of the leather and see if it causes any discoloration. If the mixture is safe, you can now go ahead and apply it to your leather with a clean microfiber cloth or sponge.
Step Three:
Rub the mixture into your leather using gentle circular motions until you see the stains or some dirt coming up onto your cloth. Be very gentle with your leather as you don’t want to damage the material.
Step Four:
Once you have some dirt coming up on your cloth or sponge, use a clean dry lint-free towel to wipe off any excess moisture and let it air dry again.
Step Five:
Condition the leather item using your favorite leather conditioner and let it air dry again before using the item.
5. Toothpaste
Toothpaste not only cleans your teeth but can also be used to clean leather as well. Since toothpaste contains mild abrasives that help to break up dirt and grime, it can be used as a mild alternative for people who do not like the smell of saddle soap.
Toothpaste is particularly great for cleaning white shoes, all types of smooth leather, patent leathers, vinyl, and leather boots.
Here’s how you can use toothpaste as your alternative to saddle soap.
Step One:
Using a small amount of toothpaste, apply directly to your leather with a clean cloth or sponge.
Step Two:
Rub the mixture into your leather using gentle circular motions until you see the stains or some dirt coming up onto your microfiber cloth. Be very gentle with your leather as you don’t want to damage the material.
Step Three:
Once you have some dirt coming up on your cloth or sponge, use a clean damp lint-free towel or cloth to wipe off any excess moisture and let it air dry again.
Step Four:
Condition the leather item using your favorite leather conditioner and let it air dry again before using the item.
6. White Vinegar And Linseed Oil
These two household items are not only great for cooking but can also be used to clean leather as well.
White vinegar is particularly good because it can help to break up dirt and grime, while linseed oil will also be able to condition your leather.
Linseed oil will add a nice sheen to your leather, but please note that it can darken light-colored leather.
Here’s how you can use white vinegar and linseed oil as your alternative to saddle soap.
Step One:
To start with, measure equal parts of white vinegar and linseed oil into a bowl.
Step Two:
Take your microfiber cloth or sponge, pour some of the mixtures onto it, and then apply it to your leather with gentle circular motions.
Step Three:
Rub the mixture into your leather using gentle circular motions until you see the stains or some dirt coming up onto your cloth. Be very gentle with your leather as you don’t want to damage the material.
Step Four:
Once you have some dirt coming up on your cloth or sponge, use a clean dry lint-free towel to wipe off any excess moisture and let it air dry again.
Step Five (Optional):
Condition the leather item using your favorite leather conditioner and let it air-dry.
Tips When Cleaning Leather Without Saddle Soap Or Leather Cleaner
- Always test out your cleaner in an inconspicuous part of the leather item before you start cleaning the entire surface.
- Be gentle with your leather as you don’t want to damage it when applying cleaners/conditioners.
- Make sure to condition your leather after cleaning it with any saddle soap alternative. Condition the leather even if the ingredients you used contained some form of oil – in which can you would only apply a very thin layer of leather conditioner.
- Be careful with suede and nubuck as they are very delicate and may require on special suede cleaners.