Organic Leather Cleaner and Preserver Recipe

Have leather that needs cleaning but don’t want to use toxic, chemically-infused cleaners? Preserving your leather furnishings is a must, particularly as the spring and summer seasons bring warmer weather.

But instead of forking out money on costly, unhealthy cleaners, you can craft your own leather cleaner recipe that is both natural and eco-friendly. Free from all chemicals, this organic leather cleaner recipe will help preserve your leather furniture and items in a healthy natural way. And it works well on everything from:

• Couches or other furniture
• Leather car seats and jackets
• Smaller items like wallets and purses

Not only is this recipe an effective, all natural solution, it is an inexpensive way to keep your leather clean and preserved. 

The leather preserve recipe

First, you’ll need just a few basic ingredients:

• ¼ cup of vinegar
• ¼ cup of olive oil
• Paper towels or washcloth
• A bowl

In addition to these ingredients you’ll need 8 to 10 drops of lemon essential oil. Essential oils offer a range of benefits, particularly in dealing with various health issues. But they also have applications for household “maintenance,” including everything from DIY cleaners to preservers.

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Not only does the lemon oil provide cleansing benefits, it also offers a nice scent that overpowers that lingering smell of vinegar.

Another great solution is leather cleaning and preserver wipes. Here is an excellent product: CareTouch leather cleaner

Recipe directions

Once you have your ingredients all together, follow these directions.

1. Clean off the leather with a rag, or if you’re cleaning furniture, vacuum the leather to eliminate any food bits or dust. Then wipe down the leather with a slightly damp washcloth or paper towel.
2. Combine the olive oil and vinegar in a bowl, mixing it together. How it works is the vinegar will cleans the leather, while the olive oil will break down any stains or dirt. Combining the lemon essential oil provides a pleasant scent to the leather.
3. Dab a little water on a washcloth or paper towel and softly rub on an area of the leather. Let it sit to drive for about 15 minutes and check to see if there’s any discoloration before you put on a coat. Circularly coat the item, gently rubbing the preserver into the leather. Then use a new washcloth or a paper towel to wipe down and eliminate any remaining oil.

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A good way to apply the cleaner is combining the solution in a spray bottle. It’s an easy way to apply and store the cleaner for future use.

On a side note, another couple things to keep note of when preserving your items is to keep the leather out of direct sunlight, and be diligent in regularly apply the cleaner.

Before concluding, we’d like to give a quick note of caution. Different types of leather can have different types of reactions. While homemade versions of leather cleaners are healthier and generally more affordable, we recommend doing a small test run before blanketing the entire item with the preserver (of course, we would recommend doing the same thing on a traditional chemical product). One option is to use a cotton swab to limit the quantities of exposed leather.

Once your test trial is done, proceed to do a full cleaning!

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