cleaning "race" style leather suits

[woody77]

I have an AXO 2-piece suit that's what I wear, all the time. And in this 100+ degree heat, boy do I make it funky smelling.

What do you guys with leathers do to clean them? It's not too fun to show up at work smelling like I've been on a bike for an hour.. (wait, nevermind, it is... but my co-workers don't appreciate it as much ).

I found this link via one thread here, but that's about all I can find aside from "professional dry clean only":

Southwest Roadracing :: View topic - an old priest... a young priest... and lanolin-based lotion.

thanks!

[KC-10 FE]

We have a cobbler on base at KWRI. I brought my leathers in to ask his advice for cleaning & conditioning them. He recommended either saddle soap or Meltonian Leather Lotion. He said to remove any obvious debris with mild soap & water, making sure to wash the inside as well. This should cure the stink factor. Then one should condition the garment with either of the two products. I purchased both but prefer the saddle soap. It actually puts a slight shine on the leather & it made the jacket noticeable softer & more pliable.

Cedar Shoe Tree .com

KC-10 FE out...

[derstuka]

Some threads on this subject that might be helpful.

How do you clean your leathers?

Leather Care

[porcupine73]

I saw some post on some odd motorcycle board where people would wash their leather in a bath tub in cold water with dish soap, then rinse, then dry. They said the water got surprisingly nasty. I don't know about it since some other places say when leather gets wet and dries it weakens.

That 'leather care' link says not to condition leathers when wet. I don't know, since I've seen others say if you get your leathers wet you condition them before they fully dry. I got caught in a downpour today and soaked my leathers; only convenient thing I could find as leather boot dressing at Tractor Supply, which seemed to work very well actually.

[Vifferaver]

Turn the leathers inside out and lay out flat. Use a household brush to brush out the dander. As mentioned above, use saddle soap to clean the leather. Make it as wet as you like without actually drenching it then let it air, preferably in direct sunlight being careful to not bake the leather to a crisp. Sunlight kills micro-organisms that live on the skin such as dust mites. Dust mites eat skin cells and their excrement burns the skin leaving a nasty skin rash. This is why leather jeans feel itchy if not cleaned. I like to spray in a little underarm deodrant for that extra bit of fresheness.