How to Clean Your Leather Saddle

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Gather Your Equipment
While traditional wisdom says we should clean our saddles every time we use them, that may not be practical. How often you clean your saddle may depend on how it is used. If you only use your saddles on weekends for leisurely pleasure rides you might not need to clean your saddle as frequently as someone who participates in a sport where the saddle is exposed to sweat, mud and dirt on a regular basis.

It makes sense to clean them before storing, before a competition, or before selling one. (And if your stored saddle has sprouted mould, don’t worry. Just follow the steps below.)

Gather all your cleaning equipment. You’ll need:

* Mild saddle soap (glycerin)

* Non-detergent leather conditioner

* Small sponge

* Toweling (3 to 4)

* Small bucket or bowl of water (not hot)

* Stiff bristle or wire brush (optional)

* Cotton swabs

* Metal cleaner​

 

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Strip The Saddle

Strip the saddle of all fittings and undo any buckles. Wipe the saddle down with slightly dampened toweling to remove any loose dust, dirt and hair.​

 

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Saddle Soap

Dampen the sponge in the water. You’ll want it damp but not dripping wet. Dip it in the saddle soap and work up a lather.

All-in-one cleaners that promise to clean and condition in one step may not be good for leather. Some contain detergents that over time can damage the leather.​

 

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Clean the Leather

Apply the lather to the leather. Frequently rinse and re-lather the sponge. Work in small circles covering all surfaces of the saddle; top, underside, and between flaps. Do not apply soap or water to suede or rough-out leathers often found on seats or knee rolls.​

 

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Clean Off Any Residual Soap

Wipe the saddle with a damp towel and then a dry towel. You’ll want to remove any residual soap from the leather as soap left behind may damage the leather over time. Some saddlers recommend using only a damp cloth and no soap.

Residual soap left in crevices and folds will also hold grit that can eat away at the leather. Use dampened cotton swabs or the corner of a towel to get all soap out of tiny stitching channels and crevices.

Wipe the saddle dry. The next step is conditioning and they work best on leather that are a tad damp.​

 

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Apply Leather Conditioner

Apply a non-detergent leather conditioner such as neatsfoot oil, lanolin or beeswax conditioner. Make sure you are using real, not synthetic neatsfoot oil. The container will say something like “animal based” or "100% Pure". Apply the oil very sparingly. You don’t want to clog the pores or give dirt a place to cling to. Too much oil can soak through the leather into the padding or tree underneath and cause damage. Be aware also that some conditioners will darken the leather. If you don’t want your leather saddle to darken choose a conditioner accordingly and test in an inconspicuous place.​

 

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Clean Metal Fittings and Stirrup Leathers

Wipe down all metal fittings and remove any residual soap or conditioner that may have gathered on them.

Follow the same steps of applying soap and conditioner to clean the stirrup leathers. Metal cleaner can be used on stirrups but they can also be cleaned with regular dish soap and water. Rinse well. Use caution if you clean the metal fittings on the saddle with metal cleaner that it doesn’t get into the leather.​

 

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Brush Up Suede or Rough-Out Leathers

Very occasionally you may want to make suede or rough-out seats or knee rolls look nice. Use a stiff bristle brush to brush up the nap. Do this very infrequently as too much brushing will wear through the suede and you’ll end up holes. You may want to do this step only if your trying to make the saddle look extra good for a special show or to sell.​