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Tack Equipment Components and Care |
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Cleaning and Refinishing |
The Best Leather Cleaning Soap!
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Try this adaptation of ammonium soap solution for cleaning really dirty leather - you'll be amazed.
Shave 1/2 bar of castile soap into two cups of hot water. This dissolves into a thin slurry. Pour
in another two cups of regular off-the-shelf household ammonia. Pour this mix into a 2-liter soda
bottle and filled the rest with water. (Castile soap is usually available at some grocery and most health
food stores).
My personal experience was that I put this on a sponge and about two seconds after it touched a really nasty,
grungy old saddle, the sponge almost exploded in filthy brown soap foam! Literally the best stuff I've ever
seen for really blowing the dirt, oil, grease and accumulated crapola off leather. Also easily and quickly
removes verdigris from brass fittings as well - use a softer nail brush or old toothbrush on fittings to get
the verdigris. After scrubbing, take a clean sponge with water and rinse.
Warning - you MUST re-oil leather before it dries completely - solution tends to strip off any oils in
surface of leather too! DO NOT use Pecard treatment or Neatsfoot Oil.
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Take a look at this great source from the U.S. Cavalry School, circa 1940. While a few of the
cleaning and refinishing options are not safe for antique leather, there's still a lot of good info
here - at the very least an interesting insight into the daily chores of a mounted soldier.
From: Care of Leather and Riding Equipment - The Cavalry School, Academic Division, Fort Riley, Kansas, 1940.
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