Although leather is a robust material, it needs sufficient care in order to be able to withstand the rigors of everyday life. Unfortunately, many people simply do not care enough for their shoes. The result: solar radiation, dirt and moisture leave traces and discolouration that, if unprotected, leave unsightly signs of wear and tear. It's really a pity, because there is the right cleaning and care for every type of leather. Sustainable products that use natural ingredients to clean and care for your favorite pieces without attacking or damaging the fibers of the material are predestined for this and help your shoes to have a long life.
What different types of leather care are there?
As already mentioned, there is a suitable care product for every type of leather. They protect the natural material from external influences, have a nourishing effect and allow your favorite pieces of natural and imitation leather to withstand all the influences of everyday life.
Leather care cream:
Care creams have a moisturizing effect and are applied with a soft sponge or cloth. In most cases, they have a UV filter that prevents your shoes from fading. Ideally, the ingredients also contain antioxidants. They counteract the natural aging of leather and ideally complement leather care.
Leather care milk:
Care milk consists of water, oils and fats. The thin emulsion is applied to the leather with a soft cloth and worked into it. Like care creams, the milk has a moisturizing effect and protects the material from drying out. Compared to a cream, emulsions have the advantage that they can penetrate deeper into the material due to their liquid consistency.
Leather Oil:
As the name suggests, leather oils consist of various oils, waxes, preservatives and fragrances. Due to their liquid nature, they have the opportunity to penetrate deep into the material. Especially old, dried-out leather gets a real care kick from the strongly moisturizing ingredients and becomes supple and shiny again as before. However, leather oils are not suitable for all types of leather! Only covered leather benefits from a care treatment. Open-pored aniline or suede leather is very sensitive and has almost no surface protection. That is why you should avoid treating these types of leather with leather oil.
leather fat:
Leather fat contains petroleum jelly or animal fats such as wool fat as caring ingredients. This type of leather care is mainly used for shoe care. It has the property that it has a very moisturizing effect and should therefore only be applied sparingly. Leather fats such as Emma Grün shoe leather care for soft & smooth leather have another positive effect: they are water-repellent, clean your shoes made of smooth leather effectively and at the same time have an impregnating effect. However, you should remember one thing: leather grease is not suitable for porous types of leather such as suede and aniline leather! The extensive care would leave ugly stains on the sensitive material that you can hardly get out.
shoe polish:
This kind of leather care is suitable for cleaning smooth leather. It also has an impregnating effect and protects your shoes from external influences such as moisture, dryness and the stresses of everyday life. When using it, you should note that it should only be applied very sparingly. If you use too much, this would have counterproductive effects and the shoe polish would clog the leather pores. As a result, the breathability of the material would be restricted and the material would lose its natural appearance over time.
saddle soap:
Saddle soap is alkaline. The leather care can be used in solid or liquid form. In the past, it was mainly used to clean and care for saddles and straps. This is hardly the case today. The alkaline soap has been replaced by environmentally friendly home remedies such as vaseline and leather cream. The sustainable means have the advantage that they do not harm Mother Nature, but still penetrate deep into the pores of the material. They ensure that the natural material remains wonderfully supple. Another plus point: They leave a wafer-thin protective shield on the leather surface, which protects the leather from harmful UV rays as well as from moisture and moisture.
Leather care shoes: How do you apply the leather care products correctly?
In order to be able to apply the various leather care products correctly and work them into the material, you need the right utensils. But you should also pay attention to a few things here: because not every cloth or every brush is equally suitable for optimal leather care. So that the fibers of the different types of leather are not damaged, the various cleaning utensils have completely different properties. They are precisely matched to the surface structure of the respective leather and prevent anything from going wrong during care.
dirt brushes:
Dirt brushes have relatively hard bristles that allow the user to remove coarse dirt effectively and easily. Most of their kind are equipped with pig bristles or natural fibers, which are made from the leaves of the agave. Dirt brushes made of synthetic fibers are also commercially available. However, they have sharper edges and are not suitable for treating soft leather.
Leather care application brushes:
These types of brushes are designed to apply leather care products to the surface of the material. They have soft bristles and guarantee gentle application of the care product. They are available with a handle or as a so-called crucible brush and in different sizes. We recommend that you always use a different application brush for the different leather colors. This will prevent the different colors from mixing and leaving annoying stains on your shoes during treatment. It is also advisable to wash the fine bristles with a mild soapy detergent from time to time.
Polishing brushes:
Polishing brushes are equipped with very soft bristles. High-quality brushes are made of horsehair and ensure a wonderful surface shine during treatment. Because if you work the care product, such as natural beeswax or a sustainable leather cream, into the material, the friction produced will generate heat. It literally melts the care products, which means that the products can penetrate deeply into the material. The result: a well-groomed shoe with a wonderful shine.
Suede brushes:
These types of brushes come in different designs. Specimens with brass bristles are ideal for roughening and cleaning the surface of suede leather. Shoe brushes with caoutchouc or rubber bristles and those with wild boar bristles are used to care for sensitive nappa leather.
Cleaning Cloths & Sponges:
Soft cotton cloths and sponges are suitable for removing light soiling from the leather surface or for applying nourishing care. Attention: You should avoid microfiber cloths when caring for your shoes. You can irreversibly damage the surface structure of leather!
