Winter is the perfect time to spruce up your tack with a good cleaning, especially if you’re taking a break from riding. Fortunately, getting saddles and tack looking spiffy doesn’t have to break the budget either. With a few simple ingredients you may already have on hand, you can make your own leather cleaner and conditioner.
Here are a few recipes to do just that:
50/50 Solution
An excellent leather cleaner is simply a solution of 50/50 white vinegar and water. Using a cloth, apply a small amount of the solution and rub in a circular motion to lift out dirt. Take care not to fully soak the leather, however, as this may cause damage.
DIY Saddle Cleaner & Conditioner
Another recipe for cleaning saddles and tack is to use 1/2 cup vinegar (white vinegar for light colored tack and apple cider vinegar for darker leather), 3/4 cup coconut oil or olive oil and rubbing alcohol (optional). Start by gently scrubbing away any debris with the rubbing alcohol, if needed. Allow leather to fully dry and then scrub leather using a mixture of the vinegar and 1/4 cup of the oil. Allow leather to dry again. Then use the remaining oil to condition the leather by gently rubbing it in using a circular motion.
Baby Soap Conditioner
Another simple, inexpensive leather conditioner can be made by mixing 2 cups warm water, one tablespoon of natural baby soap, and a splash of vinegar. Use a cloth to rub the conditioner into the leather but again, don’t soak. The baby soap contains gentle oils that will help to both clean and condition your leather.
DIY Saddle Soap
If you’re feeling a little more ambitious, you can make your own saddle soap using a few more ingredients:
- 3 parts soap (goat’s milk or soap made with animal fat works best)
- 7 parts water
- 2 parts beeswax
- 1 part neatsfoot oil
Start by roughly grating the soap. Then put water in a large pot (not one used for cooking) and add soap. Heat over medium-high heat until soap is dissolved. Remove from heat and add beeswax pieces into melted soap. If using unmelted beeswax, bring soap mixture back to boiling to melt it. Stir well. Add neatsfoot oil. Then with a rubber spatula, stir mixture and remove any buildup on sides of pot. Let pot cool and stir occasionally as the mixture thickens. While soap is still hot, pour into containers. Leave containers open to cool before adding lids. Finally, use your soap to clean and condition your tack!
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