Leather care guide

How to look after leather

Most leather that looks worn out is simply dry. Leather is a skin, and like any skin it loses its oils over time, especially in Australian heat. Once those oils go the surface stiffens, the colour flattens and the creases start to crack. Feeding it back is usually all that is needed.

Worn leather work boots on a concrete floor

01

Boots and shoes

The flex creases across the toe are where cracking starts, so that is where the balsam earns its keep.

  1. Brush the loose dirt off first.
  2. Clean the leather with Renapur Leather Cleaner Spray and let it dry.
  3. Work a small amount of balsam over the whole boot with a sponge, paying attention to the flex creases across the toe. There is no need to buff.
  4. If your boots have suede or nubuck panels, use the Protector Spray on those parts instead.

How often: Work boots that get wet want treating every few weeks. Dress shoes worn occasionally are fine two or three times a year.

Renapur Leather Balsam 200ml $29.50 Renapur Leather Cleaner Spray 250ml $29.50 Renapur Horsehair Brush $20.50
A tan leather lounge in daylight

02

Leather lounges and armchairs

Sun is what kills a leather lounge, so look hardest at the panels nearest the window.

  1. Clean the surface and let it dry.
  2. Apply the balsam sparingly with a sponge, one panel at a time.
  3. Start with the panels closest to the window, which are always the driest.

How often: Twice a year is plenty for most homes, more if the lounge sits in direct sun.

Renapur Leather Balsam 500ml in Gift Box $56.50 Renapur Leather Balsam 200ml $29.50 Renapur Applicator Sponges, Set of 6 $14.50
A leather saddle on a rail in a stable

03

Saddlery and tack

Renapur has been a saddlery favourite for decades because it conditions and helps waterproof at once, without leaving anything sticky or strongly scented for the horse to object to.

  1. Clean the tack and let it dry.
  2. Work the balsam into the straps, billets and stitching, where sweat and water do the most damage.
  3. Use a brush to get balsam into tooling and stitch lines a sponge cannot reach.

How often: Working tack wants doing far more often than tack that hangs in a room.

Renapur Leather Balsam 1 Litre $115.50 Renapur Leather Balsam 200ml $29.50 Renapur Horsehair Brush $20.50
The tan leather interior of a car

04

Car interiors and motorcycle leathers

Car leather cops the worst of the sun through glass, which is a harder life than most furniture leather ever has.

  1. Clean the seats and let them dry.
  2. Condition with the balsam, working it into the bolsters where you slide in and out.

How often: Every three to six months keeps seats from drying and cracking.

Renapur Leather Balsam 200ml $29.50 Renapur Leather Cleaner Spray 250ml $29.50
A leather jacket hanging on a hook

05

Jackets, bags and belts

Because Renapur is colour neutral and non greasy, one jar covers a whole wardrobe of leather.

  1. Test a concealed area first on anything expensive or unusually finished.
  2. Apply sparingly with a sponge and work it over the whole piece.
  3. Do it at the change of season.

How often: Twice a year, at the change of season.

Renapur Leather Balsam 50ml $17.50 Renapur Leather Balsam 200ml $29.50 Renapur Suede, Nubuck and Fabric Protector 250ml $35.50

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