the Boots Authority - Your Personal Guide To Boots

Proper Leather Care

The Qualities of Leather

• Flexibility: Leather stretches and moves to conform to the individual but still retains sufficient shape to provide support.
• Durability: Leather resists heat, cold, punctures, tears and other stresses so well that is used in many safety applications where other synthetic materials fail.
• Comfort: Leather "breathes", allowing air in and moisture out. A natural insulator, leather protects against extreme temperature and humidity.
• Beauty: Leather comes in variety of tones, textures, and patterns. The Luxurious "feel" and pleasing scent heightens the appeal of the leather.
• Longevity: With proper care, leather will retain all of its inherent qualities for years to come.

Forever Leather

Leather is a classic that is always in demand and with proper care, will last for years to come. Without it, the flexibility, durability, comfort, beauty and longevity is diminished. Leathers to Boot recognizes the need for both quality products and consumer education.

Just the Facts

Leather is a natural material made from the hides of any animal. No two animals are the same and neither are their hides. Natural marks add character and appeal to the leather. As leather goods are worn and exposed to the elements, many of the essential oils the leather tanners put into the leather wear away. When oils are not replaced several things occur: drying, cracking, and hardening of the leather are three of the most common results of improper care.

For Smooth Finish Leathers

We recommend cleaning, conditioning and protecting your leather frequently. By doing this, the natural lubricants lost during wear are replaced. Without these measures, deterioration caused through wear can lead to swelling, mildew, and the eventual stiffening of the leather. Unprotected leather is susceptible to spotting or staining from water and other liquids. We recommend that all new, smooth finish leather items be treated with Bickmore Gard-More. If the Item to be treated have been used, it is recommended to first clean them using the Bick-1 Cleaner. Apply Bick-1 to a clean, slightly damp cloth, creating a foam that will trap and lift the dirt and stain out of the leather. Allow the leather to dry thoroughly. Use one or more applications of Bick-4 conditioner rubbed into the leather to soften and replace the essential oils lost during wear and cleaning. If the leather color is not what it once was, a light application of Bickmore Crème Polish in a similar color applied with a cloth followed by buffing will enhance the leather color and create a beautiful shine. To continue protecting the leather, follow up with several light applications of Bickmore's Boot-Gard or Gard-More spray. This will put up a protective barrier between potential stains and your leather.

For Suede & Nubuck Leathers

New Suede and Nubuck items need to be protected by a light application of Boot-Gard or Gard-More. To clean these types of leathers, we recommend Suede and Nubuck Cleaner by Bickmore. Followed by light applications of the appropriate spray.

In Addition To Regular Care

• Always use shoe trees and boot trees.
• Allow all leather items to dry naturally and slowly.
• Remove all salt stains as soon as possible.
• Avoid excess heat, moisture and dryness to prevent mildew growth and cracking.
• Never use products made for smooth leather on suede, nubuck, roughout or Apache leathers.
• Never use household chemicals such as alcohol, turpentine or mineral spirits to clean leather.
• Mink oil or other animal fats can darken leather and turn rancid, causing stitching and leather to rot.