For many people, faux leather is the perfect material because it’s cruelty-free, durable, and easy to clean. However, in order to keep your faux leather in great condition, you should know how to properly care for it. In this article, I’m going to share with you whether or not you can use saddle soap on faux leather?
Saddle soap will help give them a more natural shine and can even protect from weather elements as well as getting rid of the chemical smell. Overall, saddle soap is a great product to use on faux leather goods as it contains many conditioning and cleaning agents that are beneficial for the faux leather material.
In the rest of this article, I will be going over the pros and cons of using saddle soap on faux leather. But before that, a little information about saddle soap is needed.
What Is Saddle Soap?
Saddle soap is a product that was originally used to clean and condition leather saddles, hence the name “saddle” soap. Nowadays saddle soap is formulated for use on many different types of leather goods.
Saddle road contains lanolin, glycerine, and other natural oils that help to condition the leather while also cleaning it. It is available in both liquid and bar form, and you just need a small amount to get the job done.
The Pros Of Using Saddle Soap On Faux Leather
1. Saddle Soap Can Remove Stubborn Stains
If you have a stubborn stain on your faux leather, saddle soap can be very effective in removing it.
Saddle soap works by breaking down the oils that are causing the stain, which means it’s an effective cleaner for dirt and grime.
The best part is unlike a lot of the other leather care products that can strip the color or discolor the faux leather, saddle soap will not.
It is very tough on stains but will be very gentle on any faux leather item you use it on.
If you have a stain that just won’t come clean with other cleaning products, saddle soap is an excellent option for removing it without damage to the faux leather material.
2. Using Saddle Soap On Faux Leather Can Give It A Natural Shine
As you may already know faux leather is a fancy term for fake leather goods.
While a lot of the faux leather manufacturers try to make their products look as close to the real thing as possible, they are still not quite there as faux leather will sometimes be very obvious.
One way to help give your faux leather items a more natural shine is by using saddle soap.
Saddle soap contains lanolin and other ingredients that will help give your faux leather a natural shine and feel.
Not only does this make it look more like real leather, but these ingredients are also very good for the health of your faux leather cause your items to last longer than they normally will.
3. Saddle Soap Contains Conditioning Agents
Generally, faux leather does not need to be conditioning as much as real leather will.
However, if your faux leather has a more satin or shiny finish to it, you may want to consider using saddle soap on occasion because of the conditioning agents found in it.
The ingredients that make up saddle soap is very good for nourishing and moisturizing the faux leather so that is stays in good condition for a long time.
If you have faux leather items that are starting to look a bit dry or faded, saddle soap can help improve the luster and color of the material -making the faux leather soft and supple.
For example, the lanolin in saddle soap in particular can help slowdown cracking, dryness or other issues with your faux leather product.
4. Saddle Soap Can Help Protect Faux Leather From Weather Elements
Just like with real leather, if you live in an area where there is a lot of rain or humidity, saddle soap can be used to help protect your faux leather from the weather elements.
Saddle soap will help create a water resistant barrier on top of the faux leather so that it doesn’t get damaged as easily from the rain or humidity.
Faux leather as a material will generally not need any form of weatherproofing as it is already resistant to water, but it is still a great idea to use saddle soap (if available) from time to time as it will help protect your faux leather from the elements.
5. Saddle Soap Gets Rid Of The Chemical Smell Of The Faux Leather
Faux leather is made of plastics so it usually tends to have a chemical smell to it.
This is not very appealing for a lot of people and over time the smell can become quite overwhelming.
One way to get rid of this smell is by using saddle soap. Saddle soap contains ingredients that will help neutralize the chemical smell in the faux leather and gives it a natural leathery smell.
The Cons Of Using Saddle Soap On Faux Leather
1. It May Not Remove All Stains
While saddle soap is great for removing some stains, it may not be able to remove them all.
If the stain is very set in or if there is a lot of it, saddle soap may not be able to get rid of it completely.
In these cases, you may need to use other methods or products in conjunction with saddle soap to get rid of the stain.
It may not be able to remove all stains, but it is still an excellent alternative if you need a new cleaning product for your faux leather products.
2. Too Much saddle Soap Can Make The Faux Leather Sticky
While saddle soap has a lot of conditioning agents to it, there are times when you may use too much.
If this happens and you try using your faux leather item after applying the saddle soap, you will notice that the surface is very tacky or sticky.
This can be annoying because not only does this mean it will be very uncomfortable to touch, but it will also attract a lot of dirt and dust as well.
If you have used too much saddle soap on the surface of your faux leather item, all you need to do is either let it dry or simply wipe off the excess with a damp cloth so that there is no tackiness left over after using the saddle soap.
3. Saddle Soap Can Put Extra Shine On The Faux Leather
If you are not looking for a shiny finish on your faux leather, then using saddle soap may not be the best option for you.
Saddle soap is known to give a high sheen or gloss to the surface it is applied to- so if this is not what you are going for, then using saddle soap may not be ideal.
While there are some cons to using saddle soap on faux leather, it is still a great product that has many benefits.
How To Use Saddle Soap On Faux Leather
Now that you know a little more about saddle soap, it’s time to learn how to use it on faux leather.
The great thing about saddle soap is that it is very versatile and can be used in a number of ways- so no matter what your needs are, saddle soap will be able to help.
Here are some ways that you can use saddle soap on faux leather:
- Wet a cloth with saddle soap and wipe down the surface of the faux leather product.
- This is great for everyday cleaning and will help remove any dirt or dust that may have built up over time.
- If there are any specific stains that you need to remove, wet a cloth with some saddle soap and let it sit on the stain for 15-20 minutes so that the ingredients will be able to work their magic.
- After letting it sit for this amount of time, you can then wipe off any excess so there is no tackiness left behind. If there are still stains remaining after using this method, you may need to use other methods for stain removal as well.
- If your faux leather product has a very strong chemical smell, then saddle soap is the perfect solution for this problem as it will help neutralize those smells so there is nothing overwhelming about using your item anymore.
- Just like with removing stains from faux leather items, you can follow the same steps above to do this as well.
- If your faux leather product has any scratches or scuffs on it, then saddle soap is a great way to help remove these blemishes and have your item looking new again.
- Just like before, wet a cloth with some saddle soap and apply onto the surface of the faux leather product.
- After letting it sit for a few minutes, you can then wipe off any excess so there is no tackiness left behind and work on removing the scratches or scuffs from your item.
Final Thoughts
Now that you know how to use saddle soap on faux leather products, what are you waiting for? Saddle soap is great for all faux leather products and will help keep them looking new longer.
Start using it today if you have some sitting on your selfs. However, if you do not have one, all you need to clean your faux leather is any ordinary mild dish soap. You can have a clean, fresh smelling, shiny surface on your faux leather product.