A Practical Guide to Using Leather Milk Recipes 1, 2 and 3.

Guest Blog by Dwight S. Ball Jr.

Keeping your Saddleback Leather Briefcase in pristine condition is a must for me. If you are like me, you will use something for years until it essentially falls apart. I’ve had the same pair of shoes for three years. My shirts? Bought most of them six or more years ago. How about my car? I once owned a ’97 Ford Explorer that I traded in last year after the engine fell out of the bottom. I’m not exaggerating in the slightest. Unfortunately, my briefcases tend to suffer the same treatment. I love Saddleback Leather’s briefcases and know them to be quite resilient to the daily grind of use. Like all leather, though, your Saddleback Leather briefcase can still show its age if you don’t care for it properly. The good news is, this is not a case of “easier said than done.” Allow me the opportunity of showing you just how easy it is to keep your Saddleback Leather briefcase looking like it did when you first got it.

First, start by taking a damp cloth and wiping the surface of your briefcase to remove any dust or dirt. After this you will need to determine how you would like to clean and condition your briefcase. Chamberlain’s Leather Milk has many fine recipes to clean most any leather product you may own, including your beloved briefcase. Plus, our recipes are eco-friendly, for those of you who love leather for its practicality and quality to pass it on for generations without worrying about it deteriorating. Another good reason to use Chamberlain’s Leather Milk is because every bottle comes with a free leather conditioner applicator pad. Now, the question you must ask yourself is: Are you looking for a surface touch up or maybe a deeper clean? Also, consider whether you want to preserve your briefcase from water damage.

We’ll start with the basic: Leather Care Liniment No. 1. This is a simple cleaner that will not only clean the surface of your briefcase, but condition the whole briefcase as well so as to help it last even longer. Now, the key here is to use only a little at a time. It’s easier to apply more liniment later than to remove some because you used too much. First, pour a little bit of the Leather Care Liniment No. 1 onto your applicator pad. I prefer the use of a spray bottle for this so as to evenly coat the applicator pad. A few sprits should do the trick. Gently rub your briefcase with the pad until a thin layer of the liniment has been spread onto the entire bag. Let it sit for about 30 minutes in a warm, dry area away from direct sunlight and heat to dry. Repeat as desired. Using Leather Care Liniment No. 1 will not only really clean your Saddleback Leather briefcase, but will also replace the tanning oils that will have diminished over time with natural conditioners, returning it to that natural leather look and feel you initially purchased it for.

If you’re looking for a cleaner that not only cleans surface stains, but penetrates the briefcase and attacks the deeper stains that tend to damage leather, look no further than Straight Cleaner No. 2. If you are choosing to use Straight Cleaner No. 2, you should know that it is best used prior to any conditioner since it doesn’t include the natural conditioners that Leather Care Liniment No. 1 and Water Protectant No. 3 (which we will discuss herein) have[SBS1] . Fully saturate the briefcase with Straight Cleaner No. 2 and gently buff your entire bag. After about 15-30 minutes of drying, go ahead and apply a layer of Leather Care Liniment No. 1 to replenish the leather’s natural oils.

Now, maybe you live in a damp environment where you get a lot of rain or snow and you would like to protect your Saddleback Leather briefcase from the retribution of Mother Nature. That’s where Water Protectant No. 3 comes in to save the day! Not only does it protect your briefcase from water in its various forms, but it also conditions your briefcase with the same natural oils that protect it. Two things to keep in mind with Water Protectant No. 3: First, it has the potential to darken lighter colored leathers like Saddleback Leather’s tobacco colored briefcases, but your bag should lighten some after a few weeks of regular use; Secondly, though unlikely for newer bag, it has the potential to leave somewhat of a shine to your briefcase depending on how much you use and how firmly you polish your briefcase. That being said, apply a layer to your briefcase the same way you did with No. 1, let it dry for 30 minutes, and watch as water just rolls off your briefcase.

One more thing to note: if you own any soft leathers, conditioning your leather at home might alter the color of whatever it is you are trying to clean. If you are unsure whether or not Chamberlain’s Leather Milk will work on your briefcase, try a small amount on an inconspicuous part of your bag and see what happens. Do not use Chamberlain’s Leather Milk on suede products.

Personally, I like to use Leather Care Liniment No. 1 as a general cleaner and conditioner, and use Straight Cleaner No. 2 followed by Water Protectant No. 3 to really clean deep, condition, and protect my briefcase. I wouldn’t recommend using No. 1 and No. 3 together since both contain conditioners and can overload the leather, keeping the briefcase’s pores from breathing. I hope this proved helpful in caring for your Saddleback Leather briefcase so that it lasts long enough for you to pass it on as a sort of legacy. When it comes to making something last, I need all the help I can get, and, call me biased, but I’ve found none better than a regular use of Chamberlain’s Leather Milk to make my Saddleback Leather Briefcase last a long time. If you’re anything like me, maybe it will do the same for you. Milk your leather for all it’s worth!