Should I buy Chamberlain’s Leather Care Liniment No.1 for my leather? How should I use it? What results should I expect? All this and more will be revealed in this handy guide!
Product video & photography by ImageAlive Studios; feature leather made by Saddleback Leather Co.
WHAT LEATHER CARE LINIMENT WILL DO
A LEATHER CONDITIONER FOR ALL KINDS OF LEATHER
Leather Care Liniment uses a light emulsion of oils and water to gently condition leather. Of all of Leather Milk’s recipes, this is the ideal conditioner for leather of more natural qualities, lighter hues, and unfinished leather, due to its gentle yet highly enriching effects. In fact, Liniment’s versatility is immediately disarming, adapting with ease to beautify and enrich nearly any kind of leather, from full grain and vegetable-tanned to exotic crocodile and deerskin. This recipe is a true Jack-of-All-Trades. If you’ve got leather, Liniment’s got you covered.
ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY, ALL-NATURAL, SAFE FOR HUMAN SKIN!
Brewed to perfection with all-natural ingredients and an optimal pH-balanced recipe, this environmentally friendly leather conditioner stands out from the crowd for its distinctive style: a rich, creamy consistency laced with scents of cherry and almond. The cream texture, designed for easy application and maximum absorption, will melt into your leather as easily as butter on hot bread. This conditioning experience is made even more pleasurable with a tease of sweet fragrance – a subtle sensation lasting only as long as long as the conditioner takes to absorb, so that it will not affect your leather’s natural scents. Made with FDA approved cosmetic grade ingredients safe for human skin, we’ve even watched people drink our Leather Milk recipe straight out of the bottle like actual milk! We wouldn’t personally advise doing this, of course!
STRONGER, RICHER LEATHER; MADE IN USA
Like all of Chamberlain’s leather conditioners, Recipe No.1 should enrich your leather’s color and give it the soft, supple texture that it deserves. As this recipe absorbs and conditions, it will strengthen the fibers of your leather, making it grow stronger, and live longer. A light cleaning element permits Leather Care Liniment to give your leather a gentle surface cleansing, and its protective properties allow it to moderately repel routine contaminants, like dust and dirt.
If you have already used Leather Care Liniment, you will not need to apply any other leather conditioners to your leather, at least until it is ready to be conditioned again. All Leather Milk products are made in USA.
WHAT LEATHER CARE LINIMENT DOES NOT DO
Leather Care Liniment should not be treated as a deep cleaner. This means that any stain below the leather’s surface (or any stain that has had time to set) will probably not come out with this recipe. Leather Care Liniment will remove light surface contaminants, such as dust, but is not intended for any cleaning task beyond routine, spot dusting. For stains below the leather’s surface, use Straight Cleaner No.2.
Leather Care Liniment should neither be treated as a heavy protector or water repellent, and will offer less protection against rain, snow, and thick mud. Water Protectant No.3, a heavy duty conditioner, is recommended for leather exposed to harsh environments and weather.
Leather Care Liniment is not designed for nubuck, suede, “genuine leather,” napped leather, or other extremely soft leathers. You can read more about the marketing (misnomer) term “genuine leather” and what that means here.
HOW TO USE LEATHER CARE LINIMENT
1. If available, consult any leather care recommendations included with your item by the leather’s manufacturer.
2. Shake well. Test recipe first in a discreet area and allow to dry naturally in a cool, clean location away from sunlight and heat. If you do not find excess color rub off, discoloration in leather, or any other negative effect, it is safe to use on your leather.
3. Clean over the surface of your leather with a damp cloth or Straight Cleaner No.2 first if it is dirty. When the leather is dry, shake your Leather Milk recipe bottle well and gently massage the conditioner evenly across the leather’s surface. An uneven spread may lead to a splotchy dry. Use thin layers, giving your leather as many coats as it needs, but only as much conditioner as it can absorb. If piled on too thickly, the leather conditioner may leave a sticky residue. You can read about over-conditioned leather here.
4. After it has been conditioned, allow your leather to dry naturally. When the leather has absorbed all the conditioner it can, buff off any remaining residue, and let it set. For best results, allow the leather to sit overnight.
5. Use Leather Care Liniment as often as you feel your leather needs it. It is usually best to condition 2-4 times a year, depending on the climate and amount of use the leather will receive, as well as its type (how it was made). If your leather is feeling rough and dry, starts squeaking, or develops other textural changes, it may be time to re-condition.
IS LEATHER CARE LINIMENT RIGHT FOR MY LEATHER?
Leather Care Liniment is most at home on natural and cowhide leather, although its versatile qualities give it competence on a wide range of leather types. This recipe is particularly suited for conditioning lighter colored and unfinished leathers like aniline and semi-aniline leather, due to its gentler nature. Like any leather conditioner, Liniment may still darken lighter colored or unfinished leathers to a degree, but will usually leave only minimal effects and lighten back up within a few days of use. This Leather Milk recipe can be used safely on most any type of leather, but remember to test it first.If your leather is unfinished, it may be wise to test your leather in multiple discreet places.
Liniment is best used on leather exposed to moderate climates and infrequent exposure to weather. Use this recipe if you want to beautify your leather and don’t expect it to see much harsh action. If you expect your leather to encounter some Hollywood style drama, Water Protectant No.3 will be your best friend.
If you have any allergy concerns, be sure to Contact Us to ensure none of the ingredients will be harmful to anyone coming into contact with the treated leather. Individuals with nut allergies are not advised to use Leather Milk. For more health recommendations, please visit our Leather Care Liniment SDS (Safety Data Sheet).
Long and short, if you’ve got any kind of leather, or a wide range of types, you need Leather Care Liniment. Test it first and use it well – and it will save your hide!
Hope this helps!
Daniel S