Howdy leather aficionados! Just thought you'd like to see! One of our affiliates, Option Gray, just featured Leather Milk in a visual super-guide telling you all you need to know about how to clean your leather! Also featured inside this awesome walkthrough is Saddleback's own Women's Leather Tote Bag, which you can pick up at Saddleback's online shop. It's a pretty great place to be!

If you've never heard of Option Gray, we've gotta fix that right now, because they're too cool to ninja past your radar. In their own words, Option Gray "is an EDC shop with education, inspiration and gear for intentional living." (EDC short for "everyday carry," not the Electric Daisy Carnival - which is also arguably as essential an experience as everyday carry EDCs).

So what do they got? Just about everything except a kitchen sink for starters! On this journeyer's hallowed site you'll find all the essentials you'll need to survive that rugged, consternating wilderness we call life: flashlights and knives, notebooks & tool rolls, first aid kit and fire starters, flares, water purification, survival kits, eating utensils, and best of all, leather! Lots and lots of leather. Look at all this delicious leather!

Scrumptious!

Gotta love that mouthwatering patina!

When it comes to Option Gray, their entire philosophy is buried right there in their name: "We chose the name Option Gray because to have the option means you have freedom of choice. Being gray means you have a vaguely defined position or condition. When combined, Option Gray indicates your ability to have options for all situations, while maintaining a condition that doesn't draw attention."

So do yourself a favor and check them out, and their very informative leather care guide: How to Clean Leather. They really did their homework on this one! Check out a sample!

The beauty of full aniline leather allows for the natural color differences, scars, brands, of the hide to come through, allowing the leather to breath, flex, and just get better with age.

It is important to find out what kind of leather you are looking to clean, as the type will determine the cleaner and method you need to use. From vegetable-tanned, chrome-tanned, napped, suede, vinyl, aniline dyed, unfinished, or even leather you think is leather but it really isn’t … leather comes in many finishes and textures.

How to do this?

1. Visit the product detail page of the leather you purchased. It should (hopefully) talk about the weight of the leather, the finish, and how it's tanned
2. Call up the company you purchased from to get additional details on the leather type
3. Take an assessment of your leather
4. Can you see the natural color and characteristics of the leather? It's probably a full aniline, which means it has been aniline-dyed and doesn't have a top pigmented finish coating applied to its surface. It is usually soft, cool to the touch, and flexible. The leather is porous and cleaning should be handled with care ...

Read the rest on OptionGray.com, and future you will be eternally grateful. You have a splendiferous day, aficionados!