Are your boots prepared for winter?
Everyone needs a good pair of boots. Especially in winter, they are a necessity to protect from the cold and precipitation. To make sure they last like they should, it’s important that you protect them well!
There are plenty of harsh things about winter that can destroy a good pair of boots. Snow, cold, and salt are all leather boots’ worst enemies. All three of these things can lead to the leather of the boots drying out, cracking and eventually becoming irreparable. Just as we were taught as little ones, you use shoe polish to shine and protect your shoes; well you use a special solution to clean off the winter gunk and then condition and protect the leather. Not to worry…we have just the solution for you! Saddle Soap.
What is Saddle Soap you may ask? It is a mild soap, originally used to clean and condition horse saddles. Composed of lanolin, a waxy grease, aiding in waterproofing and protecting, neatsfoot oil helping to soften and condition, and glycerol, moisturizing and slowing the drying of the leather. You should use it periodically to clean and protect your boots and before heavy usage to help repel water, protect the leather and keep your feet dry.
Follow these steps to clean and protect your boots:
Make sure your boots have had time to dry if you’ve recently worn them. Never sit boots next to a heater-this can cause the leather to age prematurely and crack. Instead, use cedar trees or stuff some newspaper in them to speed up the drying process.
- Once dry, remove dirt with a damp cloth
- Rub a cloth in the saddle soap to create a lather
- Rub the leather with the saddle soap lather
- Start on the second boot to allow the first boot to dry slightly
- Take a damp cloth and and wipe off the saddle soap lather
*Some saddle soaps may darken certain light leathers, so be sure to test a small area if you’re concerned about this.
The most commonly used saddle soap is ‘Kiwi Outdoor Saddle Soap’ found at Walgreens, CVS, and Ace Hardware.
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