If you follow StylishTwo on Instagram, you may have noticed that fashion isn’t my (S) first love.  It’s horses.  I grew up in a barn, far from the world of Chanel, Gucci, and Coach.  One thing that I learned during my hours in the saddle that has served me well, how to care for my leather.

I learned long, long, ago that if you care well for you leather, it will last you a lifetime.  Literally.  I have a saddle from the 70’s that is still beautiful.  So how can you care for your leather bags and shoes so that they can last as long as my beloved saddle?

1. Clean with the right products.
   Use a mild soap that will not strip the leather.  Skip all those fancy high priced ones, most of extra ingredients that strip or seal the leather.  What I use? Castile soap.  I like Kirk’s, because its mild, has minimal ingredients, and its so inexpensive.  You can often times buy it at your local store.
   Use a damp washcloth on the soap, and then gently scrub the leather.
2. Condition.
   This stage you have to be careful with.  Leather will easily stain and turn dark.  Conditioning your leather will keep it soft and strong.  You can use something as simple as olive oil, or buy a leather conditioner, which maybe less likely to stain.  Always test a small area, to see if it stains and wait 24hrs before conditioning the rest.
3. Protect
   The long forgotten step, and often times not necessary.  Glycerin seals the leather, protecting it from the elements.  It also gives it a nice shine!  Its a good idea for shoes to help protect them from all the wear and tear from use.  It should always be used as a last step.  Placing conditioner on over it will make a mess and not actually do your leather any good!

Please note that this is for leather, not suede!  Suede is a different thing and needs to be treated much more delicately.