How do you clean a saddle?

Answer 1

(leather saddle)

Step 1:

Get some warm water in a bucket, wipe down the saddle with a damp cloth/sponge, to rid of any access dirt, mud or dust and then

Step 2:

use some leather (saddle) soap, and use your cloth/sponge and scrub the saddle in a circular motion until you have created a light lather, then once the entire saddle has been covered in a lather, you then wipe it down with a clean clothe/sponge with fresh warm water.

Step 3:

Using a dry towel/cloth, apply a generous amount of leather (saddle) conditioner to the surface of the saddle, and apply once again, with a circular motion. Since this is more of a cream rather than a soap, do not expect a lather, the saddle will simply absorb the conditioner. If your saddle is old or hard, apply two coverings of conditioner.

Conditioner allows the leather to soften and become more supple, just like using shampoo and conditioner for your hair, it leaves it feeling softer, healthier and smoother.

(Synthetic saddle)

Step 1:

Get some warm water in a bucket, wipe down the saddle with the damp cloth/sponge, to rid of any access dirt, mud or dust and then use synthetic saddle cleaner.

The synthetic saddle cleaner i use for my synthetic saddle is in a spray bottle, but i am sure there are many more on the market.

Step 2:

All I have to do after following the first step, then spray the saddle cleaner on to the surface of the saddle, use a cloth/sponge and scrub the cleaner with in a circular motion until you have created a light lather, then once the entire saddle has been covered in a lather and scrubbed, you then wipe it down with clean cloth/sponge with fresh warm water.

I always dry my saddles after cleaning them, so that they don't absorb to much water, especially my leather saddle, as absorption of too much water allows it to swell.

I hope this has helped :)

Good luck!