This post is one of several resources I created for students in my Klum House Bag Lab at Modern Domestic. Find the full series of blog posts here.
Leather
- Up to you how often you condition your leather—depends on how much you use it. Can do it once a season, once a year, or whenever the leather feels dry or looks dirty.
- Remove excess dirt using your fingers, a cloth, or a soft brush. If needed, use a saddle soap/leather cleaner to remove stubborn dirt, stains, and oils.
- Apply a leather conditioner to rehydrate the leather. Conditioning will restore strength and suppleness to the leather and reduce the appearance of scratches and dry cracking. To protect your leather from water damage, be sure to use a conditioner that includes wax as a primary ingredient. Since leather is porous, it will never be truly waterproof, but the wax will form a water resistant barrier.
- Use your fingers or a soft cloth to massage a small amount of product into the leather and let dry. You may need to buff away any excess wax with your cloth or a horsehair brush afterwards.
- If the leather feels sticky or tacky afterwards, you likely used too much product. You can try buffing the surface again with a cloth or horsehair brush and allowing it to dry. If it’s still sticky, you may need to use a leather cleaner to remove the excess oils, then recondition again (with less product this time).
- Most leather care products will temporarily darken the leather it is applied to. As the leather absorbs the oils and excess moisture evaporates over the next few days, the leather should return to its original color.
- Optional: apply Otter Wax Leather Polishing Oil if you prefer the look of lustrous/shiny leather.
- remember that oil doesnt have wax in it so it won’t protect from water stains
- Optional: apply a coat of Otter Wax Boot Wax Leather Protectant for an extra layer of protection against the elements for bags that are frequently subjected to the elements outdoors
Horsehair brush: superfine bristles that won’t scratch leather; good for buffing the surface after applying conditioner, protectant, or oil
Tampico brush: bristles are stiff enough to scrub away dirt but shouldn’t scratch leather; good for saddle soap and waxed canvas cleaner
You do not need to use all of our leather care products every time you would like to treat your leather. Each product can be used separately and independently of the rest depending on the condition of your leather item. We always recommend treating the entire item in order to maintain even coloration and a uniform appearance.
Waxed Canvas & Oilskin
add reproofing spray and dry oilskin specifics
links to waxed canvas care guides
Waxed canvas and oil-cloth fabrics require special care in order to preserve their protective properties and prevent undesirable outcomes such as mold-growth or heavy creasing. Never wash, soak, submerge, or dry-clean waxed/oiled fabrics. Spot-clean only. Always allow fabrics to completely dry before reapplying wax or wax dressings. When stored, waxed garments should always be hung and never folded. Always store waxed garments in a low-humidity, cool, and dry location.
If you need to remove dirt, mud, or stubborn stains from the surface of your waxed item we only recommend spot-treating. We recommend using our Waxed Canvas Spot Cleaner only on the affected area. This is because the cleaning process will break down and remove the wax coating. Once the spot-cleaned area has completely dried, all you need to do is re-wax that area and allow to cure for 24~48 hours before first use.
Unpleasant odors originating from waxed canvas are caused by bacteria that thrive in warm, dark, and damp environments. You can keep your waxed item smelling and feeling fresh by spraying the un-waxed side of with our Botanical Enzyme Waxed Canvas Odor Eliminator.
Using a natural bristle brush is a great way to keep an item clean and also helps to smooth away the wax creases that may appear in "high-stress" areas.
- Apply a pea-sized amount of soap to the area to be cleaned
- Dip cloth or brush into a bowl of warm water and scrub to loosen dirt, stain, etc.
- Rinse cloth or brush and repeat until stain is removed
- Allow area to dry completely before reapplying waxes or oils
We typically don't recommend washing an entire garment, but if you absolutely have to, fill a large bucket with cold water, and 4 tablespoons of our Waxed Canvas Spot Cleaner. Turn item inside out and submerge completely. While item is submerged, use a rag or soft-bristle brush to gently scrub the fabric. When finished, remove and allow water to drip back into bucket. Do not bend or twist fabric to remove excess water. Keep the garment turned inside-out and hang in a warm and dry place. If you are cleaning a waxed canvas bag or a pair of shoes, you can speed the drying time by stuffing your item with crumbled newspaper or paper towels. Once the item is completely dry, turn right-side out and reapply wax to any areas where necessary.
Remove stains with Otter Wax Waxed Canvas Spot Cleaner
Otter Wax Heavy Duty Fabric Wax Bar (can be used on lined or unlined jackets and bags): simply rub the bar against the fabric to create friction and melt the wax. Creates a seal on the top layer of the fabric. More leathery, coated appearance.
Otter Wax Heat-Activated Fabric Dressing (best for lined jackets and bags and re-proofing factory-made waxed canvas and oilskins): apply fully melted wax so it can fully saturate canvas fibers for a durable finish. More matte appearance. Tutorial here.
Can also be used to make your own waxed canvas: will darken the color and can give it a more variable, distressed appearance
Here are examples of the difference in fabric appearance using the wax bar versus fabric dressing.
Keep In Touch
Thanks very much for reading! If you’d like in-person support and instruction, please sign up for my classes at Modern Domestic or reach out to schedule a private lesson. If you have any questions, feedback, or corrections regarding this post, please don’t hesitate to contact me!
Further Reading
All content (including photographs and text) on this site ©2024–2025 Aliya Hoff-Vanoni. All Rights Reserved. Do not use or reproduce without written permission.