tack cleaning secrets......any one got any?

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vickyguns

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Have just started up a tack cleaning sideline, and have a couple of customers already. I was just wondering if anyone had any trade secrets that they swear by? Have just discovered Albion natural saddle soap, did a lovely job on a saddle!... cheers in advance!
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the only soap i will ever use is Stubben saddle soap - it truely is the best!! I have won more tack and turnout competions with it than any other soap.

If you soap really well the tack becomes lovely and sticky
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i love that feeling
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dont soap the rubber part on the reins
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if the stirrup treads are dirty, use a toothbrush and some saddle soap - but not too much or it will get slippery
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emm... stick the bits and stirrups into the dishwasher to get really clean
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where are you, please come to our yard? - Brasso, great for shiny buckles etc. kaocholine for the really stiff old (or cheap new) stuff.
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must admit i am a total fiend for the kaocholine...because of the groovy tin!.. did ponder between the stubben and albion soap, may go back and get stubben, any excuse for a tack shop excursion... oh, and I'm in ireland, you could post it though Baileyhoss!
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BIG sponges.
One for cleaning one for soaping.
Someone who used to work in the royal mews told me to use really hot water to clean with.
An old saddler /harness maker told me that he cleaned his tack once a month [!] and he dipped the sponge first in a little neatsfoot oil then rubbed glycerine soap into it then applied this mix to the leather.
Hope this helps.
 
this is all great! cheers guys, keep them coming, it's all quite interesting! the hot water sounds like a good one, particularly with winter coming!
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Another vote for Stubben soap and conditioner from me too. Don't particularly like the smell but it is fantastic stuff.
 
I thought using hot water was a given
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always hot water, and i use small long sponges that are easy to hold in the hand
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i oil my tack once a month; it shouldnt need done anymore than that really
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but clean my tack *nearly* every week - I love cleaning tack
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and the smell
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but stubben is the best - i have convereted many after i made their tack look like new
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Hot water with a tiny bit of washing up liquid in it.

Separate sponges for washing (I use the bath sponges with scourer on one side) and soaping (ordinary sponge) and NEVER EVER wet the soap sponge, just get it really sticky and use it till it falls apart, then get a new one.

Liquid spray saddle soap, not solid.

Effax leather balsam for new tack, or tack which has got really wet.

Bradawl for poking muck out of the little holes.

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I love the NAF leather cleanse for bridles.

Agree hot water and one sponge for the water, one for the soap.

neatsfoot oil is great but DONT oil plain leather reins or you will be very very sad the next time you ride as I found to my cost when I was 11
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I use cheap facecloths bought for buttons from IKEA. After use they go in the washing machine so they are always clean. You can't clean your tack with dirty cloths.
Very warm water, yes, with some washing-up liquid in to help get the grease out, but wring your cloth out well or your tack will get sodden and ruined. (this is where I find cloths better than sponges which fall apart)
If there are "jockeys" on the underside of your tack (little bits of hardened dirt and sweat) the best thing to remove them without damaging your tack is to take a wee pile of hairs from your horses' tail, scrunch them up into a wee ball with some saddle soap (ordinary glycerine bar stuff) and rub.
The jockeys come off really easily, try it!
I like ordinary solid bar glycerine soap for cleaning, then for feeding/polishing, I like Stubben hammanol and Grand Prix gloss (E-bay) is also good.
For show harness I would use good old fashioned spit and boot polish.

I think you have a great idea for a wee business there! Tack cleaning, done properly, is a time-consuming job.
I wish you every success!
 
cheers guys, will soon have one of everything in my cleaning box! tried the very hot water with bit of washing liquid on my own tack earlier, and it worked a treat! previously used luke warm water, the difference is amazing! cheers again!
 
So what do people here perfer, the spray stuff or bars of saddle soap?, I prefer the latter.

I use the Heritage leather care stuff. Its got bees wax in it so its good for the stitching.
I wish it has a gorgeous smell!

http://www.heritagepolish.com/leather.html

I like to strip my tack, wipe down with damp hot cloth, use the saddle soap then Neats Foot oil. Really should just wipe down and use NFO at some point.

Which product has the nicest smell?
 
I use a soda crystals solution (one tbsp in a pint of hot water) to get the really stubborn greasy bits off my saddle (you know, from boots/stirrup leathers). I spray it on, leave for a minute or so, and wipe it all off. Not that I HAVE stubborn greasy bits on my tack, of course...
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Clean your tack every time you use it , a wipe over will do then it doesn't get too dirty, Grand Prix Gloss is brilliant makes your hands soft too!!!!
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