Washing bridle in hot soapy water?

[myhorsefred]

I have just washed my bridle in hot soapy water in the sink with a brush! (It was so grubby I was fed up with trying to clean with saddle soap) I have towel dried it and left it by the rayburn to dry.

When should I put leather conditioner on it? Now whilst the leather is slightly dampish, or later when it has dried out completely?

thanks

 

[hettieben]

When i do mine i try to wait until the leather is as dry as possible. When i put the polish on whilst wet i noticed the start of mould growing, so try to let the leather dry out now.

 

[lucym]

i would let it dry almost completely, but not so thats its crisp! then lavishly apply your conditioner

 

[milliepops]

First - take it away from the Rayburn!

You can wash bridles like this occasionally and get away with it (we do after hunting sometimes) but you have to dry them slowly to prevent the leather from becoming brittle.

I usually put some glycerine saddlesoap on when they are still a bit damp, and then some greasy stuff like Effax leather balsam when almost dry to put the oils back into the leather.

 

[myhorsefred]

Oops - I've just moved it away from the rayburn now! thanks.

Will smother it with conditioner when its nearly dry. thank you all.

 

[michaelj]

I might try this with bobs bridle one day, got some really expensive leather balsam that I have no use for atm!

x

 

[Cluny]

Put the conditioner on when the bridle is slightly damp, that way the conditioner will sink in further. Also if you warm your conditioner it'll also penetrate the leather better.

Bear in mind though that normal soap is a detergent and strips the leather of it's natural oils, always better to use a glycerin based saddle soap.