What's your favourite tack cleaner?

Coblover63

Coblover63

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On the basis of the recommendations in this thread, I gave just ordered a pot of the magic potion from Oz. Question is: do I use it like soap or conditioner? If the latter, do I use it everytime I clean or just occasionally? I've always used glycerine saddle soap and occasional Kocholine. Thanks
 
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Annagain

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My favourite tack cleaner is called Rose. She charges £4 for a bridle and £8 for a saddle. OH won't let me have a cleaner at home (he's a security freak and convinced everyone is going to steal the family.... errrrrr.... Nat West Pigs?) so I'll damn well have one for my tack! What OH doesn't know can't hurt him.
 
cremedemonthe

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Coblover63 said:
On the basis of the recommendations in this thread, I gave just ordered a pot of the magic potion from Oz. Question is: do I use it like soap or conditioner? If the latter, do I use it everytime I clean or just occasionally? I've always used glycerine saddle soap and occasional Kocholine. Thanks
Click to expand...

Comes complete with detailed instructions, it's a conditioner not a cleaner but instructions will tell you what to do to clean the leather prior to conditioning
 
pansymouse

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I recommend Wilf Whites cleaner - it's glycerine free and compliments the Oz recipe conditioner. I do a lot of restoration and wouldn't touch a product with glycerine in it - why the hell would you smear something sugary over leather other than to give the dirt something to stick to?
 
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wingedhorse

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pansymouse said:
I recommend Wilf Whites cleaner - it's glycerine free and compliments the Oz recipe conditioner. I do a lot of restoration and wouldn't touch a product with glycerine in it - why the hell would you smear something sugary over leather other than to give the dirt something to stick to?
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So is a drop of fairly liquid, warm water and a dishcloth not good way to clean tack?

Is Wilf Whites cleaner an altenerative way to getting the mank / mud / grease off? Is this it? Or is the soap different to the cleaner, the cleaner doesn't seem to come up in Google. https://www.pegasushealth.com/product/Wilf_Whites_Original_Leather_Soap or is the soap different to the cleaner?

How about this? http://www.renapur.com/shop/renapur-leather-cleaner-concentrate-250ml-54.html
 
Tnavas

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pansymouse said:
I recommend Wilf Whites cleaner - it's glycerine free and compliments the Oz recipe conditioner. I do a lot of restoration and wouldn't touch a product with glycerine in it - why the hell would you smear something sugary over leather other than to give the dirt something to stick to?
Click to expand...

Where do you get the idea that Glycerine is sugary? It's a bi product of soap manufacture. it's used in Royal icing to prevent it going rock solid. I've used it on my tack for over 50years and much of my tack is now over 10 years old, and some is in its 20's.
 
Pippity

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Tnavas said:
Where do you get the idea that Glycerine is sugary? It's a bi product of soap manufacture. it's used in Royal icing to prevent it going rock solid. I've used it on my tack for over 50years and much of my tack is now over 10 years old, and some is in its 20's.
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It's also very sweet, commonly used as a sweetener, and is part of the organic compound group known as sugar alcohols, so the confusion's very understandable.
 
Tnavas

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Pippity said:
It's also very sweet, commonly used as a sweetener, and is part of the organic compound group known as sugar alcohols, so the confusion's very understandable.
Click to expand...

Thanks that's really interesting. Never tasted it though. I know my dad who was a plumber used to pinch my bar of Glycerine to use to wash his hands with in winter otherwise he would get horrendous splits in his fingers.

This would suggest that it's ph level and oils were great for skin.
 
Pippity

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Tnavas said:
Thanks that's really interesting. Never tasted it though. I know my dad who was a plumber used to pinch my bar of Glycerine to use to wash his hands with in winter otherwise he would get horrendous splits in his fingers.

This would suggest that it's ph level and oils were great for skin.
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For live skin, yes - it encourages the shedding of dead skin cells for smoother skin, and draws moisture up through the layers of skin to keep the outer layers soft.

I'm not sure what effect the tanning process would have on this, but it doesn't sound like it'd be good for dead skin!
 
sbloom

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Glycerine: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glycerol Glycerine is used in soap to try and make up for the drying effect that soap naturally has, it is a sweet tasting substance, and my instinct says it could easily be a food for mould. No good reason to use it, it's a humectant rather than conditioner, so in fairly damp climates it attracts moisture and in my experience causes grease jockeys as it's sticky, unless you clean your tack daily.

There was a question about cleaning, there are a few good commercial cleansers available, but unless your tack is minging then hand hot water and an old fashioned dishcloth is enough to add to your elbow grease, but you can add a drop of washing up liquid to at least half a bucket of water (ie not too much washing up liquid) if you prefer.

Science does not back up the use of soap, glycerine, oil or milk whatever the anecdotal evidence.
 
Tnavas

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sbloom said:
Glycerine: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glycerol Glycerine is used in soap to try and make up for the drying effect that soap naturally has, it is a sweet tasting substance, and my instinct says it could easily be a food for mould. No good reason to use it, it's a humectant rather than conditioner, so in fairly damp climates it attracts moisture and in my experience causes grease jockeys as it's sticky, unless you clean your tack daily.

There was a question about cleaning, there are a few good commercial cleansers available, but unless your tack is minging then hand hot water and an old fashioned dishcloth is enough to add to your elbow grease, but you can add a drop of washing up liquid to at least half a bucket of water (ie not too much washing up liquid) if you prefer.

Science does not back up the use of soap, glycerine, oil or milk whatever the anecdotal evidence.
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The retention of moisture is good though, you don't want your tack drying out. It's the only thing I've ever used on my gear, it all looks awesome, my dressage saddle is over 30 years old.

I do clean tack that is in use after each use, I don't get jockeys on my gear, which are made up of mud and horse grease.

My stored gear is also fantastic, it's stored in big plastic bins with lids. Lives in the garden shed/tack room. I don't usually have a problem with mould.
 
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Velcrobum

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Likewise rather late to the party so could I have the recipe as well. Does it stop mould forming on tack as I have a problem with mould on cleaned but not currently being used tack. My tack room is gently heated and has a fan to circulate the air..........

Thank you in advance

P.S could you also send cleaning advice prior to application.
 
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