Questions and answers

Natural instead of chemicals: proper care of leather gloves

Posted on by Theresa Habermann
15
Dec

Leather is a natural material that – just like our skin – needs regular moisture to remain supple and elastic. Without regular care , it would dry out over time, become brittle and can even develop cracks. Especially for leather gloves, which are often exposed to the weather, temperature fluctuations and mechanical stress, natural care is important in order to:

  • Extend the life of the gloves: regularly maintained leather lasts much longer and remains resistant to wear and tear.
  • maintain the suppleness of the leather: regular care prevents the leather from becoming hard or stiff, this is also very important for wearing comfort.
  • Avoid cracking and brittleness: dry leather tends to crack. Natural care products help to keep the fibres elastic.
  • to preserve the look: well-groomed leather remains intensely coloured, smooth and develops a beautiful patina over time.

In short: If you care for your leather gloves regularly and with natural means such as Tapir leather oil , you will ensure that they remain beautiful and functional for a long time – completely without aggressive chemicals, but consisting of natural raw materials. Handmade in our manufactory. In the next questions, we will go into more detail about our products and the possible uses.

By our natural leather care we mean the use of care products that are based on natural ingredients – i.e. completely without synthetic chemicals, artificial fragrances or aggressive solvents. These care methods rely either on tried-and-tested home remedies or, as with Tapir, on biodegradable products that nourish the leather without polluting it or harming the environment. For the optimal care of your leather gloves and a better future.

For example, try our leather and saddle soap for optimal cleaning of your smooth leather gloves or the natural leather oil for subsequent leather care.

To ensure that leather gloves are cleaned gently and in an environmentally friendly way, aggressive chemicals should be avoided! However, natural leather care is much easier than you might think.

First, check what material your gloves are. Because the required products and care routine varies depending on the type of leather.

Loose dust and dirt can be removed well with a soft, dry cotton cloth or brush. For gloves made of smooth leather , cleaning with a mild soap solution is suitable. To do this, simply pick up some leather soap with a damp swelling sponge and knead it until a fine foam is formed. Gently rub this over the surface of the gloves. Repeat this process if necessary until you are satisfied with the result. Then remove the soap residue with a new, clean and slightly damp cloth.

After cleaning, allow the gloves to air dry flat out. This prevents deformation. Avoid drying the leather on heaters or in direct sunlight.
Afterwards, the smooth leather should definitely be cared for so that it remains flexible and supple. Tapirs Leather Oil , for example, is particularly suitable as a maintenance care product or our Tapir Leather Grease for the depths. The leather grease should not be used too often, as it always makes the leather softer.
So massage the product of your choice well into the material with a soft cloth and then polish it with a dry cloth or a gloss brush to make the leather beautiful.

In order not to burden the leather unnecessarily or cause more harm than good, the following points should be observed when cleaning smooth leather gloves.

When cleaning, avoid:

• Machine wash: The temperatures, friction and spin cycle could destroy the delicate leather. Instead, do it by hand and use Tapir’s leather and saddle soap!

• Alcohol, acetone or other aggressive cleaners: These aggressive agents are more likely to attack the leather and ultimately do not lead to desired results. Instead, rely on natural, gentle cleaning such as leather and saddle soap or, if necessary, a mild washing-up liquid.

• Direct water bath: Since leather does not like moisture, water baths should be avoided. Instead, use a damp sponge or cloth and clean the leather with Tapirs-suitable products.

• Dryer or direct heat: The leather could deform and become brittle due to the dryer or heating air. It is better to lay out the gloves in shape and let them dry completely in a well-ventilated room.

Since gloves made of suede or nubuck are more sensitive, you should use a special suede eraser or a suede brush for this. These put the fibres back on their feet and the leather thus retains its characteristic appearance.

For stubborn stains of fat, you can apply some cornstarch or baking soda, let it soak in and then brush it out. But be careful – please always test these measures first on an inconspicuous area to see how the leather reacts to them!
Leather grease or oil must not be applied to suede. Instead, however, a special natural leather impregnation is suitable for suede, nubuck leather and suede

This does not burden the leather, but cares for and protects it from external influences. After impregnation, simply brush it back on with the suede brush with brass bristles .

As always, the frequency of cleaning and caring for leather gloves depends on how often and under what conditions they are worn in the first place. In general, however, the following applies:


For regular basic care

If you only wear the gloves occasionally, for example for an excursion in winter or for an evening walk, light care with leather oil is usually sufficient about every 2-3 months.

Of course, dirt and stains should always be removed directly before they work deeper into the leather! For this purpose, we recommend our leather soap at Glattleder,
If you use them frequently and intensively, such as work gloves or motorcycling, you should care for the gloves about every 3-4 weeks. This is especially important if they are exposed to moisture, sweat or dirt, as this could attack the leather. Also the leather soap for cleaning and for the depth either the leather grease or the leather oil.


After special stress such as contact with heavy snowfall or rain showers, the gloves should always be dried at room temperature. Please do not let it dry on the heater, as this could damage the leather and dry it out. The dry gloves made of smooth leather should then be lightly greased with leather grease . Suede gloves can be impregnated with suede, nubuck and suede leather, as this not only protects but also cares for the leather at the same time. After spraying with our brass brush, roughen it again!


If your gloves have come into contact with road salt in winter, for example, please remove it as soon as possible with a damp cloth. Let the gloves dry afterwards and then care for them with suitable leather care (as already explained above, there are differences in leather!)

Especially after the end of the season, before the gloves have to live in drawers or attics for months on end, you should pay attention to the following:

First, clean the gloves gently, for example with a damp cloth or, in the case of heavy soiling on smooth leather , with our leather soap. Then treat the leather thinly with a suitable leather care product.

For storage, make sure to store them in a dry, airy and dark place and avoid plastic bags or boxes. If you follow these measures, you will continue to enjoy your leather gloves for a long time in the following winter months!

To ensure that your leather gloves remain beautiful for a long time, there are actually only a few points to consider when it comes to storage.
Make sure your gloves are completely dry before packing them away for long periods of time. Wet leather can become sticky or moldy and starts to smell.

The perfect storage location for a longer period of time is a dark, air-permeable and dry place, such as in a cloth bag or cardboard box in the cupboard in the attic. Please avoid plastic bags or boxes, as the air cannot circulate here and mold can easily occur! Before storage, the gloves should be clean.

Cleaning, either simply with a slightly damp cloth depending on the degree of soiling or, in the case of heavier dirt, with Tapirs leather and saddle soap, is therefore inevitable. This not only cleans down to the depths, but also cares for the leather at the same time.
With a rich care such as leather oil or leather grease for smooth leather or for suede gloves with our leather impregnation for suede, nubuck and suede leather, you can care for and protect the leather over the storage period and it is then theoretically ready for use again for the next winter!

However, according to the need and interval of the last care interval, the leather care should be repeated before the next use.

Learn more about cleaning and caring for leather gloves.