If maintained well, a leather wallet is made to stay with you forever. Strong, durable, and above all, good looking, this timeless accessory is a must each time you have to wear formal attire.
The only thing is how to clean a leather wallet?
Daily wear can easily get dirty, even the highest quality leather. Then, there are stains. Keeping it in your pocket could cause unsightly sweat stains that are hard to remove.
If you leave it on the counter, a moment of distraction could mean an array of different stains on your classy accessory.
Luckily, we’ve got you covered. We know how to clean a leather wallet in 7 easy steps.
Check them out below and learn how to care for your wallet like a pro.
Table of Contents
How to Clean a Leather Wallet: 7-Step Routine
With this proven method, you can remove dirt and grime from all types of leather wallets, purses, and other accessories. Here’s how to do it.
Step 1 – Learn what not to use
Every brand that respects itself provides care instructions alongside their leather accessories. It is always advisable to keep these in a safe place for future use.
When the time comes to clean your wallet, take out those instructions, and read them.
The manufacturer should not only give you tips for cleaning the wallet; it should also tell you what products to avoid using.
If the wallet comes with no instructions whatsoever, know that you should stay away from alkaline cleaners, such as baby wipes or sanitizing wipes.
Leather oils and waxes are great for conditioning your wallet, but they won’t clean it.
On the contrary, these products might cause dirt and grime to enter deeper into the leather, making it harder to clean.
Step 2 – Empty your wallet
Take out all cash, bank cards, ID cards, and any other items you keep in your wallet before starting the cleaning process.
Step 3 – Pre-clean your wallet
If you’re dealing with a fresh stain, use a dry paper towel to remove as much of it as possible. You can also try removing a dry stain by rubbing it with a few drops of alcohol. If it’s an oil or grease stain, use a damp paper towel and talcum powder to try and remove as much as you can.
Once you have dealt with the stains – or if the wallet has no stains – wipe with a dry cloth.
Step 4 – Hand wash your wallet
One thing to keep in mind is that you should never wash your wallet in the washing machine. Full immersion in water can bring irreversible damage to the leather.
The easiest way to wash it is by hand, with a damp cloth and a little saddle soap.
If you don’t have saddle soap, you can replace it with mild shampoo or baby soap; apply a small quantity of soap to a damp cloth and dab the wallet with it.
With a gentle sweeping motion, remove the dust and grime from the wallet. You might have to pass a few times over stubborn stains, but you should be able to clean the accessory quite easily.
Step 5 – Rinse the soap away
While you could wipe off the soap with a clean damp cloth, you can also immerse the wallet in clean water to remove all soap residues.
The process should be quick, as prolonged exposure can damage the delicate material.
While rinsing, wipe away any remaining suds, then pat the wallet dry to remove any excess water.
Step 6 – Dry the wallet
Your wallet might be nice and clean, but there are still a few steps to take before using it again. The first is to dry your wallet.
At this stage, you might be tempted to put it near a heat source or in hang in direct sunlight. As tempting as it may be, don’t do it.
Direct heat or sunlight can stiffen the leather, making your wallet unusable.
Place your accessory in a ventilated, shadowed area and let it air dry for as long as necessary.
Step 7 – Conditioning
There is only one way to avoid the leather going stiff – you must apply a generous amount of leather conditioner and massage it into the leather.
Indeed, leather conditioner replaces the natural oils in leather, maintaining it beautiful for longer.
More often than not, you’ll have to condition the leather every six months, whether you wash the wallet or not.
Alternative Wallet Cleaning Method
The method above involves household products, such as soap, rubbing alcohol, and water. However, you can also clean a leather wallet with a specific leather cleaner.
There are many products on the market, from cleaning creams to lotions and aerosols.
If you decide to use such a product, you’ll only need the product, a cloth for cleaning the wallet, a dry clean cloth for removing the excess cleaner, and leather conditioner.
Apply a small quantity of cleaner to a dry cloth and dub it on the wallet; gently remove all dirt and grime, then wipe the wallet with a dry, clean cloth.
Moisturize the leather with a conditioner, and your accessory is ready to use again.
Wrapping It All Up
Whether it’s stained or just dirty from wear, I hope this article has helped you learn how to clean a leather wallet.
From easily accessible products such as soap or shampoo to leather cleaners, there is a myriad of products you can use.
All you must do is try your favorite cleaning method; follow the steps above, and your leather wallet will shine as new in no time.
It would have been nice to see a before and after photo showing the results before I consider attempting this with my 15 year old wallet.