My boots needed some serious cleaning–this is how they look at the end of every ride because it’s just so darn dusty out here in the Old West. How fortuitous that Leather Honey contacted me and asked if I would like to do a product review on my blog! (By the way, I did not get paid <shucks> and if you like the product and want to purchase it I do not make an affiliate commission <also shucks>).
Enter 2 tablespoons of Leather Honey Leather Cleaner and one cup of water. I measured it out, mixed the pearly liquid into the Pyrex and had my weapon of choice to combat the nasty, dirty boots.
I dampened a cloth with the Leather Honey Leather Cleaner and then wiped it all over my needing-some-love boot. Here you can see the before and after. By the way, the tiny white spots on the front of both boots are from the time we had our house painted and the painters weren’t super careful cleaning paintbrushes out. 🙁
My assistant kept trying to derail the cleaning process by suggesting a game of fetch.
After cleaning both boots and letting them dry (didn’t take too long in this heat we’ve been having #don’thate), I applied the conditioner. I know why it’s called Leather Honey–the consistency is exactly that of honey, although the aroma reminds me of Neatsfoot Oil.
This was the end result. Not bad for a pair of 10-year old boots that recently had a broken zipper which I fixed all by myself I’m happy to say! (If you ever have a broken zipper try this method outlined in my previous post).
I remembered when I moved my tack out to the new barn because of my new horse (happy, happy), that I had a pair of old, crusty reins. I have no idea where the rest of the bridle is, but it’s always good to have extra reins in case somehow you accidentally drop them and the horse accidentally steps on them (it’s happened before). Here are the before and after photos.
Warning: a little cleaner goes a long way. I followed the directions to a T regarding the two tablespoons per one cup of water. I had waaay too much for one pair of boots. I probably should have used a quarter of that amount. Instead of wasting the excess, I stored the mixture in a glass container and have since used it on my bridle as well.
One concern I had was that the conditioner is quite thick. It seemed like I had to really be intentional about getting it thinned out and spread around on the leather. It’s probably not that big of a deal, I’m just used to a conditioner that is more liquidy.
Overall I think this is a nice product. The leather conditioner is non-toxic, water repellent, controls mildew, and has no oily residue (which I can definitely attest to). If you live in a humid climate such as Florida, you might really benefit from the mildew-control aspect.
If you’d like to learn more or buy for your tack or other leather gear, here’s the link telling about the history as Harness Honey and a link to make a purchase.
Question: What is your go-to leather cleaning or conditioning product?
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I use this cheap goo called Hide Food. It’s a cowboy name and must have been invented by a cowboy, because only someone who spends 8 hours a day in a ridiculous amount of leather could have invented it. You wipe it on, you enjoy the smell, your tack is instantly nice, and you can get on directly thereafter with white jodhs and not worry about having an unattractively oily behind. Love the stuff.
Sounds cool. Is it sold outside of South Africa? What does it smell like (and did your sis find a horse yet)?
It smells like a mix of old leather oil and neatsfoot, with an orangey edge to it. The honest answer is that I have no clue whether it’s sold outside SA!
Yes, my li’l sis has just found her equine soulmate. I was ready to spout off the wonderful temperament of a native breed like a Nooitgedachter or a Boerperd to my international friends, and what does she do? She buys a Quarter Horse. It’s a lovely little mare, albeit highly opinionated just like her, but utterly fearless.
Oh my gosh! I’d love for you to write a guest blog post that tells about the Nooit–whatever and Boerperd (Leopard)??? I have never heard of those horses. I’m so intrigued.
I’d be honoured! They’re two excellent breeds, very rare, but lovely. Boerperd derives from the Afrikaans “boer” (as in Anglo-Boer War) and “perd” (horse), “farmer’s horse”.
Good review of the Leather Honey- I used Higher Standards Leather Care and it’s addicting, I am a collector of all the different scents!
Thank you! Different scents? How intriguing. Do they have a pumpkin pie one? 🙂
I wish they did!! I love pumpkin anything!
I reviewed this too, although just the conditioner on the blog. Thought the conditioner was super thick, but liked how it worked. The cleaner I wasn’t a huge fan of compared to the other cleaners I have and use, but would probably purchase the conditioner for myself.
Oh cool. I’ll check out your review. Which cleaners do you prefer?