I love leather products. If you love leather products too, you might want to avoid using harmful ingredients to condition or clean your leather furniture or any other things made of leather, just like I do. Vaseline is a natural ingredient, and you might have heard that people are using Vaseline on leather. Naturally, a question might pop up in your mind, Is Vaseline good for leather?
So, if you want to avoid using harmful ingredients on your leather, you might want to give vaseline a try. Here’s why:
Vaseline is good for leather for several reasons, such as:
- Removing Stains
- Conditioning of leather
- Softening leather
- Removing Scratches
- Enhancing color
- Prevention of Cracking
- Waterproofing leather
As you can tell, you can get a lot of benefits for your leather from using vaseline. Actually, it’s exactly like that. Vaseline works like a charm for all types of leather except for rawhide leather. Let’s take a closer look at what makes vaseline a great choice for most types of leather.
Will Vaseline Ruin Leather?
Vaseline will not ruin leather as long as you apply it properly. Besides, vaseline will prevent cracking of leather while making it softer and eventually increase the lifespan.
However, I recommend using vaseline on all types of leather except for rawhide leather. If you keep reading, you will know why. For rawhide leather, using olive oil will provide better results. But for every other type of leather, vaseline is a great choice for sure. Also, make sure you apply vaseline with clean and soft clothes only.
Why You Should Be Using Vaseline on Leather?
The first thing that one should remember is that vaseline is a completely natural product. Many people are confidently using vaseline to clean, condition, and enhance the color of leather for ages.
There are many chemical products in the market that promise better results, but ultimately chemical products come with several side effects in the long run.
Since vaseline is a perfectly natural substance and does not have any side effects, I don’t see any reason why you shouldn’t use vaseline on leather.
And it isn’t just as simple as that. Here, we’ll break down the different benefits of using vaseline on leather. We are focusing on the benefits you get from using vaseline on leather.
Vaseline can Remove Leather Stains
Vaseline has some decent cleaning properties, and it can be used to get rid of stubborn organic stains like oil or grease. Unlike other cleaners, vaseline will clean through the pores of leather without affecting its color.
You might have heard that vaseline has low liquid surface tension. This enables vaseline to penetrate easily and clean within tiny spaces easily. So, in one sentence, I would say vaseline is a great cleaner for leather materials. You must try it to see amazing results.
It can Condition Leather Really Well
Vaseline has been used as a conditioner for leather for ages. You might have heard leather materials can last for generations if taken care of properly. Whether you use the lather or not, make sure to condition it from time to time to make it last longer.
Using vaseline is an excellent way to condition leather materials properly. It is better to use vaseline than using different harmful chemicals available in the market.
If you use vaseline on leather from time to time, the lifespan of the leather will increase. If the leather quality is good, you will be able to use it for a long time if you condition it properly with vaseline.
It can Temporary Remove Scratches
Another benefit of using vaseline is that you will be able to temporarily hide any scratches and small tears on the surface of the leather.
Sometimes we often see minor scratches on our leather boots or bags. Applying a little amount of vaseline will make the scratches disappear for a while.
Although it will not heal the scratches, but it can hide it for a while, which is really cool. Note that if the scratch or tear is huge, it might not be able to completely make the scratch disappear.
Try this today, I am sure you will find a minor scratch or two on any of your leather goods. I am sure you are gonna love it.
It Enhances The Color of Leather
Vaseline has the ability to rejuvenate the color of the leather. If your leather looks a bit dull and faded as it gets old, apply vaseline on it with a piece of cloth and remove the excess amount.
You will definitely notice huge changes in color.
The color will look more vibrant than ever. The bottom line is, vaseline will help you to restore the color of your leather item. It will look more vibrant and rich in color. As the color will be enhanced, your leather item will look brand new again.
It Makes Leather Softer
If you use vaseline on leather, the vaseline molecules will lubricate the fibers of leather, and thus, it will be soft. Also, vaseline will not allow the leather to dry out.
Thus your leather item will be soft for a longer amount of time. So, if you see that your leather item is drying out or becoming harder, you must apply vaseline on it to make it soft again. Also, if your leather stays soft it will last longer as when leather dries out it might crack and thus it is essential to keep leather soft. If your leather becomes hard for some reason, you can easily restore the softness with the help of vaseline.
It Helps to Prevent Cracking
As I have noted earlier, vaseline does not allow your leather to get dry. Leather cracks when it becomes dry. Thus vaseline can prevent the leather from cracking by locking in the moisture.
If your leather is cracking, this means that your leather item has become dry. You can apply vaseline, and it will lock in moisture and keep the leather fiber soft. Thus you can prevent further cracking of leather by using vaseline.
It Can Waterproof Leather
If you want to make your leather furniture, boot or bag waterproof then, you can apply vaseline on the surface of it. It will not allow outer water particles to enter, and inner moisture will also be locked as it forms a protective layer.
Thus vaseline can make any leather product temporarily waterproof to some extent. This generally increases the lifespan of leather furniture, shoe, and other leather-made products and makes the leather better..
How To Apply Vaseline On Leather?
To apply vaseline on any leather product, follow the steps below:
- Firstly clean the leather item with water and a piece of paper. Soak the paper in the water and then rub it on the leather to take the dust off.
- Now, take another piece of dry paper or tissue to wipe off excess water. This will allow you to apply vaseline easily. After the wiping of excess water is done, take some vaseline on your hand and apply it or rub it all over the leather material.
- Finally, take another piece of tissue or cloth to wipe off the excess amount of vaseline. You can also use a hairdryer to heat the vaseline on the leather before wiping it off. This will improve the absorption of vaseline by the leather.
For more details, you can check out this video:
Final Thoughts:
There you have it! Vaseline is actually good for your leather. It softens leather material and prevents the peeling and cracking of leather. Also, if you can expand the lifespan of your leather by conditioning it with vaseline.
I hope this article was helpful. If you have any queries, let me know in the comments below!
