Medieval clothing - headwear

Natural leather products are very durable, but require regular maintenance with leather care products to stay flexible and to increase life-time. Make sure your leather products are kept dry when stored. Let wet leather dry naturally before treating. If frequently wet and dry, increase frequency of maintenance.

Cleaning

It is best to start cleaning leather from the most delicate measures possible. Therefore, use a damp cloth with a little soap. If this is not enough - use a hard brush to remove dirt. Remove the soap with a separate damp cloth to wipe away any soap residue, and then use a dry cloth to wipe away the remaining water from the leather. Let it dry completely before the next maintenance step.

Conditioning

Always keep the leather maintenance after cleaning, because the soap will remove some of its natural oils. Apply mink oil, olive oil or professional lanolin-based fats to clean leather using a clean cloth, gently rubbing a small amount of fat with circular movements. Wait for the fat to soak in the leather, then use a clean cloth to clog the residue. For maintenance, you can also use beeswax by heating it to a liquid state and applying it to the leather. Remember that the leather so preserved will be harder and significantly darken what sometimes is the desired effect.