craftsmanship from a bygone era

We spend every day at our Houston workshop cleaning, restoring, and replacing leather on all manner of treasured heirlooms - from car interiors to purses to shoes to furniture. We enjoy our work, but most of all, we enjoy bringing new life to our customers’ most prized possessions. With regular care and maintenance, leather is an excellent and enduring investment. The truth is, much of the damage that we regularly encounter could be mitigated or entirely avoided with proper cleaning and care, but most consumers do not know the basics of leather construction, damage, and maintenance. No need to worry - we are here to help!

Leather is a wonderful and durable material, but it is susceptible to damage through regular wear and use. Most leathers are dyed to achieve a desirable color and then have a top coat finish applied to protect the leather. Soaps, silicones, and oils all damage the coatings applied to protect leather and may - in the worst case - even penetrate to the underlying natural material and cause discoloration of the dyes and damage to the leather itself through drying or cracking. The goal of leather care is to clean these foreign materials from the leather on a regular basis and to preserve and restore the top coat to protect the leather and keep the finish smooth and supple.

There is significant misinformation regarding the proper methods for cleaning and caring for leather. Let us help set the record straight: Multipurpose products that also clean vinyl, plastics, wood, etc. should never be used to clean leather. Only products specifically designed for leather should be used. You may have even seen some DIY tips on the internet encouraging you to use vinegar, baking soda, and magic erasers to care for your leather. Please don’t! These products can cause serious damage to your leather piece depending on its current condition, as well as the original dyes and coatings applied to your leather.

There are many products available today marketed to cleaning, conditioning, and protecting leather, some of which are sold as separate formulas with multiple steps. There is significant risk to the consumer in over cleaning leather when using multiple-step formulations. Remember, the goal of proper leather maintenance is to remove harmful soils that can break down the top coat and penetrate the underlying natural material. Overdoing the cleaning step or using abrasive sponges, toothbrushes, etc. can erode and even eliminate the top coat finish designed to protect your leather. Without adequate experience, these multiple-step formulations can lead to damage, rather than cleaning and protecting your leather.

Leather Only was designed to be safe for use on all leather types regardless of the original coatings applied to the piece. By utilizing a simple, single-step solution, we eliminate the risk of over cleaning and potentially damaging the top coat or even the underlying dye applied to the leather. Leather Only is also pH balanced - unlike a DIY mixture of vinegar and water! Leather Only is designed to lift oils and dirt off of the leather, while conditioning and protecting at the same time. Leather Only is water-based, silicone free, wax free, and petroleum free which are all key to leaving your leather feeling supple and soft, rather than shiny and greasy. But always remember to follow the instructions: apply on a clean, white microfiber cloth and then rub gently into the leather until even coverage is achieved.

The beauty of Leather Only is in its simplicity: safely cleaning, conditioning, and protecting your leather at the same time. Proper leather care doesn’t need to be complicated, and by sticking to a few simple principles, you can keep your leather pieces looking exceptional for a lifetime. However, if you would like to learn more about the details of specific leather manufacturing, processing, restoration, and care - we have significant knowledge that we would love to share with you! Check out our other resources on this website, our sister site at Leather Only, or drop us a line with your specific questions. Again, we love leather, and we hope that you do too!