How To Remove Sweat/salt From Leather?

[Harry Marinakis]

What is the best way to remove sweat/salt stains from leather?

I have a black oil-tanned leather jacket that frequently gets soaked with sweat, which leaves white stains.

The leather is oil-tanned, and I keep it rubbed down with leather conditioners and waxes, and I even spray it down with an acrylic sealer. So it should not absorb sweat -- but it does.

Neither saddle soap nor plain soap and water do the job.

Here's what I've found using a search:

http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=53213&hl=salt

http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=46136&hl=salt#entry292663

Edited September 30, 2014 by Harry Marinakis

[Colt W Knight]

If you have put that much wax and sealer on them, I doubt the soap is penetrating. I would suggest stripping off all that sealer/wax you have on there. Then give em a good scrubbing with saddle soap, and then recondition and give it a coat of Kiwi. I haven't used a boot/clothes leather sealer that worked like it was supposed to yet.

Edited September 30, 2014 by Colt W Knight

[GEmanuel]

In the Navy we had this problem with our shoes. The cure was to rub them down with a raw potato and then wipe them off with a damp cloth. We also kept them shined but the potato has something in it that salt just didn't like very much. Once in awhile with the potato rub and we had nice black leather again.

Please make sure the potato is raw if you try this as rubbing French fries on your jacket may smell nice, but it will only make you hungry and do nothing for the stains.