Members Klara Posted March 3 Members Report Posted March 3 Yes, the leather is as white as in the picture - some sort of mould or mildew. I have cleaned the bags several times with saddle soap, they were stored in a dry place and with plenty of air (not under cover). The mildew always returns. A few years ago even while the bags were in use in my living room. Any ideas (apart from binning them)?
Members Beehive Posted March 3 Members Report Posted March 3 I believe the mold is feeding on whatever the leather was oiled with. It'll continue to feed on it. Since it's already a mess. Spray it down with lemon juice and lay it in the sunlight. Rotate it around for a day. Or apply a mold killer like, "Mold Armor". Let the item dry out. Afterwards apply a conditioner and store in a ventilated area. Stuff the bags with brown paper to absorb any extra moisture. If that doesn't work, either burn it or bury it. Just keep it away from other tack.
Members Klara Posted March 4 Author Members Report Posted March 4 Thank you. I am pretty sure that I have already tried vinegar at some point. You really think lemon juice will do more? Never having heard of Mold Armor, I don't think I cannfind it here (in France). Any other ideas? Incidentally, the bags were on my saddle the last three years (I couldn't look at my tack since my horse died) and the saddle is fine. There is something about this very leather that attracts the stuff...
Digit Posted March 5 Report Posted March 5 I've heard of people using Dettol to combat mold on leather, which apparently worked. I haven't tried it myself.
Members Klara Posted March 5 Author Members Report Posted March 5 You mean alkohol gel? Worth a try, especially since there should be some around from 4 years ago...
Digit Posted March 6 Report Posted March 6 I was thinking more of some kind of antibacterial spray like https://www.dettol.co.uk/household-disinfection/multi-purpose-cleaning/dettol-mould-mildew-remover-spray-original-750-ml/ or https://www.dettol.co.uk/household-disinfection/everyday-cleaning/dettol-surface-cleanser-spray-500-ml/ Or you could try pouring some 60-90% isopropanol in a spray bottle and use that. Isopropanol is the active antibacterial ingredient in most alcohol gels; I wouldn't try smearing an actual gel on leather. Note that the first one seems to contain bleach; always test first to see if whatever you apply on leather doesn't cause discoloration.
Members Beehive Posted March 6 Members Report Posted March 6 Humans having been fighting mold for centuries. Y'all know, once it starts, it's a fight to kill it. In all our wisdom. Mold has become even more resistant to treatments. Stop beating around the bush. Dunk the saddle bags in bleach. Only problem is the damage the leather is going to take. The #1 problem here is those saddle bags were not taken care of to begin with. They were not stored properly or some individual just had to wipe them down with something that went rancid. I'm still of the personal agreement... Those saddle bags are done. It's an infection. An infection that can only be cured with fire or dirt. Because the time and money spent on it. You could buy a new one.
Northmount Posted March 6 Report Posted March 6 I have washed and scrubbed a moldy piece of leather with liquid saddle soap, followed by lots of rinse, then treated with oxalic acid. It probably wasn't as bad as these saddle bags though. Get these bags out of your work area so you don't contaminate your work area, and all your leather and other stuff.
Members Beehive Posted March 6 Members Report Posted March 6 I had some lace up Redwing boots that got infected. They were my secondary boots I barely wore because they were black. I don't remember if they got wet or what. I treated them as dress boots. These were very expensive items. It's the smell. The smell that will never go away. No matter what you do. It's quite embarrassing to pull off your boots and they stink up the entire room. The only pair of boots in my entire life that took a moldy smell. Imagine what those saddle bags smell like.
Members Klara Posted March 6 Author Members Report Posted March 6 They don't smell at all. And they got that way from the very beginning I had them (bought them new) - I strongly suspect they made a mistake at the tanning stage. The white stuff does not look like any other mould or mildew I have ever seen... (and I renovated a house where they had tacked Plastic sheets to a wall in an attempt to keep humidity out...) The good news is that I found a half full bottle of Isopropyl alcohol in the back of a drawer. I'll see tomorrow what it does. Bleach is also around and hardly ever needed. By the way, how does leather react to hydrochloric acid, when we are talking about the big guns...
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