Too much oil

[BBAYS]

A customer brought me a set of saddlebags that they SOAKED in neatsfoot oil. Is there any way to remove some of that oil?

[Go2Tex]

I'm going to go way out on a limb and suggest that you try soaking them in warm water, let them air dry and repeat until some of the oil leaches out of the bags. I don't know if it will work and I don't know if it will ruin the bags. But, unless someone else has a better idea that does work for sure, it seems like a good idea.

The problem is, the damage has probably already been done.

[bruce johnson]

I am with Brent's suggestion and would also recommend adding some Dawn to the water. I had a friend who bought an overoiled saddle a few years ago. The box it was shipped in looked like the bottom of pizza box. UPS had opened the box to see if a jug of something had broken and to make sure there was no HL products that someone was trying to sneak through. It squeezed out oil. They washed it with Dawn and warmish water and never really let it totally dry out for a few washings. It came out better than expected.

[Tosch]

How about burying the saddlebags in saw dust or sand for a while?

Tosch

[Hilly]

When cleaning greasy/oily things around the house, I often use a bit of ammonia in the water, along with detergent. I feel it cuts grease much better than detergent alone. I wonder if you could add 1/2 cup or so to a detergent soak for those saddlebags? It may dry the leather out a bit, but we know how to deal with that. Just be sure and rinse after using it. Just a thought...

Hilly

[saddles]

Castille Soap works well too.

Lacey

[westtxcowboy1979]

Baby powder works well to I've used it on some boots that were soaked in oil.

[Timbo]

I'm with everybody else on washing them with Dawn..........but then pack them full of towels and wrap them in towels. This will help them keep some shape and also help wick out more of the oil.

Tim

[rhall]

I put a over oiled Map Case in Fullers Earth...That the principle ingredient in Cat Litter,Driveway Absorbent from the auto parts stores in large bags it's cost effective,took a couple of weeks to absorb the oil.I kept stiring it around the bag.

[oldtimer]

I would use what we in Sweden call !"Potatoe meal" , don´t know the name of the product in english. A heavy layer of that would suck out the oil in a day or two. The product is potatoe starch.

[oldtimer]

I would use what we in Sweden call !"Potatoe meal" , don´t know the name of the product in english. A heavy layer of that would suck out the oil in a day or two. The product is potatoe starch.

Potatoe flour and it is easy to wipe off, doesnt stick at all!

Edited February 9, 2009 by oldtimer

[The Major]

Corn Starch works well.

[kfiretwo]

i use shammy towels, i make a bag out of them n put in oil dry or any other osberbent material

the towels will suck the oil out of the leather the oil dry will capture n keeps it from leaching back in from the other side

u can wrap ur leather in the towel if its a flat piece ur trying to clean

[Bob]

I'd be inclinded to use HOT water first, because you would like to displace the oil with water, then do as suggested above using cat litter or floor dry to absorb the oil and water out, then repeat as many times as required. For all the effort, it might be easier to make a new pair of bags.