LNLeather Posted September 23, 2011 Report Posted September 23, 2011 (edited) As previously mentioned in the Recent Status Updates - I decided to take this question to the forums and see if I could get your professional opinions please...... From what I have read here about cleaning leather – it seems like the majority choice here is to use the Oxalic Acid Crystals (diluted in water). I had some leather with grey stains from an unknown source. My hardware store didn't have Oxalic Acid Crystals, so I ordered it online and while I was waiting, I kept reading (in a search for info here at leatherworker.net) and found that someone had used Lemon juice with very good results. I tried it and also was able to remove grey/black smudges and without any chemicals (Oxalic acid). I googled MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) for the Oxalic Acid Crystals and what it says is a bit disturbing to me. The MSDS is for the crystals and not a diluted solution, but the information seems important for safety and storage purposes. It seems like it should be clearly labeled and kept in a Safe Place to avoid accidents… Here is the link for the MSDS for Oxalic Acid Crystals that I found on line Oxalic Acid Crystals MSDS and some of what it says... Section 4 seems especially important, as does Section 11... Although I do recommend the entire MSDS be read. Section 4 First Aid Measures May be fatal if inhaled, swallowed or absorbed thru the skin Avoid all contact. Use with adequate ventilation. Wash thoroughly after use. Keep container closed. Section 11 Additional Information DANGER!!! This material is very corrisive to the human body. Inhalation of dust or mist may cause irritation or burns to upper respiratory system, nose, mouth or throat. Ingestion may cause irritation or burns to mouth throat or stomach. Contact with skin or eyes may cause irritation or burns. Conditions aggravated/target organs: Persons with pre-existing eye, skin or respiratory conditions may be more susceptible. So my question is what else do you use to clean leather other than Oxalic Acid Crystals? I am wondering if anyone has experience with cleaning leather with lemon juice and how it turned out, and if there were any problems or long term side effects to the leather. I'd love to hear all your thoughts & opinions… Edited September 23, 2011 by LNLeather Quote ~Cheryl There are many things in life that will catch your eye, but only a few will catch your heart... pursue those...
Members arthurandersen Posted September 23, 2011 Members Report Posted September 23, 2011 As previously mentioned in the Recent Status Updates - I decided to take this question to the forums and see if I could get your professional opinions please...... From what I have read here about cleaning leather – it seems like the majority choice here is to use the Oxalic Acid Crystals (diluted in water). I had some leather with grey stains from an unknown source. My hardware store didn't have Oxalic Acid Crystals, so I ordered it online and while I was waiting, I kept reading (in a search for info here at leatherworker.net) and found that someone had used Lemon juice with very good results. I tried it and also was able to remove grey/black smudges and without any chemicals (Oxalic acid). I googled MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) for the Oxalic Acid Crystals and what it says is a bit disturbing to me. The MSDS is for the crystals and not a diluted solution, but the information seems important for safety and storage purposes. It seems like it should be clearly labeled and kept in a Safe Place to avoid accidents… Here is the link for the MSDS for Oxalic Acid Crystals that I found on line Oxalic Acid Crystals MSDS and some of what it says... Section 4 seems especially important, as does Section 11... Although I do recommend the entire MSDS be read. Section 4 First Aid Measures May be fatal if inhaled, swallowed or absorbed thru the skin Avoid all contact. Use with adequate ventilation. Wash thoroughly after use. Keep container closed. Section 11 Additional Information DANGER!!! This material is very corrisive to the human body. Inhalation of dust or mist may cause irritation or burns to upper respiratory system, nose, mouth or throat. Ingestion may cause irritation or burns to mouth throat or stomach. Contact with skin or eyes may cause irritation or burns. Conditions aggravated/target organs: Persons with pre-existing eye, skin or respiratory conditions may be more susceptible. So my question is what else do you use to clean leather other than Oxalic Acid Crystals? I am wondering if anyone has experience with cleaning leather with lemon juice and how it turned out, and if there were any problems or long term side effects to the leather. I'd love to hear all your thoughts & opinions… Hi Cheryl; I have always used Oxalic Acid in water. I always use disposable gloves whenever I apply dye, finish, Oxalic acid, anything to my leather goods. And am very careful to not breathe the fumes any longer than necessary. Never tried lemon juice so I will give that a try next time I need to cleanup stained leather. BTW you can usually get Oxalic acid crystals at a good pharmacy, and if they don't have them they can usually order them from their supplier for you. Maybe not the larger chain stores but the smaller Mom N Pop drug store that still value customer service. Thanks for the Oxalic Acid info.. Arthur Quote
ferret Posted September 23, 2011 Report Posted September 23, 2011 Only ever used lemon juice for cleaning leather, it's cheap and easy to obtain. Does a good job with no harmfull effects on the leather. Can sting a bit if you get it in a cut or splash it in your eye, but otherwise no harmfull effects. Quote Politicians are like nappies, both should be changed regularly for the same reason.
Contributing Member Ferg Posted September 23, 2011 Contributing Member Report Posted September 23, 2011 Oxalic Acid has never been a problem for me. White vinegar diluted in water will obtain the same results as lemon juice. Vinegar seems to be a little stronger solution. ferg As previously mentioned in the Recent Status Updates - I decided to take this question to the forums and see if I could get your professional opinions please...... From what I have read here about cleaning leather – it seems like the majority choice here is to use the Oxalic Acid Crystals (diluted in water). I had some leather with grey stains from an unknown source. My hardware store didn't have Oxalic Acid Crystals, so I ordered it online and while I was waiting, I kept reading (in a search for info here at leatherworker.net) and found that someone had used Lemon juice with very good results. I tried it and also was able to remove grey/black smudges and without any chemicals (Oxalic acid). I googled MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) for the Oxalic Acid Crystals and what it says is a bit disturbing to me. The MSDS is for the crystals and not a diluted solution, but the information seems important for safety and storage purposes. It seems like it should be clearly labeled and kept in a Safe Place to avoid accidents… Here is the link for the MSDS for Oxalic Acid Crystals that I found on line Oxalic Acid Crystals MSDS and some of what it says... Section 4 seems especially important, as does Section 11... Although I do recommend the entire MSDS be read. Section 4 First Aid Measures May be fatal if inhaled, swallowed or absorbed thru the skin Avoid all contact. Use with adequate ventilation. Wash thoroughly after use. Keep container closed. Section 11 Additional Information DANGER!!! This material is very corrisive to the human body. Inhalation of dust or mist may cause irritation or burns to upper respiratory system, nose, mouth or throat. Ingestion may cause irritation or burns to mouth throat or stomach. Contact with skin or eyes may cause irritation or burns. Conditions aggravated/target organs: Persons with pre-existing eye, skin or respiratory conditions may be more susceptible. So my question is what else do you use to clean leather other than Oxalic Acid Crystals? I am wondering if anyone has experience with cleaning leather with lemon juice and how it turned out, and if there were any problems or long term side effects to the leather. I'd love to hear all your thoughts & opinions… Quote
Members Bard Skye Posted September 23, 2011 Members Report Posted September 23, 2011 I like the idea of using lemon juice / vinegar. It's nice to be able to use something that's already around the house rather than having to purchase yet another special purpose product. To say nothing of the potential health issues. Thanks, guys. Quote
LNLeather Posted September 25, 2011 Author Report Posted September 25, 2011 arthurandersen Posted 23 September 2011 - 04:33 AM Hi Cheryl; I have always used Oxalic Acid in water. I always use disposable gloves whenever I apply dye, finish, Oxalic acid, anything to my leather goods. And am very careful to not breathe the fumes any longer than necessary. Never tried lemon juice so I will give that a try next time I need to cleanup stained leather. BTW you can usually get Oxalic acid crystals at a good pharmacy, and if they don't have them they can usually order them from their supplier for you. Maybe not the larger chain stores but the smaller Mom N Pop drug store that still value customer servic Thanks for the Oxalic Acid info.. Arthur --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hi Arthur You are welcome! I am happy to be able to share the MSDS info. Woopsi - I checked my link for the MSDS sheet for the Oxalic Acid Crystals and that link didn't work, so here is one that will. Oxalic Acid Crystals MSDS As far as where to buy - I live on a small island, and quite often I can't find things I am looking for. Amazon had the best price for the Oxalic Acid Crystals, but Nothing was said about Safety Issues. I had tried to find it here on Vashon, at the local TV hardware store, but no one seemed to have heard of Oxalic Acid Crystals or Wood Bleach crystals. One of the supervisors showed me a can of liquid Wood Bleach but I didn't want to get that because no one here at LW.net had mentioned buying the liquid, so I would have no idea what that dilution ratio would be. I am glad to hear you use the Oxalic Acid Crystals in a safe manner. I know a lot of leather workers use it and I just hope everyone is aware of the Safety Issues... Thanks so much for your comments Quote ~Cheryl There are many things in life that will catch your eye, but only a few will catch your heart... pursue those...
LNLeather Posted September 25, 2011 Author Report Posted September 25, 2011 Only ever used lemon juice for cleaning leather, it's cheap and easy to obtain. Does a good job with no harmfull effects on the leather. Can sting a bit if you get it in a cut or splash it in your eye, but otherwise no harmfull effects. Hi Ferret Yes lemon juice does sting - yeoow ….but that can also happen when you are making salad dressing :-) (lemon juice+garlic & EVOO mmmmmmm yum) Soooo, do you use the lemon juice full strength or diluted, and do you rinse the lemon juice off once the leather is clean? Thank you so much for your comments Quote ~Cheryl There are many things in life that will catch your eye, but only a few will catch your heart... pursue those...
LNLeather Posted September 25, 2011 Author Report Posted September 25, 2011 Oxalic Acid has never been a problem for me. White vinegar diluted in water will obtain the same results as lemon juice. Vinegar seems to be a little stronger solution. ferg Hi 50 years leather Oooooh another good idea! I had not thought about vinegar… I use it to clean windows and wood floors - I just wouldn't have thought of using it to clean leather. But, that sounds like a very good idea. Thank you for mentioning that. You say you dilute the vinegar? By how much, and do you rinse that solution off once the leather is clean? Thank you so much for your comments Quote ~Cheryl There are many things in life that will catch your eye, but only a few will catch your heart... pursue those...
LNLeather Posted September 25, 2011 Author Report Posted September 25, 2011 I like the idea of using lemon juice / vinegar. It's nice to be able to use something that's already around the house rather than having to purchase yet another special purpose product. To say nothing of the potential health issues. Thanks, guys. Hi Bard Skye Mee too! All good points for sure! *One of the reasons I started this subject up is because there are so many new folks joining every day… I thought it would be good to bring up this subject again & let folks know about the Oxalic Acid Crystals MSDS before they buy it….. and to also discuss the alternatives. The Possibility for Health issues or someone's animals or kids getting into the hazardous chemicals – makes if an easy choice for me. Thank you so much for your comments Quote ~Cheryl There are many things in life that will catch your eye, but only a few will catch your heart... pursue those...
Contributing Member Ferg Posted September 25, 2011 Contributing Member Report Posted September 25, 2011 Dilute 4 to 1, water to vinegar. Stubborn stains increase vinegar. Yes, it does need to be washed with clean water to neutralize the vinegar. Make sure your leather has dried thoroughly before applying finishes and/or dye. ferg Hi 50 years leather Oooooh another good idea! I had not thought about vinegar… I use it to clean windows and wood floors - I just wouldn't have thought of using it to clean leather. But, that sounds like a very good idea. Thank you for mentioning that. You say you dilute the vinegar? By how much, and do you rinse that solution off once the leather is clean? Thank you so much for your comments Quote
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.