Care of Leather Impact Toys

In general, impact toys are pretty forgiving. Use them regularly and store them carefully, and they won’t need much else from you.

There are mainly four easily avoidable things that will damage leather and cause deterioration.

• Oxidation – A chemical reaction between the leather and different elements (humidity, time, temperature, improper care) identifiable by dryness, flaking, cracking and left unattended, leather will deteriorate to dust in extreme cases. Basically the leather has lost the oils and waxes that keep it soft and supple and it is drying out.

• Chemical Damage – Damage caused by chemicals (air pollution, Sun or other UV light, cleaning products not designed for leather, etc.)

• Internal chafing – When leather is dry and bent or flexed the fibers inside the leather do not have the proper lubrication to move smoothly against each other and will break.

• Abrasion – This usually affects the outside of the leather when it is rubbed against something, including another piece of leather. It can be internal as well if dirt is rubbed into the leather.

A few basic techniques will keep your leather soft and supple for many years.

Conditioning

Regular handling/use is the best conditioner, and most well-used toys don’t need to be conditioned often, if ever. The oils from your skin will naturally condition the leather.

Many of our leather toys, especially full-leather jacks and big bois, as well as cowhide dragon tails, will break in a little bit with use, and the leather will soften over time.

If the leather is feeling dry, cracked, etc., you can use a mild conditioner. Always test a new product on the inside of a fall before using it all over, to make sure it won’t darken the leather too much.

Cleaning

If your leather gets gunk on it, use a soft brush or cloth to remove as much of the debris as possible. If needed, most leathers are fine with a gentle wipe down from a slightly damp cloth. For light cleaning beyond that you can use the essence of saddle soap. This means just put some on your fingers and rub them together till you get a foamy consistency and then rub them on the tails and wipe it off again. Use a light coating. You can also use any leather cleaner or conditioner BUT BE WARNED it may change the feel of the leather.

If a cleaner must be used, use a cleaner that is specifically made for leather. Other cleaning products do not have the proper pH and could damage your leather.

Leather should be conditioned occasionally and Always after cleaning. Use a conditioner that is specific to leather. If the leather is old or dry, it will absorb more conditioner than new leather. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions on how to apply the conditioner.

As a porous material, leather cannot be fully sterilized without damage, so consider a toy fluid bonded with anyone whose blood or other fluids it encounters, and take appropriate cautions.

Storage

First, please never store your leather in plastic bags. Leather needs to breathe. Store leather in a cool dry place in a cloth bag to keep the dust off and let it breathe. Also, do not store leather in a sealed container for long periods for the same reason.

Try to keep your leather toys out of direct sunlight, and definitely don’t leave them exposed to sunlight for extended periods of time. Avoid getting them wet if at all possible. If a toy does get wet, blot it dry with a paper towel and then let it dry fully. Condition it if needed with a mild leather conditioner.

We recommend storing your floggers and dragon tails hanging from their hanging loops when possible to keep (or return) the falls to their original form with the aid of gravity.

Keeping your leather toys in our drawstring storage bags or other cloth bags (a pillowcase also works!) will help protect them from sunlight and from getting damaged by your other toys, while also allowing the leather to breathe.

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 All of that said, the best way to care for your leather, in our opinion, is to make friends with your local bootblack, who is an expert in caring for all kinds of leather!
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(Note: The information contained in these topics is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, it is provided for educational purposes only.)

When it comes to blood and or other body fluids it is always recommended to avoid using floggers on open cuts/wounds. But sometimes it does happen. 

Once your play partner(s) leave blood or body fluids on a leather to, the best practice is that it is “their” toy now.  Meaning it will only be used on them.