BDSM Leather Care
The crack of a whip, the sting of a flogger, and the shine of a freshly polished boot are crucial to the experience of domination as we know it today. Leather products are an investment, and understanding how to care for it can extend the life of your tools and create a better user experience. If you’re a domme starting out, or exploring in the bedroom for the first time, understanding your way around leather can be a daunting task. This blog entry is here to help.
Genuine Leather Differences:
There are three basic styles of leather—Uncoated aka porous leathers, coated leathers, and patent leathers. The first tip to caring for your leather is identifying which it is before trying to care for it. No need to stain or rot perfectly good products. Uncoated leathers are generally nubuck & suede. Coated leathers tend to be dyed and have a layer of finishing which prevents staining. Patent leathers are those you may associate more directly with the term “leather goods’, and is the most water resistant (and shiny) finish that leather can have. Below are examples and care instructions for each.
Uncoated/Porous Leather
Nubuck & Suede
Many floggers, some dragontail whips, certain boots + clothing items are made of nubuck and suede. They are soft to the touch and have a matte finish. Once you have your hands on an uncoated leather item, you’ll want to keep it stored away indoors, away from direct sunlight or heat sources when not in use. Most dry closet spaces will do, but avoid attics in the summer or leaving them in your car for long periods of time. Nubuck and suede are usually hassle-free, as you don’t need to treat them regularly or condition them after use. That being said, it stays in its best shape if you don’t get it wet.
Uncoated leather will absorb liquids (including seminal fluids and blood). If it’s water that your product comes into contact with, whether from rain or an accident, dry the product as quickly as you can. If it’s a slick liquid like massage oil or lube, there are leather degreasers made for suede that you can use to remove it. But, if it’s bodily fluids, Clorox wipes are the first thing you’ll want to use. Any moisture can cause staining, but removing it quickly will save you the hassle of having to replace the item.
Lastly, if you own suede shoes and are looking to keep them away for a while, getting a shoe-form is best practice. They will save your shoes from becoming deformed if you put them in storage for long periods.
Aniline Leather
Supple leather products on which you can still see the pores of the animal it was crafted from is aniline leather. Whips, crops, paddles, many floggers, cuffs, blindfolds, sleep sacks, bondage straps, leather clothing, and accessories would be included in this category. These leathers are often pigmented, but each piece is a section of hide, fully intact. These leathers can endure more than suede in terms of moisture and heat, but not by much. Aniline leather is easy to handle especially for beginners, so long as you keep the right cleaning agents around. I will use Saddle Soap to clean aniline leather occasionally, and then use Chamberlain’s leather milk healing balm. Storing these items close to your tools stash can save you a lot of hassle in the long run.
If your aniline leather comes into contact with water, use a dry towel to blot the stain as best you can. A blow dryer on a medium setting can help dry thinner products, but thicker paddles and blindfolds might have to dry out over the course of a few days, then apply conditioner in a circular motion with a dry cloth.
If it’s anything other than water, use a compatible aniline leather cleaner by spraying it onto a cloth or microfiber towel. Wipe the leather in one direction (avoid back and forth or circular motions with cleansers on aniline) as soon as you can. After cleaning the product, apply conditioner in a circular motion with a dry cloth.
The one exemption to the above rule is blood. Blood tends to stain aniline rather quickly. Grab some baking soda and distilled water and put about a tablespoon of each in a bowl, creating a thick paste. Add more water as needed. Apply the paste to the patches of bloodstains and leave until the water evaporates and leaves a small crusted film. This should lift the stain out of the leather without too much issue. Wipe this away with a dry microfiber towel and follow the steps for “anything other than water.”
Getting sand or dirt on your products is unlikely in a clean dungeon, but your shelves at home may not receive the same attention. Should your products come into contact with sand or dirt, grab a cloth and some distilled water (yes, distilled water—minerals in your tap water will break down the leather and weaken it with time). Wipe the leather in a single direction, and, you guessed it, apply conditioner in a circular motion with a dry cloth.
Coated Leathers
Semi-Aniline Leather
Semi-aniline leather is usually a slightly lower quality leather than aniline leather. It’s processing is similar to aniline, but instead of having a solid piece of unblemished hide, it's a bonded leather that has gone through a correcting process to even out the tone and feel. After the correction process, it’s covered in a man made protective coating which makes it resistant to spills and staining. Examples of semi-aniline leathers you might get your hand on usually come in the form of bondage furniture like benches, crosses, and beds. Because the leather isn’t moving on furniture, there is less breakage in the coating than you might find on a semi-aniline bonded leather shoe.
While it doesn’t age as gracefully as aniline leather, semi-aniline is the easiest leather to clean, due to the water resistant top coat. Most moisture like sweat will come off with a dry cloth or a clorox wipe, but if it’s gotten through the coating, you’re going to want to apply a semi-aniline foaming cleanser to a new natural or soft sponge (not the scrubbing side), and apply in a circular motion.
If the color has started to strip with time, find a matching semi-aniline pigment (don’t use fabric or patent leather dye) and recolor the patch with a cloth as evenly as possible. Spray with semi-aniline varnish, and allow to dry before conditioning in a circular motion. This is the only time you should have to condition your semi-aniline furniture.
Patent Leather
Patent leather is often used for shoes, boots, and jackets, but is rarely used for tools you may use in a dungeon or bedroom. Patent leather, if properly cared for, is waterproof and resistant to wear. Unlike other leathers, you should not brush patent leather to clear away dirt and grime—this can remove the finish.
Most dirt, mud, grime, and fluids can be wiped off with a wet microfiber towel. You can even use a touch of dish soap if you feel it’s necessary. I wipe patent leather with a damp cloth, then buff with a dry microfiber cloth and use Chamberlain’s leather milk healing balm.
BDSM Specific Leather Care
Basic Boot Shining
Aniline leather boots, like military-style “steel-toed” boots, specific Doc Martens (these will come with a leather care tag), and most leathered hiking boots need regular care. Unless they’re attached to someone’s feet as you clean them, you’ll want to first remove the laces. Set them aside, and using a horsehair brush, remove the dirt and grime around the base and tongue of the shoe. If there is more stubborn grime, feel free to use a toothbrush or welt brush to attack that area.
If you want a shiny finish, choose a wax polish that is as close to your boot color as possible. I use non-toxic Lincoln Polish. Cream polishes will condition the shoes, but not create that waxy, water-resistant coating. You can find some colorless wax polishes, but this may not do a great job of covering any scuffs or marks between polishes. Like a good cast iron pan, the shine on your leather boots or shoes is a thick seasoning that you build with time. Each layer is thin but important.
Stuff your shoes with some old newspaper or a shoe-form to keep its shape as you shine. Give them one final wipe down with a dry microfiber cloth, as any dirt can scuff the shoes while polishing. Grab a clean microfiber cloth, and wrap it around your forefinger and middle finger. Dip it lightly in your polish, and use circular motions to help melt the wax to the surface of the shoe. Try to aim for a smooth, even surface.
Using your toothbrush or welt brush, apply the polish to the welt of the shoe (where the shoe meets the sole). Now, let it dry in place for a maximum of 10 minutes. After it’s dried, grab your clean horsehair brush and buff quickly in side-to-side motions to see a shine emerge. Wipe off the excess wax using a microfiber rag.
Spit shining should follow in the same manner—you can do this once or twice to your liking. Add a drop or two of water to your shoe, grab the polishing rag you’ve been using, and make small circular motions with the towel until you’ve covered the whole shoe. You should notice a mirror shine finish. Let dry for another 10 minutes before lacing back up.
My Notes on Boot Worship
Realistically if you are licking my boots, you are taking a health risk which you yourself are responsible for. However, I will always do my best to keep my boots as clean and safe to lick as possible. If my boots have been licked, or come into contact with genitals or fluids I will always wipe them down with a Clorox wipe, alcohol, and then wipe them off with a damp microfiber cloth. If your shoes are ever licked, it’s important that whatever is used to clean, condition, and polish them is non-toxic and safe to ingest.
Whip Care
After purchasing your whip, you’ll want to break it in a little. Avoid grass or gravel, as the moisture is bad for the longevity of the leather, and gravel will tear it apart. If you have a willing subject, don’t be shy, but keep in mind that newer whips aren’t as adept as ones that are worn-in and feel like an extension of the arm.
Don’t use oil on your whips. Oils, while making the whip look pretty short-term, deal lasting damage to the item. Considering the cost of a good whip, you’ll want to avoid anything that will break it down. Oil will act as an emulsifier with any liquid it comes into contact with and trap that moisture in the fibers, causing it to rot from the inside out.
Leather single tail whips will often be made out of kangaroo leather which is less porous than suede. The amount that you clean your whip will depend on how much you use it, and if body fluids get on it.
Saddle soap is the best cleaner for whips, but you don’t always have to clean the full whip. If skin isn’t broken and no fluids touched the leather, I lightly clean the cracker with alcohol and do not clean the rest of the whip. I will occasionally wipe down the handle and body with saddle soap, and condition it with a thick waxy leather dressing. If the cracker breaks skin or touches fluids like semen, I either change out the cracker or clean the cracker with cavicide and leave the whip for 2 - 4 weeks before using it again. If blood or fluid splatters, I will clean the entire whip.
In this case, take some saddle soap and add to a bowl with a few tablespoons of water, just enough to create a lathery paste. Apply the paste from the butt to the fall, just before the cracker. You’ll want this to dry for 2 to 3 days by hanging the whip from the handle or wrist strap. If you don’t have a hook or a place high enough, you can let it dry on a towel in a straight line or loose coil to avoid kinks in the whip.
Once it’s dry, the soap will have created a crust over the length of the whip. Wipe it down with a microfiber towel to avoid scratching.
If you like a shiny whip, sparingly (once every 6 months) use an animal fat like tallow or a petroleum dressing like Pecards Leather Dressing.
Store in a cool, dark, dry place to make it last a lifetime.
Multi-tail whips aka floggers
Floggers can be made out of many different materials, however, many leather floggers are made with a porous, unfinished hide such as suede. Suede is difficult to clean because any sort of liquid can ruin it. Thankfully it is rare that floggers actually break skin, however, fluids do sometimes come into contact with the tails. If I’m flogging someone’s cock and pre-cum gets on the tip, or they have an unruly butt plug that decides to pop out as I’m going to town on their ass, I will spot clean the flogger with simple green or a Clorox wipe. If someone is particularly sweaty or smelly, I will lightly mist the tip of the tails with alcohol but I do not suggest you do this after every use as it will dry out the leather.
Leather furniture, cuffs, & blindfolds
I try to protect my leather furniture from fluids by putting puppy pads under naked butts. After use, I wipe the surface down with leather cleaner (Chemical Guys) and use leather conditioner (Chemical Guys) once or twice a week. If body fluids get on my leather furniture, cuffs, or blindfolds I wipe the surface down with a Clorox wipe or spray alcohol onto a rag and wipe the surface down. I always condition the leather after disinfecting with such harsh chemicals.
Final words on Leather Care
Leather can be an expensive and time-consuming, but worthwhile habit. It’s an aesthetic that has held the BDSM community as a standout for almost a century. Leather is demanding but stays loyal to you as long as you remain loyal to it. If you take care of your items as you should, you may never have to replace them. This blog is intended to be informative—as this community has much to learn from each other. Below you can find the products I use at home for my leather goods.
Co-written by Mistress Neena De Ville and David James McDonald
Graphics by David James McDonald