Cleaning Black Patent Leather Harness with Sherry Holm

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THE ORDER OF THINGS

black leather harness photo by Linda Freeman

Everything has its order, and through trial and error, this is the one I find worked best for me when cleaning harness.  Let us assume that we are starting with a set of clean, dry, show harness, and trying to prepare it for a turnout class.  Let us also assume that we are working with black, patent leather harness, with brass fittings.  

If the harness is NOT clean, clean it first with plain water, or if it is really dirty, Lexol leather CLEANER – not conditioner.  You will get better results if you let it dry overnight in a climate-controlled place.  If the leather is tacky, or sticky, due to high humidity, it will not shine.  In the humid days of summer, I only bring out one or two pieces of harness at a time, and leave the rest in the tackroom with a dehumidifier. If the harness is very dry (the leather itself, not the top surfaces), and you need to Flexalan it, try not to get ANY on the tops of any straps, as it will not shine if you do.  The best scenario would be to Flexalan the bottom and sides of the straps, then put it in a climate-controlled area, for as long as possible. At the very least, overnight.  Ideal would be to Flexalan it in the off season, so it is all ready to be polished before the first time you need to turn it out for a show.  Remember – this is show harness, not work harness. DO NOT Flexalan russet harness – it will dramatically darken the color.  Any cloths or cotton gloves you use should be washed first to get rid of lint, or any finish that might have been on them. So, now that we have a clean, dry, previously softened harness, this is what I do.

  • TAKE THE HARNESS COMPLETELY APART.  Mark any important adjustment holes by putting a safety pin in the hole, or writing down what holes from the point of the strap the buckle was in. 
  • BRASSO ON.  I use my fingers and rub a lot – especially any areas that have tarnish, or goo.  Your goal when you put the Brasso on, is to remove all of this, so when you rub it off, the tarnish is gone.
  • SHOE POLISH ON.  Use a small leg paint brush, or cloth. I use an old sock for the wide parts, and the leg paint brush for the small straps. Make sure to work it in around the stitching really well.  Shoe polish all the leather except the patent.  Do the sides of the straps as well, but not the backs, as this will rub off on the horse. Make sure the shoe polish removes any Brasso you may have gotten on the leather.
  • ALLOW TO DRY ABOUT 15 MINUTES.  Too long, and it will be hard to buff off, too quick, and it won’t shine.  I put the Brasso and shoe polish on the next piece while I am waiting for the first one to dry. 
  • TAKE THE BULK OF THE BRASSO OFF.  Don’t worry about getting it shiny at this point – this is just to keep the Brasso residue off your shoe brush.
  • BUFF WITH A GOOD SHOE BRUSH.  The stiffer the bristles on the brush, the better.  They can be hard to find!  Buff (and buff, and buff!) all the leather.  Some straps, and parts can be buffed with a lint free cloth. Old t-shirts work well. Cotton athletic socks work too. 
  • RUB THE BRASS. I use a course cloth at first, then finish off with a tea towel, or old t-shirt. Any brass that isn’t attached to leather (like hames, or the brass decorating the front of the browband, rosettes, and the chain that holds the bottom of the hames together) can be washed! Wash it in hot water, and dish soap, and immediately rinse with hot water and dry it thoroughly. It is much easier to get the Brasso residue off this way.  Be very quick. The brass won’t tarnish again if you get it rinsed and dried quickly. 
  • SPRAYWAY ALL THE PATENT LEATHER. Once you have all the brass and leather shiny and buffed, spray the patent leather (ONLY the patent leather!) with the Sprayway glass cleaner.  Clean around all the monograms with Sprayway and a very soft toothbrush.  It is really important to get all the Brasso residue out of the little nooks and crannies. 
  • PUT THE HARNESS BACK TOGETHER.  I wear cotton gloves (the brown jersey ones you can buy in any hardware store work great), or even an old athletic sock on my hands as I put it back together.  I don’t want to smudge anything I have just worked hard to shine!
  • GIVE IT A FINAL BUFF.  Use an old tea towel – the thin, linen kind – or old t-shirt – to buff it all over again.  Hang it back in a dehumidified place, and hope the weather treats you kindly till it is time for your class.

YOU’RE DONE!  GREAT JOB!

Curious about cleaning russet harness? Sherry gave a great presentation at the 2001 CAA Carriage Conference which was recorded and is now available for streaming here.