Caring for Your Leather Gear in Kink & BDSM
Routine maintenance of your leather fetish gear can help maintain its use for many years to come. Here are some tips for keeping your leather safe, soft, and scene-ready.
Types of Leather
Leather can come in a variety of forms. When it comes to fetish-specific leather, you’re likely dealing with one of the following:
Full-grain leather: Top-notch stuff. Luxurious and often coming at a high price point, but well worth the investment due to its durability.
Top-grain leather: Slightly more processed, but still solid quality.
Bonded leather: Basically leather scraps mashed together with glue and polymers, which doesn’t make for the most durable product.
Patent leather: Shiny and eye-catching, but more prone to cracking if you’re not careful.
Suede: Soft and sensual, but difficult to clean due to its high absorbency.
Knowing your leather type helps you choose the right cleaning method that keeps your investment from heading towards the trash can.
Cleaning
It’s really important to clean your leather items after every use. Sweat, lube, oils, and bodily fluids can all degrade leather over time. Even if your gear looks fine after a scene, microscopic moisture and grime can slowly weaken it.
Basic cleaning tips:
Wipe down your items with a slightly damp, soft cloth after each use.
Avoid soaking or submerging leather in water, as this can warp or dry out.
For deeper cleaning, use a pH-balanced leather cleaner. Avoid household soaps or baby wipes; they’re often too harsh or too moist.
Many lubes and massage oils are not leather-friendly. Silicone-based and oil-based products can stain or degrade leather, especially unfinished types like suede.
If you’re going to use oils during a scene involving leather contact, consider placing a towel or barrier between the leather and the skin. And don’t forget to wipe everything down afterward, even if it doesn’t look dirty.
Conditioning
Just like (live) skin, leather dries out over time, especially with regular use. Dry leather can crack, stiffen, or lose its suppleness. In the case of leather floggers, for example, dryness can make the falls feel brittle or stiff.
Every few months (or more often if your gear sees heavy play), rub in a leather conditioner to keep your equipment moisturized and flexible. Look for products that are free from alcohol, silicone, and petroleum, which can damage leather fibers.
Pro tip: Always spot test conditioner in a very small or hidden area first, especially if your leather is dyed. Some products may slightly darken the color.
Proper Storage
Leather needs to breathe. Keep your toys and gear in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight, excessive heat, or humidity.
Avoid the use of plastic bags, direct sun, or heaters. Similarly, you don’t want to throw your gear into a pile that can be bent or crushed. Consider investing in some hooks to hang restraints, floggers, and jackets. Use fabric bags or pillowcases to keep items dust-free and still ventilated.
What to Do with Wet Leather
Let’s say a scene got steamy… and not in a sexy way. Maybe your gear got splashed, soaked, or dropped into a bathtub (it happens).
Here are some tips:
Pat the item down - don’t rub - with a soft towel.
Allow it to air dry naturally, away from heat or sunlight.
Once dry, condition it gently to restore flexibility.
Never use a hair dryer, radiator, or microwave.
What about fluids other than water?
If your leather has come into contact with bodily fluids (including blood, saliva, or genital fluids), it’s best to consider it non-shareable. This is sometimes referred to as “fluid-bonding.”
Leather is porous, which means it can absorb fluids, bacteria, and viruses. While this doesn’t mean fluid-bonded leather gear is off-limits for group play or shared dungeons, it does mean you should use a barrier of some kind if you’re sharing leather equipment that touches intimate areas. In the interest of being risk-informed, you should also let your partner know why the barrier is necessary.
If you have an extensive collection, consider labeling your gear or color coding with a piece of a tape on the handle to keep personal and public pieces separate. In general, the more bodily contact a leather item sees, the less advisable it is to share without precautions.
Whether you’re a hardcore leatherman, a latex switch dipping your toes into leatherland, or a rope bunny with a growing collection of restraints, showing your gear some TLC means better scenes, safer play, and gear that lasts for many years to come.
