It is evident that the object of wiping the leather with a damp sponge in the first instance, is to remove dirt, and that the application of the soap is to soften the leather. Instead of soap we might employ vaseline, neat's-foot oil, castor oil, or mutton kidney fat by means of a flannel rag, through the texture of which the lubricant should be well distributed before the flannel is applied to the leather, so that the coating may be even. While fulfilling its softening duty, the greasy material should not be employed for ordinary purposes in such a quantity as to soil the hands or clothes. Hence, after rubbing it well in, so as to make it penetrate the surface as deeply as possible, any of it that may remain should be removed during the polishing process. Before applying the fatty matter, especially when the leather is dry, it is advisable to damp the leather; because, when it is in that state, it will absorb the oil or grease much more readily than when it is dry.

The brown leather which lines harness collars, covers the panels of saddles and pads, and serves as saddle cloths, should be sponged over after use, and a little greasy material well rubbed into it to keep it soft. For this purpose, suitable oil or fat (see preceding paragraph) will answer better than any kind of soap; because this leather requires no polish, although no excess of grease should be left on its surface.

Black Leather

As soon as possible after work, black leather should be seen to, and all dirt removed by means of a damp sponge. After the leather has become dry, we may apply a thin coating of black harness composition with a hard brush, polish with a soft brush, and finish off with a soft dry rubber. Harness composition, of which there are a great number of varieties in the market, resembles boot blacking, except that it is of a greasy nature and more or less waterproof. For its application, a double brush - one end soft, the other hard - is often employed, although two separate brushes will be more convenient to use. When a polish is not required, as in rough work, "black oil," which can be obtained from any saddler, is often substituted for harness composition.

Patent Leather And Enamelled Leather

Patent leather of blinkers, pad, collar, dash-board (guard in front of the driver's legs), splash-boards (guards over the wheels), etc., may, when needing attention, be sponged over, dried with a wash leather, and have a flannel rag moistened with paraffin oil rubbed over its surface, which should be finally polished up with a dry rubber, so as to remove all adherent oil. As long as patent leather remains sound it will require no other application than paraffin oil to brighten it up. When it begins to "go," we may employ, as may be required, a little harness composition to renovate it.

Enamelled leather, which is chiefly used in the hood of a carriage, can be treated as patent leather.

Serge And Linen Covered Panels

These articles, if at all damp, should be carefully dried on a saddle-dryer before a fire or in the sun; or they may be placed on hot water pipes in the drying room, supposing that such conveniences exist. They should then be beaten with a cane and well brushed, so as to soften the panel, and to remove from it as far as practicable the mineral matter which the soaked-in sweat has left behind on evaporating.

Steel, Iron And Alloys Of Nickel

I may state in passing, that all cast metal articles, such as annealed iron, malleable iron, and the various "never rust" alloys of nickel, are unreliable in use. Although a cast iron bit or cast iron stirrup can be turned out of a factory so skilfully that it would be almost impossible to tell it from a forged steel one, it will soon lose its polish from use, and will be much more difficult to keep bright than a steel article. Getting a high polish on wrought iron is out of the question. Although the alloys of nickel which are used in the trade do not rust, and easily acquire a brilliant polish; their lustre, even under the most favourable conditions, cannot be mistaken for that of steel. With all these forms of metal, it is best after use to place the bits or stirrups in water, so as to loosen the dirt on them. In the case of steel or iron, we may restore the brightness by taking some silver sand in the hand, wetting it in water, and scrubbing the article. Or we may do the scrubbing with a wet strip of wash-leather on which silver sand and a little soft soap (to prevent the sand from falling off) has been placed; or with a wet flannel rag rubbed on a cake of "Monkey Soap." Emery powder placed on a flannel rag and moistened with paraffin oil, is useful for removing rust. The article is then dried with a rubber, burnished and finally polished up with a chamois leather, piece of velveteen, or soft dry rubber. Steel, in order to be burnished, should be dry and free from grease, the presence of which will prevent the burnisher from "biting" the steel. Alloys of nickel should not be scrubbed with silver sand, monkey soap, or other gritty applications, which would scratch them. As a rule, they need only be washed in water, and polished with a wash-leather or rubber. To add to their lustre, we may polish them with whiting or plate powder applied on a flannel rag and moistened with methylated spirits.

Brass

Brass may be cleaned with powdered rotten-stone (Tripoli powder) and oil placed on a flannel rag; and polished with a rubber, which, when in a greasy condition, will be easier to wash than a greasy wash-leather. Probably a better and a more convenient application than rotten-stone and oil, is "Globe Metal Polish," which is of a greasy nature, and which should be sparingly applied to the surface of brass by means of a rag.

Silver And Plated Work

Put plate powder on a flannel rag, fold the rag so as to enclose the powder; wet each side with methylated spirits, and rub the article with the rag thus prepared. During the rubbing, the plate powder will work through the rag in a uniform manner, and will not be liable to fall off the rag. With black harness, it is well to use black plate powder, which will not show as much as the ordinary kind, in the event of particles of it falling on the harness. In the absence of plate powder, whiting may be employed.

Pipe-Claying

Pipe-clayed articles will usually consist of white leather and white cotton, such as that used for girths, web stirrups, web martingales and web breast-plates. Both leather and cotton may be scrubbed with a scrubbing brush or water brush, so as to clean them. The pipe-clay may be intimately mixed with milk to the consistence of cream, and put on thin with a sponge. When it has become quite dry, it should be beaten off or brushed off.

Cotton Clothing And Woollen Clothing

Cotton clothing can be washed in the ordinary way. Woollen clothing being liable to shrink to a large extent if immersed in hot water, had best be placed on a table and scrubbed with soap and warm water. Water should be sparingly applied; and after the clothing has been scrubbed, it should be well stretched, so as to help in preventing it from shrinking.

Tops

Probably the best plan is to follow the directions on the box of top powder, which can be obtained at any saddler's shop. After the application of the fluid in which the powder is suspended, the tops are allowed to dry, and are then brushed over with a hard brush made for the purpose.

Leather Breeches

White breeches, having been put on trees, should be scoured with a little warm soft water, care being taken that they are not made too damp. If any stains remain, they may be touched with a little benzine or lemon juice, either of which should be washed off. Breeches paste of about the consistency of cream should then be applied in a thin and even coating with a special brush. The breeches should be allowed to dry very slowly, and when they have become quite free from moisture, they should be beaten and brushed, so as to remove all loose particles of powder. They may be carefully finished off with a box iron. It is safer to use one of the many excellent kinds of breeches paste (Propert's for instance) that are on the market, than to employ a paste of one's own compounding. The brushes can be bought in sets. Leather breeches of different shades of brown may be cleaned in a similar manner, except that the paste is made from a ball, which can be obtained in several shades. The buckskin or doeskin strapping of cloth breeches, whether white or coloured, may be treated in a similar way.

Saddles Covered With Buckskin Or Rough Leather

These saddles can be lightly scoured with a damp brush, and treated with breeches paste or coloured ball, in the manner described in the preceding paragraph. When they have become dry, the loose powder should be brushed off.

Silk Hats

Go over the hat with a wet sponge, or brush it with a hard wet brush and leave it to dry over night. When quite dry, brush with a soft brush, and finish with a velvet pad. The appearance of the hat will be a good deal improved by ironing it before using the pad.

Sponges

A sponge after use should be rinsed in cold clean water, squeezed tightly between the hands without any wringing, which would be apt to tear it, and dried if possible in the sun or in a windy place. The application of soap to a sponge make it slimy, a condition which may be removed in various ways. Probably the safest plan is to steep it for several hours in a solution of salt and water, which will in no way harm it, as sponges, when living, reside in the sea; rub sand through it; and finally, rinse, squeeze and dry it.