*How to Make Saddle Soap*
Recent Board conversation about taking care of leather prompted me to investigate the possibility of making Saddle Soap. I tried a couple of different recipes and both failed. I had a feeling they would, because I make regular soap and the combination of materials they were saying went together looked suspicious and sure enough they didn't do well together. I then took the basic ingredients and came up with something close to another recipe.
The first thing you need to do of course is to get all of your materials together. I tried to use materials that are very easy to get in the grocery store so you will not have to do any ordering. This particular batch makes 13 ounces of soap. If you want more adjust your amounts.
Materials:
8 oz ....Castile soap - must be grated
1.5 oz.... Beeswax - must be grated
4 oz......Olive oil
1/4 teaspoon Tea Tree essential oil
Small pan and something to stir with.
Heat the olive oil and add the beeswax. Once they have combined and you can't see any beeswax any longer, add the castile soap and stir until it is smooth. I wasn't satisfied with the consistency of the mixture, so I used a hand-crank mixer and that gave me what I wanted. Pour the finished soap into a container that has a lid. As I said earlier it makes about 13 ounces so size your container accordingly.
To use the saddle soap, put a small amount onto the leather and rub it in a circular motion using a sponge. Take off any excess with a damp rag and let it dry.
Enjoy
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