Mould on Leather

**CBH** · 11-09-2016, 11:24 PM

Had an issue with mould mildew on a Luftwaffe trench coat . Worried about affecting the colour I didn't want to use a leather treatment , so I used white vinegar and a cotton rag . It worked great , no colour change only dirt and mould came off . Here are a few photos .

**Espenlaub Militaria** · 11-09-2016 11:24 PM

We also buy and trade your items and full collections!

**Combat Boots** · 11-10-2016, 01:37 AM

Chris, how did you determine to use vinegar? I have never heard of that method. Did it impart a vinegar smell to the leather? Never the less, a great coat. Bob

**MAP** · 11-10-2016, 02:05 AM

Vinegar has so many uses. My wife uses it all the time to remove stains and such.

**mpw** · 11-10-2016, 09:18 AM

A good job well done. I had a similar problem with mildew on an old paper poster and used cotton wool soaked in white spirit to gently remove the mould without leaving a stain.

**reneblacky** · 11-10-2016, 09:56 AM

to be honest I've always used a damp rag with water, had to do it recently with my Brit jerkins. I got frightened that the mold it's self made a permanent stain in the leather but the light rub worked

**stuka f** · 11-10-2016, 11:03 AM

by MAP

Vinegar has so many uses. My wife uses it all the time to remove stains and such.

My ex - wife did too, on a daily base!
She ruined a portait of the Kaiser and a antique globe!
I divorced here and buy every simillar globe I come by, ever since.
;-)

**CBH** · 11-10-2016, 03:51 PM

I knew vinegar was a good mould killer , and I first tried it on a hidden spot of the coat . And I was surprised that it didn't leave a mark or any smell . I'm sure water would work for surface cleaning but I don't think water would kill the remaining mould spores . I believe it would soon grow back .
Thanks for all the replies and likes , I hope some of our membership will find this useful .

**Cumbrian** · 06-13-2017, 11:18 AM

I worked with leather and still do sometimes. Mould can easily be wiped off with a damp rag, but make sure you don't allow anything made of metal to come in contact with damp or wet leather, as it leaves a permanent stain. On occasions I've made items and the leather was slightly damp, as I hand stitch the sewing needles were hanging from the thread. While I put the item to one side, the needles touched the damp area and they left a permanent blue stain, so that was 30+ hours of work ruined.