Leather Honey tack cleaner/conditioner: My experience

I cringe a little inside every time I think about my tack. I hate cleaning it, and I hate cleaning it because after I clean it, the leather does not look like the gorgeous leather you see in tack stores, or even other boarders' tack. It looks dull and overworked. I condition it, which helps a little, but... it feels like I have failed my tack!

George Morris would tut-tut at me if he saw my tack. It is seldom *really* clean.

A week or so ago, the Leather Honey company sent me a sample of their product. I felt sorry for the company -- if they'd seen my tack, they would not have sent me their product!

Leather Honey is made in the USA by a small family business and its products are all natural and non-toxic -no animal products, silicone, toxins, solvents, or other harmful chemicals.

I gave it a try.

Leather Honey cleaner
The cleaner comes in a concentrate -- 2 TBs per one cup of water.  This makes a watery/thin lotion that is soaked up easily by a sponge. Last weekend, I applied it to a fairly filthy bridle. The  flash was particularly bad, having been coated with slobber and foam without a good cleaning -- it stays "hardened" no matter what I've used, cleaner, conditioner, neatsfoot oil.

The Leather Honey cleaner did two things that I love:

1. The leather SHINED. I had thought that the watery base would make the leather dull, the way leather dulls when you use too much water. Instead, the bridle looked the best it has ever looked with no buffing, no work, no conditioner. 
2. The flash was pretty darn soft. And shiny.

I was left wondering if somehow I had done something different with this product than I had done with other products. Nothing comes to mind.

Today, I used it on my saddle and again on my bridle with the same bottle (a small tonic water bottle), and it is not even 1/4 used. I still have a nearly full bottle of the original product. At $15.95 for 32 oz (unconcentrated), and wiht free shipping from the Leather Honey site, I think this is a good value. You can buy it at Amazon.com and Leather Honey's Web site.

In short, I would recommend the cleaner to a) people who are self-admitted tack-neglecters and b) people who have trouble getting good results when they clean their tack. 

Stay tuned for the next review -- Leather Honey conditioner!