Mold/Mildew on cowhide gloves/blanket

Question

I have an antique cowhide blanket and gloves that were my husband's great grandfather's that he used to cover up with when riding in a sleigh during the winter. They have mold/mildew on them and I'm not sure what to use to try to clean them with to bring them back to their original condition. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Another family member 'cut' the mold out of the blanket and ruined the main part of it but we still have a good section of it left. Don't want to ruin it any more than it already has been.

Woodbridge Environmental Tiptophouse.com · Answer

If there leather, you can wash them and then clean them with Murphy Oil soap. We use this to clean all or expensive leather tack for our horses. Another method is to bring them to a dry cleaning place. They have all the tricks to clean leather such as this. Once clean using mineral oil and wipe them down on occasion will help prevent any further issues.

Kathy Miller · Answer

@Woodbridge Environmental Tiptophouse.com , these items still have the hair on them. I'm not sure how I would try to wash them - definitely don't think the washing machine would be a good place to start. Maybe a cool to luke warm water bath in the sink with some Murphy's Oil soap and drying in a sunny place on a rack to let the air circulate around them.

Woodbridge Environmental Tiptophouse.com · Answer

Kathy the Murphy oil soap would be the harshest cleaner I would use to clean the old leather gloves. Having hair on them makes me think they are deer skin and not cow however. The soap should not harm them at all. In fact the oils in the soap will only soften the dried leather. And air drying is the only method to use with leather. If the mildew has really settled in I would not be surprised that some of the hair on the leather falls off. But doing this carefully should work fine. 
once dry on the leather side of the skin I would suggest that you use mineral oil and brush it on. It will soak into the leather making it supple once again.

The only other idea for cleaning this is to go to any quality tack shop where they sell horse products like saddles and such. They have a full range of cleaning products just made for all sorts of leather. Some really great stuff if the oil soap does not do the trick.

Mold/Mildew on cowhide gloves/blanket

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Mold/Mildew on cowhide gloves/blanket

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