Removing the dark grime?

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Removing the dark grime?

Postby hankthompson » March 20th, 2008, 2:52 am

I've read and enjoyed much on this site, but this is my first post.

After reading much about the benefits of lanolin and Fast Orange, I went out bought both (Dr. Glove & Fast Orange) and started cleaning two gloves. One is a generic Western and the other is a Denkert Hank Thompson. Both are in decent condition, but I noticed that both gloves have those dark grime spots that are hard to remove.

So my question is how hard should I rub the Fast Orange (non-pumice version) and cloth on the glove to clean it?

Now here's what I did. On the Western, I did a test where I applied and massaged the Fast Orange into the dark grime areas, then scrubbed fairly rigorously with a terry cloth to the point where you could almost see those small cracks/hints of new leather appearing and a lighter shade overall. I also noticed that the rigor helped soften the glove in that area a bit. Then I applied some Dr. Glove to blend the cracks 'away'. Overall, it looks really good, but part of me wonders whether I'm abusing the glove or if this is just what it takes to recondition an old grimey glove?

Do others rub fairly hard to remove spots? Thanks in advance.

Will try to post photos when I get a chance.
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Postby BretMan » March 20th, 2008, 8:35 am

How agressive you get with your rubbing mostly depends on what condition the leather is in to begin with.

For a solid glove with leather in good shape, you can get fairly agressive with your cleaning efforts. If the leather is deteriorated or flaking, not so much so. You kind of have to evaluate the glove on a case-by-case basis.

One nice thing about the Fast Orange cleaner is that it really breaks down the dirt and grease. A lot of the dark gunk will seem to dissolve or loosen and that means less hard rubbing to get it off. Most of it can be wiped off easily with a clean rag, then you might have to go back and hit the tougher stains again with a little more cleaner and scrubbing.

I like the Doctor Glove product for conditioning. It is really easy to use and is what I use on brand-new gloves for break-in, or on really bone-dry gloves that are hard as a rock. Besides lanolin, it also contains neatsfoot oil which, while giving an extra softening effect, does tend to darken leather a bit. Depending on the color of the leather to start with, that might be a concern, especially if you have a very light colored glove and want to keep it that way.

But sometimes, on an older glove that might be stained of faded in spots, that darkening can be a good thing! It can help even out the color of the glove, giving it a more uniform shade that really improves the appearance.

Good luck with all your glove restoration efforts!
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Postby vintagebrett » March 20th, 2008, 12:52 pm

I concur that it depends on the leather. Sometimes you can get really aggressive and get that black grime right off. Usually, the higher quality the glove, the easier it is to clean up.
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Postby jackwhale » March 20th, 2008, 9:00 pm

Very helpful post Bretman. Thanks
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Postby hankthompson » March 21st, 2008, 12:00 am

Thanks for the responses. So it sounds like I'm doing okay with the hard scrubbing.

Last night I spent a little more time on the HT glove and scrubbed down the back of one of the fingers and also applied Dr. Glove. Now the leather looks great and feels nice and soft like a leather jacket. It's amazing how nice an old glove feels.

More later...
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Postby hankthompson » March 25th, 2008, 8:55 pm

Image

Image

Here's the 3 stages of cleaning the glove (top photo).
1. before
2. light scrubbing
3. hard scrubbing

This may not be the best photos, but I tried to take the pictures w/out flash (which made them look like I had shined and glazed them) so as to better represent the results.

The middle of the glove was very dark and even after hard scrubbing, I actually held back from any further scrubbing. I guess the previous owner must have done a lot to soften/condition and thus darken the center, so I decided to leave it alone...and you're right, BretMan, it does add character to the glove.

Probably the more notable difference was in the pinky, which lightened/softened up a bit after hard scrubbing.

Still need to replace the piping obviously.[/img]
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Postby BretMan » March 25th, 2008, 9:38 pm

Looks like it cleaned up pretty good.

Sometimes the palm area will stay darker for several reasons:

- Players will often use more oil in that area to help form the pocket.

- It's where the ball always hits, so the leather gets the worst beating and the most dirt ground in.

- Glove makers would often use a form of wax inside the glove, to adhere the inner lining and outer shell. Over time, the wax bleeds through the palm, from the inside out, and that leaves a dark stain.

You will often find old gloves with no apparent use or oiling, and still see this darkening in palm.

Keep up the good work!
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