by Musashi » June 15th, 2008, 3:53 am
I've had very good success by using a soft, well-used, toothbrush (the softer the better), and a little liquid laundry detergent.
Apply a little detergent to the brush (I always put some in a dixie cup, and dip the brush as needed), and LIGHTLY brush the patch. Yeah, simple -- but here's the most important part - pay attention to the embroidery and ALWAYS BRUSH WITH THE GRAIN. Of course, take care not to get detergent on the leather. Blot lightly with a towel to get the suds off, then let air dry.
Of course, the newer (and better the condition of) the patch the better your results. It goes without saying (but I'll say it anyway) that if you want to try it, please practice on some lesser gloves before attempting this on anything of value. It should also go without saying that you should use common sense - repeatedly using this technique on the same patch WILL eventually destroy it, and naturally, this technique is more likely to ruin (than clean) very old, threadbare, or seriously stained patches.