How do you clean and treat old harness with thick dried on dirt?? Thanks

With disgust!

BE very carefull as cleaning and oiling it can cause it to fall apart. I'd just use it as it is or throw it away.

Nora------love that answer!

I would soak in warm water mixed with Murphy's oil soap in order to loosen the old dried up dirt. Then I would work it well with a cloth or sponge to clean all the old dirt off.

Provided it isn't cracked and torn stitching and the harness is sound, I'd try to find a harness shop that will do a dip in warm oil. if not available, I'd oil it well with either Neatsfoot (NOT Neatsfood compound) or Olive oil or any other good quality leather oil.

From 1920s Cornell University pamphlet: Soak in tepid water until flexible enough to unbuckle without cracking. Immerse each piece into a bucket of water with 20 Mule Team Super Washing Soda (small handful in 5 gal) for a short time. Lay the piece flat on a board slanted into a wash tub and scrub. The slime will come off like nobody's business. Rinse thoroughly. Lay pieces flat out of the sun. When surface dry, apply the conditioner of your choice. My choice is Leather Honey (formerly Harness Honey). Reassemble. But don't go to all this trouble if it's cracked. Throw it away.

Barb

Barb Lee......would that "20 Mule Team Super Washing Soda" be the same thing as Borax?

No Kate, it's a sort of caustic soda, not borax. But you can get it in the laundry section of most well stocked supermarkets.

Barb

What Dale said!!!!

Well I cheated. I picked up and sold enough scrap on the place to buy biothane harness and love it. My wife was even happy until she decided I could of cleaned up more scrap.