Peg here! We’ve said it before, and we’ll repeat it: We want to help you buy better, buy less – and make things last. And when it comes to leather, we’re here to help! If you appreciate quality leather goods and want to care for them but are new to DIY leather care ... don't worry! We’ve got you covered with our new Starter Care Kit. 

Why a kit? 

When I owned my shoe repair shop, customers often asked me what accessories they’d need for basic leather care. Over the years, I thought about this question like I’d think about a beginner’s cooking tools. While you can fill your kitchen with all kinds of gadgets, I think you’ve gotta start with the essentials: measuring cups, measuring spoons, and a good multi-purpose frying pan or skillet.

As a Master Cobbler, I’ve had every leather care product and accessory at my fingertips – but what about people at home? My advice is to start with the essentials. And frankly, I’ve had plenty of time to consider what those at-home leather care essentials should be. My answer? The contents of our Starter Care Kit:

• MooBuzz® All-Natural Leather Protection, an All-purpose leather conditioner and waterproofer
 
• Soft cotton Shine Cloth (for cleaning, applying, and buffing)
 
• Horsehair Shine Brush (for cleaning and buffing)


I’ve chosen these essentials with a great deal of care. First of all, they’re all made in the USA. Plus, I’ve also chosen them based on years of hands-on experience. Here’s why: 

MooBuzz® All-Natural Leather Protection

It not only protects – it conditions AND waterproofs leather. Did you know that leather conditioning and waterproofing are two different things? That’s right, not all conditioners will waterproof and not all waterproofers will condition your leather. That’s why MooBuzz® All-Natural Leather Protection is so cool and so essential. It does both in one easy step. For my money, if I’m going to apply something to my leather, I want conditioning AND waterproofing. So this had to be on my basics list.

The Shine Cloth

It’s 100% cotton fleece, meaning it’s absorbent AND soft enough to gently buff leather. During my time as a cobbler I tried just about every type of cloth you can imagine to clean, polish, and buff leather. My favorite was always 100% cotton. But not just any cotton. Some cotton has a harder “hand” or finish to it and just isn't as absorbent or as good for buffing as I like. That's why my all-time, all-around favorite is 100% cotton fleece - you know like a lightweight sweatshirt. It has two distinct sides, a fuzzy side and a smooth side. You can use the smooth side to apply leather care products and the fuzzy side to buff. With a few washings, this fabric is soft, absorbent and nearly lint free: perfect for leather care. A basic must-have. 

And the Horsehair Shine Brush 

Horsehair is an amazing fiber. Its wonderful combination of stiffness and softness makes it a good buffing brush. But it has a super power: it absorbs water and releases it slowly, which makes it a GREAT buffing brush. Once you’ve conditioned and polished a few hundred pairs of shoes and boots, or dozens of bags, belts and wallets, you realize that water is your friend. For example, you can lightly* mist your leather with water and buff with a horsehair brush to:

• Clean your leather before applying MooBuzz® All-Natural Leather Protection products
 
• Refresh an old shine or heighten a new shine 
 
• Set up the wax on conditioning products to produce a hand buffed glow


*By lightly, I mean spraying water from far enough away that you leave a mist, not water droplets. You can also mist your brush or your cloth rather than the leather directly — same effect! Without a doubt, a horsehair brush is a must for basic leather care. 



That’s it! That’s all you really need to get started. These three hand-selected essentials can be the tools you reach for as you embark on your at-home leather care journey. They can be found bundled in our Starter Care Kit for the squeaky low price of $38. 

Want a little extra help as you begin your leather care process? Check out these blog posts: How to Condition and Waterproof with MooBuzz® All-Natural Leather Protection and Condition and Waterproof to Make Leather Last Forever. 

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