Clean/renovate interior of old leather briefcase

[matei]

Hi all…. I picked up a vintage leather briefcase for a few quid over the weekend. I believe it is from the ‘60s - based on the other things being sold at the stand (they look like they came from the same estate sale). The exterior is in decent shape, as is the interior - it is just raw leather, no lining.

It looks however like the previous owner spilled some tea or something inside it. No mood or mildew, smells just like leather should… but I’d like to clean it as best I can. Does anyone have any recommendations for cleaning the interior?

 

[jdbenson]

If it is truly the rough inside of the leather, then you can probably look up how to clean rough-out leather boots or suede leather boots and follow the same process. There is some suede/rough-out leather cleaners out there as well. I'd be wary of using saddle soap, as it can strip the oils out of leather. If you do go that route, be aware you'll need to then condition the leather, inside and out, and that could subtly change the color of the leather - it will certain darken the rough side.