# How To Get Mold Off Leather?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-get-mold-off-leather/372912>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 16, 2006, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-get-mold-off-leather/372912 "2006-09-16T01:28:42Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\
**Post date:** [September 16, 2006, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-get-mold-off-leather/372912/1 "2006-09-16T01:28:42Z")

</div>

It rained today. Preparing for an errand, I went to put on my Timberland boots. Besides being a damn fine piece of footwear, I inherited them from my grandfather. You can imagine my horror at seeing that somehow, one of the boots had been attacked by mold. I don’t want to lose my boots. Can they be saved?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![TheEmpress](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f475e1/32.png) [@TheEmpress](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheEmpress)\
**Post date:** [September 16, 2006, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-get-mold-off-leather/372912/2 "2006-09-16T02:42:12Z")

</div>

Just wipe it off. Surface mould (I’m aussie, so that’s correct spelling for me) on leather is no big deal. You probably want to give them a good polish.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Yeah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/dbc845/32.png) [@Yeah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yeah)\
**Post date:** [September 16, 2006, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-get-mold-off-leather/372912/3 "2006-09-16T03:00:48Z")

</div>

[QUOTE=DocCathode]  
It rained today. Preparing for an errand, I went to put on my Timberland boots. Besides being a damn fine piece of footwear, I inherited them from my grandfather. You can imagine my horror at seeing that somehow, one of the boots had been attacked by mold. I don’t want to lose my boots. Can they be saved?  
[/QUOTE]

I’ve tried wiping with 70% alcohol. It should kill the mould without harming the leather and seems to work (but I don’t have much experience.)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\
**Post date:** [September 16, 2006, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-get-mold-off-leather/372912/4 "2006-09-16T12:57:12Z")

</div>

I was worried anything I did would just make things worse. I was afraid my boots were finished. Instead, a few seconds of wiping with rubbing alcohol did the job.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\
**Post date:** [September 16, 2006, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-get-mold-off-leather/372912/5 "2006-09-16T13:20:39Z")

</div>

dont forget to oil/moisturize/condition afterwards. Alchohol takes the surface oils with the mold. Various leather conditioners are available at any shoe repair store, they all pretty much work fine EXCEPT straight neatsfoot oil – its great for the leather but rots the stitching.