Understanding Saphir Leather Cleaners 🧴
A guide to choosing the right product for your leather care routine
Saphir Médaille d'Or offers a curated selection of leather cleaners, each designed for a specific purpose. Choosing the right one depends on the material, the amount of product build-up, and how deep you need to clean. In this guide, we list the most popular Saphir and related cleaners from mildest to strongest, including two highly respected non-Médaille d'Or options: Saphir Saddle Soap and Avel Leather Soap.
🟢 1. Saphir Médaille d'Or Gentle Leather Cleanser SHOP HERE
Use for: Routine maintenance and sensitive smooth leather
Texture: Milky lotion
Made with: Mild cleaning agents and Montan wax
Strength: ★☆☆☆☆
This is the mildest cleaner in the Médaille d'Or line. It removes light dirt while depositing a soft protective wax. Perfect for delicate leathers, dress shoes, wallets, and handbags. It cleans gently and leaves a subtle finish. Suitable for frequent use without drying out the leather.
🟢 2. Saphir Natural Cleaner (green label) SHOP HERE
Use for: Everyday cleaning of smooth or coated leather
Texture: Clear liquid
Made with: Plant-based solvents
Strength: ★★☆☆☆
This clear, solvent-free cleaner is gentle but slightly more active than the Gentle Leather Cleanser. It lifts surface dirt effectively while preserving the leather’s natural finish. Ideal for users who prefer a non-wax formula for routine upkeep. It will lift off layers of wax and cream as well, but you have to put more effort in to do so.
🟡 3. Saphir Médaille d'Or Leather (Reno) Cleaner SHOP HERE
Use for: Removing excess wax, cream, and oil layers
Texture: Milky/clear liquid
Made with: Lightly solvented natural surfactants
Strength: ★★★☆☆
This cleaner is ideal when leather becomes saturated or loses its clarity from product build-up. It prepares the surface for a fresh round of cream or wax. Strong enough to reset the finish without stripping dyes. Especially good for restoring balance to over-treated leather.
🟡 4. Saphir Omninettoyant SHOP HERE
Use for: Suede, nubuck, fabric, canvas, and occasionally smooth leather
Texture: Concentrated liquid, requires dilution
Made with: Mild surfactants and cleaning agents
Includes: Small cleaning brush
Strength: ★★★☆☆
Omninettoyant, which means "omni-cleaner," is formulated for suede and nubuck but can be used on a variety of materials. It removes salt stains, dark marks, and deep-seated grime. In our years of using this product we have never had issues with this cleaner affecting the original colour of a pair of suede or nubuck shoes.
🟠 5. Saphir Saddle Soap SHOP HERE
Use for: Deep cleaning of rugged leather items such as work boots, belts, saddlery, outdoor gear, and dress shoes that have heavy wax or polish build-up — but only infrequent
Texture: Solid soap paste, applied with water and a sponge
Made with: Glycerin and mild soaps
Strength: ★★★★☆
Saphir Saddle Soap is built for powerful surface cleaning. It lifts layers of old polish, dirt, and grease, opening the pores of the leather and preparing it to accept conditioning products. While it excels on robust leathers, it can also be used on dress shoes that have become saturated with wax or polish. In that case, it should only be used very sparingly, ideally no more than once or twice a year, and always followed by a nourishing product like Saphir Renovateur. It is especially helpful when a full reset is needed, for example before recolouring or switching product types.
🟠6. Avel Leather Soap SHOP HERE
Use for: Removing cream and wax build-up from smooth leather goods including classic shoes, fine bags, furniture, and car interiors
Texture: Solid soap in a tub, applied with a damp cloth or sponge
Made with: Glycerin and non-alkaline detergents, free from solvents and caustic agents
Strength: ★★★★☆
Avel Leather Soap is a more balanced cleaner. It dissolves wax and cream residues effectively, but without stripping or drying the leather. Its non-alkaline and solvent-free formula makes it safe for fine leather items, including dress shoes, where preserving the natural finish is essential. It hydrates as it cleans, preparing the surface for a fresh application of cream or polish. Because of its gentler formulation, Avel Leather Soap is the preferred choice for most smooth leather care tasks in a dress shoe routine. It can be used more regularly than Saddle Soap, especially during restoration or seasonal deep maintenance.
🔴 7. Saphir Renomat SHOP HERE
Use for: Deep product removal and full resets
Texture: Clear / Milky liquid
Made with: Powerful solvents
Strength: ★★★★★
Renomat is the strongest cleaner in the Saphir collection. It removes waxes, creams, silicones, and in some cases even dye. Use only on finished leather and only when a complete reset is needed. Always apply a conditioning product immediately after cleaning to prevent that the leather dries out. With Renomat it is good to keep in mind you control how far you dig into the layers of polish (and eventually the original finish of the shoes). If you give them a quick wipe, you will only remove 1-2 layers of wax/cream. If you do a more thorough pass, and really start rubbing the cleaner into the leather more will come off. If you do 3+ deep cleans you will have removed all the wax on the shoe and could be digging into the original finish of the shoes. To strip a pair of shoes of their original finish you need Saphir Decapant.
🧼 Final thoughts
For day-to-day care, start with Gentle Leather Cleanser or Natural Cleaner. If your leather feels saturated or dull, Médaille d'Or Leather Cleaner provides a clean slate. For more intense cleaning needs, Omninettoyant, Saddle Soap, or Avel Soap offer deeper action. Reserve Renomat for serious restoration where other products fall short.
Still not sure which one fits your needs? Let us know. We are happy to help you choose the right cleaner for your leather item.
