[at-l] My old balls are moldy

[janl2 at mindspring.com (Jan Leitschuh)]

> Any ideas about how to clean & remove mold from leather basketballs? After 
> last season I hung a mesh bag with six leather balls in the barn, and now they 
> all have lots of 1" round dark spots. 
> Teej

Well, that header caught my eye.
I believe we can have some fun here.

As an equestrienne, I've handled my share of leather. Teej, believe it 
or not, you can't keep leather in a non-climate-controlled barn! Yes, 
I know the farmers of yore did, but they also worked their animals 
daily, and cleaned harness after. So with regular use, mold never got 
a toehold.

But, to your prob:

First thing, physically get the mold off. Wipe your mouldy balls with 
disposable towels (or use rags you'll subsequently wash in hot water 
and bleach).

Then, soap up your balls and wash them down with a leather cleanser. 
Get something simple like Murphy's Oil soap or saddle soap, and work 
it in with a sponge wrung dry - DON'T use too much water, or you'll 
end up with old CRACKED balls.

;-)
Hey, this is fun!

Then wipe down (not sluice down) your old balls with warm water to 
which you've added a few drops of Clorox. Or vinegar. This helps 
retard mold.

The vinegar has the advantage of re-acidifying the leather, which is, 
after all, skin (hide), and skin is slightly acid by nature; since the 
soaping process creates a basic environment, this is a useful step.

Finally, oil with neetsfoot oil (not my favorite), Lexol (the best), 
whatever oil product you have around the house. I've had good results 
with warm olive oil (my second fave).

Then, when you store your old balls, put them to bed in a dry 
environment.
Or, Bag up up your balls with a desiccant.

Sometimes sealing the pores of the leather with Vaseline helps for 
longer term storage. But then be sure to clean it off before the next 
use or no one will be able to palm your old balls.

Have fun with your leather! I sure did.

Shoester, Queen of Leather
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