I once rummaged through my old guitar accessories and found my old Washburn leather guitar strap. It was still in a good enough condition to keep for future use but I noticed that it was cracking in some places. I needed to remedy those quick or at least prevent the whole thing from cracking up.

I’ve heard once that untreated petroleum jelly worked fine for such chores. So I thought, leather is animal hide and petroleum jelly relieves dry skin, so by logic it just might work.

So I tried it out. Three simple steps:

• Apply a good portion
• Work it on
• Wipe off the excess

The result: soft and shiny leather guitar strap ready for use.

I’ve tried it with my leather shoes too. Amazingly, it does its job. Plus the leather softens up for a more comfortable wear.

No need for those expensive leather conditioners and whatnot. Nothing beats household stuff with lots of uses.