I have a beautiful leather flight jacket that recently came into my care. I believe that at some point in its past someone used some type of preservative / rejuvenation product on it. It's my understanding that the "white bloom" is the result of that.

 

Does anyone know of a way to clean the leather safely without damaging it and remove the white material? So far I've tried a light brushing with a soft brush and light wiping with a flannel cloth. But neither had any effect. 

 

Any suggestions are appreciated.

 

Before anyone asks, it is off the hanger.

Wow! That is one spectacular jacket.

I don't think there is anything you can do. And anything you *COULD* do is complicated by the painted art. I would not dare to touch this. There are a lot of things one can do to a leather jacket and most all of them are bad ideas. Any chemical application is a bad idea. Any oil, cleaner, cleanser, preservative, ect, ect, ect, is a bad idea. 
 

The only thing I have ever seen that I was impressed by or would give an attempt to again is in regards to nicotine or mildew. Jackets that smell bad can be left in mild sunlight on green (not brown, not yellow, not dead) healthy grass and flipped every hour or so for a day or two and they should improve. Materials will fade in severe sunlight such as in the sunbelt, Socal, Arizona, Texas, Florida ect. One time I saw a severely nicotine stained G-1 from Korea. Absolutely beautiful jacket, but the cigarette smoke was absolutely repulsive and thats coming from a person who doesn't normally mind it. In a shear act of desperation, a friend of mine took lysol wipes and wiped the whole jacket inside and out daily for weeks. It worked so well I can hardly believe it. Five years on no ill-effects.