Leather strap care

To be honest I don't wear leather straps on watches when it gets really hot & humid. I've tried cleaning them before with various leather products but it always tended to change the colour of the leather.  Hybrid leather/rubber straps might be the answer!

Agreed with Warrior 75. Whilst I enjoy leather straps I tend to destroy them in this weather so I’d wear a different watch or swap the strap for a nato or rubber strap

Outside of fit (they’re too small 95% of the time), I prefer a SS bracelet to leather. Leather starts to stink over time and I haven’t found a cleaner to take care of that problem. 

I also switch away from leather straps when it‘s hot, I’ve worn out a number of leather straps learning that lesson, never found a good way to clean them. 

I totally agree with @Warrior75 . I wear bracelets and rubber when it’s hot. I wore a leather strap through the summer years ago, and it was trashed in less than 3 months. I’m sure there is something you can do to prolong a leather strap‘s life if you choose to expose it regular doses of heat and sweat, but you‘re just buying a little extra time. It will still be ruined.

I assume that the basic shoe advice of allowing a day off between wears to fully dry is preaching to the choir here. Ultimately any animal or vegetable band is consumable. Beyond light rinse and pat dry, any maintenance routine would be so obtrusive that the idea of wearing a reasonably pricey band in swampy weather becomes a hindrance.

There's a reason leather is considered a dress strap & sports watches came into being. 

That reason is leather stinks when sweated on and it's difficulty to clean. 

Indeed.
I'm wearing a Hirsch Performance (hybrid) right now in 33 °C. No problem. Leather is for fall/winter.
 

I always skip leather straps on hot days. Nothing can be done about it! Unless you wear a cheap leather strap and just toss it at the end of the summer. 🤷🏽‍♂️

Could always try a Barton dual hybrid and get the best of both worlds 

Get yourself a bunch off NATO's in different colors to have a new watch every day. They come off easy and clean like your laundry

The easiest answer is to just not use a leather strap in the summer. Cleaning and conditioning leather can be a pain if it is something you use often. With that said, never clean leather with soap, you should only use leather cleaner and conditioner. Using soap will cause it to dry out and crack. One thing you could try is boot leather waterproofing treatment. I have never tried it on a strap but I use it on my red wing boots fairly often. It is a water based solution that you rub on with a cloth and let sit for ten-fifteen minuets and in theory it should prevent your sweat from soaking into the leather but it dose darken the color a bit.

https://www.kirbyallison.com/creme-delicate.html?queryID=a8637bbb6872dc9f7d2e72a158cc17a2&objectID=229&indexName=prod_default_products

Good conditioner

It’s wise not to use leather strap when the weather gets hot and sweaty. But they are still nice and I think they deserves to be be worn in the summer as well. They take a beating but leather is durable. Like @OscarKlosoff suggest, let it rest a day to dry. If it looks bad then clean it with a leather shampoo and let it dry. Moister it with Saphire Renovateur afterwards. I guess that creme delicate suggested by @thepianissimist is a similar, or better, product.

Saddle Soap (Follow Directions on Tin) and a very soft bristle brush.  Clean and protect/disinfect/deodor in one step.  Totally agree with the comments already mentioned to avoid mucking it up to begin with, however, well used leather can have a really nice patina too.

I LOVE Renovateur for shoes, it's an amazing product