Full-Grain Leather Basketball Cleaning and Conditioning Kit BB3

Full-Grain Leather Basketball Cleaning and Conditioning Kit BB3 by Leather Doctor® is a Leather-Safe™pH-balanced cleaning and conditioner kit that degrease, clean, rinse, pH-balanced, hydrate and condition to restore suppleness, grip, and accelerating the “broken-in” feel with integrity.

 Why Full-Grain Leather Basketball after Water Cleaning develop Dryness, Loss of Grip, and Feel Stiff?  

• Full-grain leather loses its internal moisture balance and natural fat/oil lubrication. 
• Lukewarm water alone does not damage leather immediately, but over time it:
• Raises the leather’s pH above its natural acidic range (about pH 3–5),
• Tightens and collapses the fiber structure as it dries,
• And accelerates evaporation of the leather’s original fat and oil.
• This causes the leather to feel dry, tight, less grippy, and less supple — even if it still looks fine.

 What you are experiencing (dryness, loss of grip, stiff feel after water cleaning) is exactly what happens when the goals can be addressed safely with the Leather Doctor Leather-Safe™ system as follows:

 How to Restoring Suppleness & Grip (without altering weight, color, or texture):

This is done through controlled hydration and fatliquoring, not through heavy oils or mechanical over-working.

• Restoration Protocol (for dried basketballs)

Step 1 — Hydrate & Relax the Fibers

• Lightly mist or wipe on Hydrating Conditioner 3.3 until the surface is evenly damp (not wet).
  

• Allow 20–30 minutes for the leather to relax and open its fiber structure.
  

Step 2 — Reintroduce Fat & Oil

• While the leather is still slightly damp, apply Fatliquoring Conditioner 5.0 in a thin, even layer.
  

• Let it absorb fully and dry naturally.
  

Step 3 — Repeat if Necessary

• Repeat the Fatliquor step once or twice over several days if the leather still feels dry.
  

• Stop when the basketball regains a soft, supple feel and good grip.
  

Step 4 — Final Surface Conditioning

• If there is any surface residue or slight tackiness, lightly wipe with Rinsing Conditioner 3.0 and let dry.
  

✔ This restores internal lubrication without darkening, over-softening, or adding weight.

 How to Accelerate the “Broken-In” Feel (Safely)

Traditional “breaking-in” relies on mechanical stress (bouncing, pounding, over-handling), which softens leather by weakening the fibers.

The Leather Doctor approach is chemical broken-in, meaning:

• Hydration separates and relaxes fibers,
• Fatliquor coats each fiber so they slide smoothly over one another,
• Result: buttery softness, good grip, and strength retained.

This achieves a broken-in feel without weakening or physically damaging the leather.

 What is a Safe Cleaning & Maintenance Routine?

✅ Routine Cleaning (after use or when dirty)

Frequency: every few weeks or when visibly soiled

1. Apply pH Balanced Degreaser 2.2 or Soft Cleaner 3.8 lightly.
2. Gently brush with a soft horsehair brush or wipe with a damp cloth.
3. Extract soil with a cotton towel.
4. Apply Rinsing Conditioner 3.0 to restore proper pH and remove residues.
5. Towel dry and allow to air dry.

This removes sweat and body oils without raising pH or drying the leather.

✅ Periodic pH Balancing (every 3–6 months or if grip feels “off”)

After routine cleaning and rinsing:

• When leather is slightly damp, feel the surface:
  

• If it feels healthy and slightly “squeaky,” no further action is needed.
• If it feels sticky, slippery, or dull, lightly apply Acidifying Conditioner 2.0, brush evenly, towel off excess, and let dry.

This keeps the leather within its correct acidic range and preserves grip.

 Discoloration or Browning (Only if it occurs)

If the leather darkens unnaturally due to alkaline exposure:

• Apply Veg-Tan Redox Conditioner 2.8 lightly.
• Towel extract evenly and let dry.
• Follow with a light Rinse 3.0 wipe if needed.

This is optional and only used if discoloration appears. 

 Summary

 Key Takeaway

You are not trying to “coat” the leather — you are restoring what was lost internally:

• moisture balance,
• fat and oil lubrication,
• correct pH,
• and fiber flexibility.

This preserves the original integrity, grip, feel, and longevity of your full-grain basketballs.

If you follow this system, your basketballs will regain suppleness and grip, break in safely, and stay healthy long-term without damage or unwanted changes. 

 Kit BB3 concentrates contents require 538g (0.6quart) or 1075g (1.1quarts) distilled water to be mixed and filled before use with these selected leather-safe products:

 Kit BB3 4oz Kit/ 8oz Kit Product Summary Includes:

✅ Degreaser 2.2 - 2oz / 4oz 
✅ Soft 3.8 - 4ozfill / 8ozfill
✅ Rinse 3.0 - 4ozfill / 8ozfill
✅ Acidifier 2.0 - 4ozfill / 8ozfill
✅ Hydrator 3.3 - 4ozfill / 8ozfill
✅ Fatliquor 5.0 - 4ozfill / 8ozfill
✅ Brush 1 - 1pc / 1pc
✅ Foam 2 - 1pc / 1pc
✅ Towel 5 - 5pc / 5pc

 Leather pH Balanced Degreaser 2.2 by Leather Doctor® is a professional Leather-Safe™, pH-balanced (2.2) water-based degreaser that removes body oils, sweat, and grease from leather surfaces. Like shampooing hair, degreasing requires rinsing to carry away suspended soils—leaving leather clean without stripping its essential oils.

• Unlike solvent-based degreasers that dissolve the tannery-applied fatliquor (the essential blend of oils and fats), causing leather to become stiff, dry, and brittle, Degreaser 2.2 works with tannery science.
• Its low pH 2.2 controlled formula maintains the ionic attraction between leather fibers, tanning agents, dyes, and fatliquor.
• This ensures the leather remains supple, strong, and ready to accept hydration and replenishment, restoring its original softness and durability.

 Leather Soft Cleaner 3.8 by Leather Doctor® is a Leather-Safe™, pH Balanced 3.8, mild cleaner designed to gently emulsify and lift light soiling without causing side effects such as rings, browning, stiffness, or discoloration.

• Among Leather Doctor’s cleaning range, Soft 3.8 is the mildest option, making it safe for all leathers, including absorbent Aniline, Nubuck, and Suede.

Mild pH-Balanced 3.8 Soft Cleaner for Delicate Leathers, Nubuck & Suede

• Formulated within the Leather-Safe™ System, Soft 3.8 ensures a “just right” balance—strong enough to remove everyday soiling while gentle enough to preserve the leather’s structure, softness, and finish integrity.

 Leather Rinsing Conditioner 3.0 by Leather Doctor® is a pH 3.0 Leather-Safe™ Rinsing Conditioner for Removing Suspended Soil & Restoring Leather’s pH Balance.

• Rinse 3.0 is a professional-grade, tannery science–based leather rinse that ensures all cleaning, degreasing, and prepping steps are conditioned to perfection.
• Just like hair shampooing, dishwashing, and laundry cycles are always followed by rinsing to remove suspended soil and residue.
• Leather care requires the same essential step for true cleanliness and long-term durability.

 Leather Acidifying Conditioner 2.0 by Leather Doctor® is a professional-grade Leather-Safe™, pH 2.0 balanced acidifying rinse conditioner scientifically designed to restore and maintain leather’s natural pH balance.

• Leather natural pH of 3.0 to 5.0 when gets overexposure to alkaline products (such as soaps, detergents, ammonia, saddle soap, or baking soda) weakens leather fibers, causes browning, dye bleeding, streaking, and tackiness, and accelerates structural damage.

Acidifier 2.0 neutralizes alkaline contamination, restores smoothness, and reinforces leather strength—conditioning and keeping your investment in premium leathers healthy, supple, and long-lasting.

 Leather Hydrating Conditioner 3.3 by Leather Doctor® is a professional-grade Leather-Safe™, pH 3.3 aqueous surfactant solution designed to clean, hydrate, relax, restore, and condition leather’s internal structure.

• Based on tannery science, this unique formula replicates the hydration stage of leather pre-conditioning, making it essential before effective fatliquoring with Fatliquor 5.0.

When leather becomes dry, stiff, or shrunken, the fibers collapse and bond together.

• Hydrator 3.3 penetrates deeply, rehydrates the collapsed fibers, balances the pH, conditions and prepares the structure for deep fat and oil conditioning.
• It also helps suspend and wick out impurities such as body oils, sweat, alkaline residues, and embedded soiling that compromise softness and flexibility.

Unlike water alone, Hydrator 3.3 reduces surface tension, ensuring deeper fiber penetration and uniform hydration.

• This critical pre-conditioning step restores suppleness, prevents patchiness, and maximizes the effectiveness of Fatliquor 5.0.

 Leather Fatliquoring Conditioner 5.0 by Leather Doctor® is a Leather-Safe™ pH 5.0 anionic emulsion of fat, oil, and water fatliquoring conditioner for replenishing and softening dry leather, in line with its tannery science-based function. 

 Fatliquor 5.0 restores leather’s internal lubrication, flexibility, strength, and resilience, replenishing the original fatliquor content of leather’s fibrous structure—mimicking the essential fatliquoring stage in professional tanning and retanning processes.

• Fatliquor 5.0 Plus is the leather scent version.

Launched January 14, 2026 by Roger Koh