Tons of people are hesitant to purchase leather clothing due to the cleaning process. Assuming it’s a hefty process, or afraid of damaging their jackets, they opt out of buying leather completely. It can get a little expensive, so who wouldn’t feel bad about ruining their most prized possession? No need to fear, this post will help you learn all you need to know about cleaning your leather jackets.
The DOs and DON’Ts of Cleaning Your Leather Jackets
- For spills, clean immediately with a soft cloth. Do this before the leather absorbs the liquid too quickly, leaving a stain.
- Don’t use any coarse or scratchy towels, as leather scratches and scuffs very easily.
- To clean the leather, stir together some warm water with a little bit of dish soap. Dampen a soft cloth with the mixture, and wipe down the jackets outer leather.
- Don’t wipe the towel until it is thoroughly wrung out. Again, leather absorbs liquid super fast, and stains take a little more work to get out.
- Don’t even put your leather jacket in the washer for the same reasons.
- Don’t use bleach-based cleaners or ammonia to wash your leather jacket. These could cause the leather to dry out and crack.
Tough Stain Removal
- Toothpaste on a soft cloth can help remove the stain, but be sure to rub gently without scrubbing to avoid scratching or damaging the leather. After the stain is gone, wipe away the toothpaste with a damp cloth using the water/dish soap solution listed above.
- Nail polish remover can help take away scuffs or even ink stains. With this substance, you don’t want to rub away the stain, but instead, dab the area to ensure you do not spread the ink around. Do this technique until the stain is gone.
- Grease stains are an easy fix with baking soda. Just sprinkle some onto the affected area, dab with a damp cloth, and let it sit overnight. The next morning, the baking soda has absorbed all the oil, so you can softly wipe it away.
Just a Tip
Homequicks has some neat tips to help troubleshoot mistakes like using too much water and other mishaps.
- Too much water: While cleaning your leather jacket, keep a dry sponge handy to dab away access water.
- Drying: Regardless of how dry you may think you got your jacket, hanging it on a hanger in the driest region in your home will help better ensure there’s no water in hidden places to stain the material.
- Conditioning: Don’t forget to condition your jacket after cleaning it. Sometimes soap and water can cause damage by cracking the surface and drying it out. Leather conditioners are pretty easy to find, though if you have something along the lines of mink oil around the house, that’s a good substitute.
