How to Clean Leather Jacket?

Leather is a demanding material to maintain. Leather goods lose their shape when exposed to water. High temperatures dry them out. Chemical substances corrode, bleach, and make the structure brittle. It is easy to damage it when wearing and washing, and improper care can lead to scratches and creases. Removing stains from leather things can be removed at home. The main thing is to understand all the nuances and use the appropriate methods. The popularity of leather things is due to their practicality and excellent performance characteristics. This is why they are preferred when choosing clothes for cool spring or autumn. With the use of warm underpinnings and fur trim, leather jackets are also used as winter outerwear. Perhaps one of the most common and favorite types of leather clothing is the jacket – it is worn by teenagers, brutal men and elegant women: leather jackets on sale are found in a variety of styles.

But love for them leads to constant or, at least, to frequent wear, and constant wear, which can hardly be avoided. If for some reason it is not possible to entrust a soiled or lost shine of a leather jacket to professional masters and means, then putting a gloss on your favorite thing is quite possible at home: so you can save money and experiment within reason. In addition, since it is assumed that the purchased jacket will serve more than one season, it is important to remember the rules of regular care for the leather product, compliance with which will simplify it in the future its cleaning. A leather jacket, as outerwear, is good because in the appearance of small contaminants, it is easy to clean with the help of specialized wipes or a wet sponge. Leather is a durable but rather capricious material. Chemicals corrode, bleach, make the structure brittle. So how can you get rid of stains and streaks and still maintain the "healthy" look of your jacket?

1. Protection from water
First of all, leather categorically does not like moisture. If you like to walk in the rain without an umbrella, then choose for such a romantic walk raincoat, raincoat, but not a jacket made of leather. To protect the product from excess moisture, it is recommended to use various water-repellent impregnations. They are available in the form of liquids and aerosols. Apply impregnation to the surface of the jacket at least once every 2-3 weeks. Silicone polymer spray or acrylic copolymer spray should help maintain the appearance and shine of the leather. Fat and wax-based products have the best protective properties, but they are not recommended for leather jackets due to their potential impact on color, wear, luster and odor. Check the label to find out how long the waterproofing lasts. Usually, the product should be applied once every few weeks or months. Yes, this kind of care will make the leather resistant to water damage, but the material will not become fully waterproof even if the product instructions say otherwise. Never soak the leather cloth in water or in the washing machine.

2. Softening
If the material has become hard or dry, treat the surface with a special moisturizing conditioner. Such means are available in different formats, and can be called "impregnation for leather", etc. Creams and sprays are recommended for smooth leather, and foams - for varnished leather. Conditioner treatment can be done only as needed. However, if the material is very dry and cracked, a single treatment will not help. In this case, it is necessary to carry out the procedure several times until the leather becomes soft and moist to the touch.

3. Polishing
There are many products for polishing leather and making it shine. But it is important to remember that you should only polish the material when it is already tarnished. Polishing will give the leather jacket a shine, but it may discolor, dry out or clog the surface of the leather. Use polish on special occasions, and first, before using a new product, try it out on a hidden area of the jacket. Polish with a piece of cloth until the surface is glossy. Do not use polish on suede or other leathers with a soft, tufted texture. It is impossible to make suede smooth without disturbing its structure. Do not use shoe polish even if it is intended for leather shoes.

To clean natural leather from dirt, you can use mild detergents. It can be shampoo or liquid soap, they are diluted with water, where ammonia is dripped. Take a soft napkin, wet it in the solution, and wipe the leather jacket. Then another towel or napkin is dipped in ordinary water and wiped. Dry using a terry towel. Then the jacket should be dried on the shoulders. After it dries, treat it with protective agents, impregnation, and conditioner. In case scuffs appear in some places, then you can apply aerosol paint to leather, after the thing dries, and then impregnate it with protection. For more difficult stains, choose a method suitable for the specific type of contamination.

Blood stains. In most cases, washing off the blood marks with cool, soapy water and rubbing with a soft brush is sufficient. If this method does not work, dissolve 2 aspirin tablets in a small amount of water (50 ml) and treat the stains. Then wipe the skin area with a damp soft cloth.

Paint stains. Water-based paint (watercolor or gouache) is easy to remove with a damp sponge. Oil-based paint is more difficult to get rid of: you will need vegetable oil and soap solution. Apply oil on a cotton swab and rub the stain until the paint comes off the skin. Remove the oil residue with a soft cloth soaked in soapy water. Then run a damp cloth over the area of the jacket. Only aggressive products such as white spirit will help to wash off interior paint. Be careful: before using chemistry, test its effect on an inconspicuous area of skin.

Glue stains. Remove stains as soon as the glue hits the skin. Use lemon juice or vinegar: soak a cotton swab in the product and rub the dirt. Try not to touch the skin around the stain. Remove any residue with a damp cloth. If the glue has dried, wipe the stain with a cotton pad soaked in nail polish remover. After treatment, remove any residue with a damp cloth. Ventilate the jacket so that no strong odor remains.

When the owners of jackets for the first time face contamination, they wonder whether it is possible to wash a leather jacket in a washing machine, and the answer in this case is quite ambiguous. Leather jackets cannot be washed like other ordinary shirts . The fact is that natural leather should not be cleaned with powders, soap, or cleaning agents and in principle give contact with water, as it can lose elasticity and presentable appearance, and in general come to disrepair.

Leather jacket can be washed in a washing machine, provided that the above recommendations are followed. Start the process with preparation. Take a cloth (cloth or microfiber) and wipe the entire jacket. Don't forget about places like the inside of the cuffs or under the collar. The goal is to remove as much surface dust and debris as possible and "pre-clean" the jacket. After you have wiped the leather and fastened all buttons and zippers, turn the jacket inside out. Turning the jacket inside out helps protect the leather from damage from the blades inside the washing machine. To machine wash a leather jacket, you will need a mesh laundry bag sized for the jacket to further protect the item.

Before you machine wash a leather jacket, if you are using a new product, test it on a hidden area of the item to make sure the colors do not spread. To do this, first, dampen a soft white cloth and then simply swipe it over the hidden area of the jacket. If your jacket is several different shades of the same color, the colors will blend when washed in the washing machine - which of course will lead to an undesirable result.

Place the wash bag with your leather jacket in the washing machine. It is best to place the laundry bag in the washing machine loosely, without other items. Experts do not recommend washing a leather jacket in a washing machine - it is better to take it to a dry cleaner or carry out a delicate hand wash. However, if you do not want to go to the dry cleaner and do not have time to wash the thing by hand, you can resort to the washing machine, following the rules below.

Choose the "Delicate washing" mode, which will treat the clothes as gently as possible. Answering the question, at what temperature to wash a leather jacket, you need to understand that each product should be selected in different temperature modes. According to general recommendations, it is worth setting the temperature to no more than 30 degrees. As a remedy, it is recommended to use powder in liquid form, which is designed for washing woolen products. When drying the jacket should hang on a wide hanger, and after drying it should be lubricated with glycerin. As for how to wash a leather jacket with fur, it is definitely not worth doing something like this. Fur can lose its shape, shine and pile, so the best solution is to hand over such products to a dry cleaner.

Since leather jackets cannot be washed or soaked, cleaning the lining requires skill: turn the jacket inside out and separate the lining with your fingers; gently dampen the fabric with water and rub soap on the soiled areas. You can immediately treat the lining with a warm solution of soap or powder; wash the dirty areas by rubbing them with your hands or a sponge. Rinse the fabric with clean water; if soapy residue remains, rinse the fabric with a weak vinegar solution; at the end of cleaning, hang the jacket on the shoulders and let it dry. Allow the water to drain, and leave the product to dry in a straightened form on a blanket. You can also leave the jacket to dry on the shoulders. It is important to avoid temperature extremes as this can damage the leather. Cleaning agents suitable for washing leather lining are water and soap. Instead of soap, you can use liquid laundry detergent, but not powder as it penetrates deeply into the fabric and then does not rinse well. This way you can clean the lining of a leather jacket no more than once a year. The less often you do this, the longer the product will serve you.