When caring for a leather jacket, you should first read the information on the product label. As a rule, it contains all the recommendations on how to care for a given leather jacket and whether it is suitable for cleaning at home.
Skin types and their features
Care is selected depending on the skin type:
- Smooth leather. It is enough to treat smooth leather products with a special agent once a week. If wet after rain, wipe with a soft towel.
- Velour requires only professional dry cleaning.
- Suede. It is quite difficult to care for suede products at home. Suede jackets often require professional dry cleaning.
Depending on your skin type, you can select the appropriate special care and treatment products in the store.
The Importance of Regular Care
Regular care will help to avoid the formation of complex stains and the need to dry clean the product. To do this, try to remove light stains from the surface immediately. To do this, it is enough to use a soft damp cloth or sponge so as not to damage the leather. Treat the jacket with special water-repellent agents. They not only protect against getting wet but also prevent stains from penetrating deep into the leather. Restore shine and moisturize the leather yourself using special products.
Preparing a new leather jacket
You can start caring for your jacket from the first day of purchase. To do this, you need to properly prepare it for the first wear.
Primary treatment before wearing
New leather goods are usually treated at the factory, and for some time it is permissible not to use anything to protect them. However, practice shows that it is better to apply a water-repellent composition before the first time you go outside. If you live in a humid climate or it is rainy weather, then you should use cream or emulsion 2-3 times a week. In other cases, 2 times a month is enough.
Protection from stains and moisture
Leather has fairly good water-repellent properties, unlike velour or suede. Difficulties may also arise with light-colored leather items, on which stains and streaks form much more easily and are much more noticeable. Regular treatment of the item with water-repellent agents helps combat stains. If stains do appear, try to remove them using the following methods:
- ethyl alcohol will help remove ink;
- Grease stains can be removed with warm soapy water or dishwashing liquid;
- Blood stains and yellowed areas can be removed with hydrogen peroxide.
Remember that before using any of the products, first test it on an inconspicuous area of the jacket, so as not to ruin the product if the product turns out to be unsuitable.
UV protection
The sun contributes to the fading of leather. To preserve the brightness and saturation of the color, use special protective agents (sprays and creams) from ultraviolet radiation, suitable for leather materials. Also, do not store leather products in places where sunlight hits. Before the spring-summer season, be sure to moisturize the leather of the jacket.
Rules for storing leather jackets
To preserve the appearance of your leather jacket for as long as possible, it is important to know how to store the item correctly:
- Before hanging your jacket on a hanger, empty the pockets of items to avoid damaging the material or deforming the jacket.
- Store your leather jacket in a closet on a hanger with wide shoulders; when storing it for a long time, use a special garment bag.
- You can remove creases after long-term storage in a closet using a steamer.
- Keep away from direct sunlight and heating devices.
- Do not store your leather jacket folded.
- Store at room temperature, preferably no higher than 20 degrees, the humidity in the room should be no more than 60%.
- Don’t hang your leather jacket on a hook.
Cleaning leather goods
Leather jackets are not allowed to be washed in a washing machine. Also, alcohol, acetone, or petrol-based products are not suitable for removing dirt. They can damage the delicate material. At home, you can remove dry dirt or salt deposits using a soap solution, which is applied to a soft cloth and wiped off the dirty areas. You can also use special leather cleaning products, having previously tested them on inconspicuous areas of the product.
Leather Jacket Care Products
There are special products for caring for leather jackets on realmagazineclub that can help extend the life of the items and maintain their attractive appearance.
Special means
The most necessary and effective means for caring for leather goods are considered to be:
- Water-repellent creams and sprays. They are needed for regular protection of the material from moisture, in addition, the use of these products will allow you to remove dirt from the jacket much faster.
- Silicone and acrylic sprays. With their help, you can return the jacket to an attractive appearance.
- Wax. Gives the skin softness, and elasticity and masks small cracks.
- Sponges soaked in special oils. It is recommended to regularly wipe the jacket with them to maintain the leather in good condition.
How to choose an effective remedy
When choosing a product, read the product label to make sure it is suitable for your item. Then test it on an inconspicuous area of leather or an old leather jacket that you do not plan to wear. If the product works well, you can use it on the entire surface of the jacket.
Improvised means
Sometimes you can replace special care products with improvised ones that you almost always have at home:
- Glycerin. Will restore the skin’s softness and elasticity. To do this, wipe the jacket with a cotton pad soaked in glycerin, and repeat the procedure if necessary
- A soap solution will help to deal with local and fresh dirt on the skin.
- Acetylsalicylic acid removes blood stains.
- A clean damp cloth will remove dust.
- Castor oil will make your jacket look newer and more attractive.
Proper Drying of a Leather Jacket
The following rules for drying leather goods should be observed:
- do not dry your jacket on a radiator or near heating devices;
- when sending the item out to dry, empty the pockets of contents so as not to deform the jacket;
- Close all zippers and buttons to prevent creases from forming after drying;
- Dry vertically on a hanger with wide shoulders at room temperature.
What to do first if your jacket gets wet
If the jacket is very wet, you can save the product by following simple rules:
- place the item on a horizontal surface;
- Place a terry towel inside to absorb moisture;
- Dry the jacket on a hanger in a well-ventilated area.
- after drying, lubricate the surface of the jacket with Vaseline or a special moisturizer for leather products;
- allow the substances to completely soak into the material for several hours;
- then straighten the item well.
Softening and restoring the skin
To keep your jacket soft and supple over time, treat your leather jacket with a special moisturizing conditioner. It will hydrate the leather, restore the lipid balance, and make the color more saturated. Use conditioners as needed, i.e. only when the item is dry and rough, before putting it away for a long time and before the start of the season. You can’t use the product more often, otherwise, it will clog the pores and the leather will lose its luster. If the leather is very dry and already cracked, deep impregnation will be required. For this, use special impregnation products. They are applied several times until the jacket becomes damp to the touch.
Professional leather jacket care
If desired, you can entrust your jacket to dry cleaning specialists. Their professional care will help achieve an effective and long-lasting result.
When to contact specialists
If your leather jacket is not suitable for home cleaning or you are afraid of ruining an expensive item, then the right decision would be to take it to a dry cleaner. Also, professional care will help remove old stains that cannot be washed out at home.
Frequently asked questions about caring for your leather jacket
What jacket care product should I choose? Can I wash a leather jacket? What are some folk methods for caring for natural jackets? You will find answers to these and other questions about caring for leather jackets in our ukblogstime.
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