Leather products cannot be compared with fabrics or other materials. This is a natural material with a complex structure and composition, which requires constant care and attention if you want to keep its perfect appearance for a long time. Whether it is a jacket made of the thinnest and softest leather or a rough jacket for everyday use, the reaction to pollution will be approximately the same, as will the methods of solving the problem. We will determine the optimal conditions for how to wash a leather jacket yourself, and in which situations it is better to entrust cleaning to professionals.
Leather is a natural material, moreover, it is very complex in composition and structure, a drop of dirt is quickly absorbed and spreads widely, or causes irreparable damage to a smooth surface. As with other materials, it is important to be efficient in removing contamination, following simple rules for wearing and storing leather products. It is important to choose your proven method for each individual case.
Types and degree of pollution
Most of the stains and dirt on the jacket appear for completely prosaic reasons. It is worth touching a wall or a bush somewhere and a rubbed spot with caustic dust or juice already appears. A drop of greasy oil or just food that got on the jacket may not attract attention, but over time it becomes brighter and more contrasting, because dirt and dust begin to stick to it, and the spot itself spreads over the skin. The worst thing is with the stains that appeared after the rain: cracks and deformations appear on the gloss after drying, on the suede there are separations and unpleasant-looking scuffs.
And there is one point that interests everyone, are leather jackets machine washable? Of course, washing only here can have various consequences, and in the majority of cases deplorable for the jacket.
Everything is much easier with artificial leather. Read about washing such jackets and sheepskin coats here .
Fat stains
For a glossy surface of the skin, the problem of oily spots is solved the easiest. It is enough to wash the jacket with dishwashing detergent. Only not the whole, but a specific area. A sponge and a solution diluted in warm water are used. After such cleaning, it is advisable to evenly wipe the entire jacket with a damp sponge or soft cloth and leave it to dry. As soon as it has dried at room temperature, it is advisable to wipe the entire leather surface with castor oil.
Things are much worse with suede . Fat penetrates the skin and it is simply impossible to remove it with a detergent without spoiling the structure of the material itself. It is better to use the time-tested method with chalk. Crushed chalk should be poured over the contaminated area and occupy the space around it a little. Press down a little to ensure contact. Leave the chalk for a day. During this time, the fat will be absorbed into the chalk, which is easily removed. This process should also be done with an eye on the characteristics of the skin. If you get the chalk wet, it will get inside and only create another big problem.
It is necessary to walk over the chalk with a vacuum cleaner with a slotted nozzle and a brush and collect it from the skin. Only after that you can wipe everything with a suede brush.
Read more about washing suede jackets in this article .
Traces of whitewash, leaves or wear
The problem with such stains occurs both with suede and with smooth leather. In the first case, the contamination penetrates deep into the skin and is eaten away. In the second, the upper layer of the skin is damaged, which spoils the appearance, even if the contamination itself is removed.
Everything is a little easier for suede . It is enough to wipe the jacket with a suede brush, if it is heavily soiled, use a damp sponge with a weak soapy solution, then dry the item at room temperature. The most difficult thing in this process is not to spread dirt over the entire surface, for which all movements and actions must be strictly localized, not sweeping.
It is enough to wipe the smooth skin with a damp cloth using a weak soapy solution, the dirt will go away almost instantly. However, after cleaning the leather jacket, it will be necessary to restore its flawless appearance. For this purpose, castor oil, special compounds for skin restoration, dyes capable of restoring the surface of the material are used. The exact selection of products, unfortunately, is difficult to describe, you can find a wide range of products for skin care and restoration in household stores and specialized stores for tailoring and sewing, clothing and shoe repair.
You can test the effect of the selected drug on an inconspicuous area. It can be the lapel of the pockets, the collar or the back of the jacket from the lining side.
A soapy solution with ammonia additives will cope with particularly strong contamination on a leather jacket. After treatment, the entire surface of the clothes should be wiped with castor oil in the same way.
Cleaning the substrate
When worn carefully, washing a leather jacket means refreshing the lining, which in any case comes into contact with the body and clothes and eventually gets soaked with sweat, deodorants, etc. There are three ways to wash the lining of a leather jacket.
- The dry cleaner will do everything according to reason and according to the rules, and at the exit you will get a clean and smelling jacket with a perfect appearance. However, there is a risk that the local dry cleaner only carries this proud name and does not have the proper qualifications and equipment for leather goods, so it is worth clarifying this in advance.
- The second option is to wring out the lining and wash it separately by any available method. It is difficult, troublesome and requires at least intermediate cutting and sewing skills and a sewing machine in addition.
- The third option is for self-execution, only accuracy is required. The jacket is turned inside out and fastens tightly. The idea is to wash the lining directly on the jacket. To do this, you need to prepare a soapy solution with or without powder in advance so that the detergent is completely dissolved in the water.
The lining is impregnated with a soapy solution, lightly rubbed with hands and rinsed with running water. All actions should be performed so as not to wet the outside of the jacket too much and not to apply detergent to it.
The jacket dries inside out. Only after the lining becomes barely damp, you can turn the jacket inside out, wipe it with a damp cloth and hang it to dry completely on a clothesline at room temperature.
Traces of paint
It is highly undesirable to use solvents. In any case, they will degrease the skin, which will definitely affect its appearance over time. It is easier to use refined vegetable oil, which can dissolve oil paints, and then treat the area as when cleaning greasy stains .
Water-based alkyd paint can be removed from the jacket only by operational methods until it dries, and it dries almost instantly. Wash off the paint with a fairly large amount of water, because it still dissolves easily with it, and then, after wiping the entire jacket with a damp cloth, dry it.
Otherwise, the dried paint from the leather jacket will have to be crushed and scraped off with a stiff brush and then restored to its appearance with special means.
Cleaning in the washing machine
The option is definitely not for trendy new jackets. In any case, the skin will be damaged and lose its charming appearance. Washing a leather jacket, even in a very good washing machine, is suitable only for products that need a “second life”, i.e. for household wear or work clothes.
Before putting the jacket in the machine, you should turn it inside out and fasten all existing zippers, buttons or buttons. The mode is selected as for hand washing or gentle, with minimum washing time and minimum revolutions. It is better not to use drying. After the leather jacket has been machine washed, it is hung inside out on the hanger until it is only slightly damp. Next, you need to turn it inside out and, having straightened all the folds, hang it indoors for complete drying.