When you don’t have time to dry clean your leather jacket, you need to know how to wash a leather jacket at home.  Knowing how to wash a leather jacket will save you from many headaches, especially if you want to preserve your leather jacket’s quality for more prolonged use.
Can I Wash My Leather Jacket?
If your jacket has seen better days and looks older because of all the grime, you can hand-wash it if you want. Here are the steps to safely handwashing leather jackets:
- Use only the mildest detergent that you can find. Scentless and natural soaps are recommended for leather. Leather cleans up nicely with minor wipe-downs, so it makes sense to use a mild detergent. Fill your sink with some water and a small quantity of detergent. Leather does not absorb dust and grime like fabric, so only a small amount of soap is needed. For the most part, the soap will be working to remove any accumulated grime on the leather’s surface and the jacket’s lining.
- Push down the jacket into the soapy water to submerge it completely. Everything has to be moistened at this point. Allow the jacket to absorb the soap and water.
- Start squeezing the solution through the jacket, so it begins cleaning the surface of the jacket and the inner lining. This is the trickiest part because the jacket’s sleeves might not absorb that much in the first soak.
- Leave the jacket in the solution for about ten to fifteen minutes. If you have a massive jack with thick leather, extend the soaking by five minutes.
- Examine the jacket and check for any stains and other areas that may need some brushing. Use a toothbrush to remove any stains. Brush the grain of the jacket gently. Let the toothbrush do the work. Adding additional pressure may damage the grain of the leather, which would contribute to its aged look.
- Lift the jacket from the solution and allow it to drain. You can probably do this safely in the sink. Fill the basin again with a large quantity of clean, cold water. Fill to the top and don’t mind the splashes. Gently wring the jacket but don’t squeeze too hard as this might damage the leather. Lift the jacket again and submerge in the clean water to rinse off all the soap. Â
- Hang the leather jacket to air-dry using a large, padded hanger naturally. Traditional wooden hangers broader than usual are also tremendous, so the jackets’ shoulder areas do not fold down.
- When the leather jacket is finally dry, use an appropriate leather conditioner to bring back the grain’s softness and suppleness.
How to Clean Leather Jacket at Home?
Basic Cleaning with Soap
Leather jackets don’t have to be thoroughly washed with soap and water all the time. If you perform the necessary cleaning regularly, the grime won’t build up at all. The primary cleaning method is preparing a small basin of water and dish soap. Yes, we will use dish soap instead of laundry detergent because we will only clean the surface of the leather jacket. Incorporate the ingredients of the solution with a small sponge and soak it up nicely. The reason for this is that we don’t want to accidentally wipe off any protectants and pigments that may have been incorporated into the grain of the leather jacket. Using only mild dish soap, you will lift out the dirt without damaging the leather’s surface.
After soaking the cleaning cloth or sponge, you can dry down the outside of the jacket. Focus on rubbing away stains, water spots, and other kinds of stains that are highly visible on the jacket. We recommend doing this under a bright light so you can identify the areas that need the most attention from you. Rub the leather jack in a circular motion to make the manual cleaning more effective.
Eventually, the towel or sponge will run dry because the leather will absorb some of the moisture. Soak the sponge again and continue cleaning the leather jacket. Once you are done, use a broad hanger or a padded one and let the leather dry naturally outside.
How Can I Freshen Up My Leather Jacket?
It’s easy to freshen up a leather jacket if you know what to use. If you don’t want to use water and soap or dish detergent, you can purchase a specialized solution formulated for leather jackets.
Leather cleaners are usually combined with a unique conditioning agent that helps improve the natural suppleness of the leather. Specialized leather cleaners can also help remove stricter stains like oil and deeply-ingrained grime. You can buy these online or from stores that specialize in leathercraft.
It’s easy to apply this type of solution to jackets. Spray the leather cleaner on the spot that you want to clean. Allow the solution to work on the area a little before spraying some cleaning agent on the sponge. Clean the area as per usual. Repeat the process until all of the heavily stained areas have been taken care of.
Be sure to remove any excess solution from the surface of the leather. The solution is designed to be absorbed by the leather so that the grain can be reconditioned and rendered softer to touch.
What Is the Best Cleaner for Leather?
The best cleaner for jacket leather and other kinds of leather is essential soap and water. We say this because conditioning leather doesn’t have to be done weekly, but you need to keep your leather jacket’s surface clean. For this, soap and water are delicate and perfect for washing leather, as long as you don’t use super strength detergent, which can damage the grain’s outer layer.
