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Leather clothes have an attractive appearance, but without care, even the highest quality material loses its presentability. To avoid this, it is important to pay a lot of attention to the condition and cleanliness of the thing. Despite the need for periodic maintenance, there are certain requirements and features that must be taken into account before washing a leather jacket in a washing machine or by hand.
Features of washing leather jackets
A leather jacket is one of the most stylish items in a wardrobe. At the same time, the cost of a product made of genuine leather is quite high, but in terms of the degree of wear resistance, such a thing wins in comparison with many materials, but provided that it is properly looked after. Having acquired such a thing, you should familiarize yourself with the peculiarities of its washing.
Before trying to wash a leather jacket yourself at home, you first need to accurately determine the type of material. It can be natural, artificial or made of modern material - eco-leather. It should be borne in mind that all these types react differently to contact with water.
To wash a white leather jacket, they also look at the type of material (natural or artificial leather), as well as the degree of pollution. In most cases, wet cleaning with soap and water can be dispensed with. In extreme cases, a full wash may be required.
If a single spot appears on a white leather jacket, you can resort to removing it with the help of improvised means, the following are most effective in this case:
- whitening toothpaste;
- talcum powder with turpentine;
- alcohol.
Since leather is a material that absorbs odors well, in addition to washing, measures must be taken to eliminate the root cause.
There are several ways to remove the smell from a leatherette jacket:
- treat the front and back (lining) sides of the jacket with a weak solution of water with vinegar or lemon juice;
- a dark leather product can be rubbed with a citrus fruit peel;
- if contact with liquids is not recommended, then you can place the jacket in a box of coffee beans for 2-3 hours.
Can I wash my leather jacket
For a genuine leather jacket, machine wash is strictly prohibited, since this process can adversely affect the material, up to its complete deterioration. It is recommended to wash such a thing only by hand in case of serious dirt.
Sometimes it is enough to wash the cuffs, collar and pockets of the leather jacket to refresh its appearance. For the main part of the product, it is better to choose dry or wet cleaning in order to reduce the contact of the natural material with water.
Is it possible to wash a leatherette jacket
It is possible to wash an artificial leather jacket in automatic mode only if it is not prohibited by the manufacturer. But even if such washing is permissible, it is important to consider the following nuances:
- it is necessary to use only a delicate wash cycle, where the water temperature will not exceed 30 degrees;
- before putting the machine in the drum, it is required to fasten all zippers, buttons and buttons;
- washing should be done only with liquid detergent or with the use of a special gel - in order to avoid the appearance of stains and streaks;
- the spinning and drying mode should be turned off, since these actions will lead to damage to the material;
- drying a leather item is required in a well-ventilated area or in the fresh air, but without direct sunlight.
How to wash a leather jacket
When purchasing a leather jacket, the first step is to carefully study the information on the label sewn to the lining. On it should be written the manufacturer's instructions for washing, the optimal conditions for its implementation.
If, for some reason, the label is missing or the information is difficult to read, then you should not experiment, it is better to dry-clean the jacket. The advantage of this method is that the workers will select the correct method of washing and detergents, based on the characteristics of the material. But experienced housewives recommend going to dry cleaning only when the leather jacket is seriously dirty or has very old stains. In all other cases, you can return an attractive look to the leather jacket with your own hands at home.
How to machine wash a leather jacket
As already described above, a genuine leather jacket should not be washed automatically, but for a product made of artificial material, this washing method is permissible.
Despite the fact that machine washing in most cases is not prohibited, before washing a leatherette jacket in a washing machine, it is important to set the correct mode and choose a cleaning agent.
First, you need to set a delicate wash cycle so that the water temperature does not exceed 30 degrees. Further, before placing the jacket in the drum, zippers, buttons, buttons are fastened on it. In addition, during the automatic washing mode, the material may deform, as a result of which cracks and breaks will appear, therefore it is additionally recommended to load several items of soft fabric, for example, dark T-shirts.
As for the choice of a detergent for washing leather clothes, it is recommended to use a special gel-like detergent. It effectively removes many stains, rinses off well without leaving behind white streaks and stains. For more efficient removal of detergent, set the second rinse.
The machine can also wash a bologna or knitted jacket with leather sleeves if they are made of artificial material.
How to hand wash a leather jacket
Hand wash suitable for all skin types. With this method, you can easily wash a jacket made of eco-leather, natural and artificial material. The method itself differs from the automatic version in that it has the following advantages:
- the most gentle effect on the material;
- faster contact with water and chemical detergents;
- less load on the thing.
At the same time, you can wash a leather jacket by hand completely or directly only its separately contaminated areas. The washing process itself consists of the following steps:
- To begin with, prepare warm water, the temperature of which should not be higher than 30 degrees. Then a little liquid detergent is poured into it and foamed well. It should not be added in large quantities so that it is not difficult to rinse the product.
- It is also recommended to add 50 ml of table vinegar 3% to the water. This acid will keep the material soft.
- After that, the leather jacket is placed in a basin or bath. Moisten a soft cloth or sponge, wash dirty areas with light movements, pay special attention to the collar, sleeves and pockets.
- After washing, the water is drained and filled with clean water. They put the thing in it again and rinse it well.
- It is strictly forbidden to squeeze the product by twisting it, so the jacket is hung on a hanger and all the water is allowed to drain off on its own.
- To make the water faster than glass, you can wrap the jacket with a terry towel to absorb any remaining moisture.
How to wash the lining of a leather jacket
The lining of the jacket also requires washing, because it suffers from dirt no less than its front side. In addition to dirt and dust, sweat discharge gets on it during wearing. If you want to wash the lining in a genuine leather jacket, it is not so easy to do this without wetting the material. In this case, you can resort to two methods.
The first method is very time consuming, but at the same time it is quite effective. The process itself consists in ripping off the lining material along the seam, washing it in any convenient way and using suitable detergents, and after drying it again.
The second method takes less time and effort, but requires accuracy. The method itself involves washing the lining directly on the jacket; for this, perform the following steps:
- The first step is to turn the product inside out and hang it on a hanger.
- A weakly concentrated soap solution is prepared (it is advisable to use a special gel or laundry soap). The lining is moved as far as possible from the skin and the material is treated with a solution using a sponge.
- The washed places on the lining fabric are washed again, but only with clean warm water until the foam completely disappears.
If grease spots or heavily greasy spots were found on the lining, then additional specialized products can be used. It is important to ensure that the lining material does not come into contact with the skin during processing. To eliminate the unpleasant smell of sweat, you can moisten the lining with a weak vinegar solution, then wash it with clean water and leave the leather jacket to dry on a hanger, turned inside out.
How to soften a leather jacket after washing
Often housewives are faced with the fact that after washing a leather jacket, it becomes rough to the touch and does not sit well on the body. It is very easy to fix this problem. To do this, it is necessary to treat the leather jacket after washing and drying completely with special emollients; improvised substances are also suitable:
- Castor oil;
- petrolatum;
- shoe polish;
- egg white;
- citrus.
Any of these products are well enough to rub into the skin and leave until completely absorbed. This should be done by hanging the product on a hanger so that creases and folds do not form.
How to repair a leather jacket after washing
If after washing the leather jacket has not been damaged, but has lost its luster, any scuffs have appeared or the color has faded, you can resort to the following restoration methods:
- an aqueous solution of alcohol with lemon juice will help to restore the shine of the skin (for 1 liter of water, take the juice of 1 lemon and 1 tsp of alcohol), they need to treat the jacket, then wipe it dry and grease it with glycerin;
- shabby areas can be hidden by rubbing them with orange zest;
- to restore the color, you can resort to painting with spray paints of the appropriate shade, which can be purchased at a specialized store.
Drying rules for leather jackets
After washing, the leather jacket must never be wrung out, the water must drain off on its own, so it must be hung on a hanger above the bathtub or basin. To speed up this process, you can wrap the product with a terry towel or a highly absorbent cloth.
Drying itself is best done in the fresh air, but in the shade, so that direct sunlight does not fall on the product. If it is not possible to take the jacket outside, then it should be hung in a well-ventilated area to avoid unpleasant odors.
On average, it takes 2 days for a leather item to completely dry, but you should not overdry the product. As soon as the moisture has practically evaporated, the surface of the material is rubbed with castor oil or petroleum jelly.
Conclusion
You can wash a leather jacket in a washing machine, but only in extreme cases and if the manufacturer allows it. It is best to dry or damp the item and carry out restorative procedures as needed to keep the item in good condition.
