Leather Jacket Dry Cleaning

A leather jacket is a jacket-type outwear garment made from the tanned leather of different animals. Generally, it is worn on top of other apparel or item of clothing. Typically the leather jacket material is dyed black or shades of brown, but nowadays it is enriched with various colours.

Different typesof jackets are produced using the hides of animals. Also, there are fabrics simulating leather such as polyurethane or PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride) that are used as alternatives to authentic animal hide leather depending on the needs of the wearer such as those pursuing vegan lifestyles or for economic reasons as synthetic fibres tend to be less costly than authentic leather.

Leather Jackets are designed for many purposes motorcyclists, bikers, militants and mobsters. It gets famous in the latter half of the 20th century, especially, by some stars of Hollywood who have worn this garment for protective or fashionable reasons. It is very popular in the pop industry and pop culture as well and has billions of fans and followers across the globe.

Dry Cleaning 101

Leather Jackets add a touch of luxury to your outfit. They’re expensive fashion wear, so you need to take care of them. Here’s how to clean leather Jackets so that they look great and last a long time. Here are some instructions for dry cleaning at home.

                        Dry cleaning at home

Knowing the Types and Materials:

First of all, you need to know which type of Leather Jacket you are dealing with. It will be safe, efficient and cost-effective if you know its materials well. There are different types of Leather Jackets are existing in the market among them the most popular types are-

1.   Suede: This type of leather is usually thin and porous but not as durable as solid hide.

Natural suede leather is created from the soft underside of a split-grain animal hide. It has a nappy finish that is easily stained.

2.   Nubuck: It is very similar to Suede in appearance. Nubuck contains the top of the animal hide which is finely sanded and buffed to produce the softest, velvety leather finish. Cleaning techniques for both Nubuck and Suede are almost similar or approximately the same. Stain removal most often requires treatment by a professional for both of them.
3.   Aniline: The most popular type of leather jacket, Aniline most natural-looking leather and is coloured with soluble aniline dyes. Because it doesn’t have a pigment-based surface finish, it is a porous smooth leather. The natural texture of the skin is visible and so aniline leather is usually classed as high-grade and belongs to the expensive class as per the rate status. The lack of a pigmented colour layer on the surface means that aniline leather feels natural, soft and warm to the touch.
4.   Nappa: It is the highest-grade leather of all. Nappa leather is very soft, and supple, and uses a full-grain sheep or lamb hide. It is full-grained leather, which means, the surface hasn’t been modified except to remove hair, so it can keep its original texture and quality. Like all types of leather, Nappa can be dyed in different colours.

Check the levels and Instructions:  

Before delving into the work, you should check the level of your Leather jacket. Because usually, the manufacturers give advice and instructions for the maintenance of your garments. You may find necessary instructions in detail, about how to deal with your items carefully and efficiently. These instructions and tips can save your day!

Wipe your Jacket

You can begin wiping with a damp cloth or dusting your jacket using a brush or soft cloth and wipe away the dust and stain. You have to wipe over the entire surface of your jacket especially the corners that tend to be dustier. Regular conditioning and wiping will help you to get dirt and grease-free jacket. Keeping a jacket in dry conditions will prevent mould, bacteria or fungus. To remove dirt and grease or light staining, you can use a damp cloth and soapy water. Blot them rather than rub them and avoid over-wetting the leather. Polyester or cotton linings can be cleaned using the same method, but silk or rayon should be cleaned by a specialist. Baking powder can assist you greatly in terms of the removal of stains. Dry the leather naturally but do not allow it to remain damp for long.

If possible, dust your jacket regularly so it remains shiny and hygienic every day. Most people forget to dust their leather garments earlier, making the problems more complex and challenging. Sometimes, even the damage becomes so drastic it makes things impossible to repair it.

Apply liquid solutions

You can apply liquid solutions to clean your leather by blotting and wiping with a damp cloth. It may give better results in terms of removing stains or stubborn spots. But, keep in mind different solutions suit different garments means you have to apply these liquids according to what is suitable for them. For instance, in terms of antique leather finishes, methylated spirits are a great idea, whereas for bags and jackets a mild soap and water solution works best.

One tip may work for you well that is checking the level of cleaning liquids. Necessary and, of course, important instructions are usually given there to apply them properly to the suitable types of leathers or garments. It is important to remember to read the instructions on cleaner packaging for further confirmation as to whether the solution is best suited for the type of leather you are about to clean.

Here are effective elements you can try:

•         Baking Soda
•         Vinegar
•         Rubbing Alcohol
•         Lemon juice
•         Talc
•         Hydrogen peroxide
•         Oxygen bleach 

Apply Conditioner

Some of us use leather jackets on rainy or even sunny days. Both sunny and rainy weather can be harmful to your leather garments in a long run. Leather is a natural organic material and its elasticity which we used to call suppleness comes from the natural oils that it contains. If someone used to wear leather jackets on a rainy day, it means, his or her jacket will lose the oils contained within it gradually. Likewise, using a leather jacket in scorching heat or sunny weather, in a long run, dries out it gradually. As it may get discoloured or sometimes it may shrink, shrivel and crack.

To get rid of this disturbance, one can apply conditioner to his or her leather jackets or other leather-based garments. There are different conditioners are available in the market today. Among them, you have to select one according to the type of your leather and then use it properly.

Getting rid of the odour

Firstly, don’t buy faux or badly tanned leather ever. It may smell like smoke, cigarettes or sweats sometimes. Buy a well-tanned leather jacket first. If it spread skunky, stinky smells then you can use some natural or chemical like:

•         Vinegar.
•         Baking soda.

These natural chemicals may cut down odours from your jacket and will give you a tension-free day! 

Cautions

You can try to clean your garments by yourself first since they are your important asset. But, don’t take risks out of being emotional or tense. Don’t rush if your leather jackets get stained or dirty. A wrong approach can ruin your day. If you can’t understand how to clean your leather it’s totally fine. Don’t use strong acids ever to clean your leather jackets it will drastically ruin your garments instead of keeping them clean.

          Dry cleaning with a Specialist

We know, that since we are human beings, it is impossible to specialize in every field for every individual. On the other hand, in this time-bounded world, all of us are busy with our jobs. It’s ok to be unable to take care of garments. There are a lot of laundries to help in this particular case. Just find a professional dry cleaner nearby you and take stay cool, they will do the rest. 

Dry Cleaning

Dry cleaning is the process of cleaning garments or leathers using solvents without water. This process is invented for those garments or leathers which poorly react against water.

In this procedure, no moisture is used, hence the term is “dry cleaning.” In this process, clothes are put in a huge solvent machine to remove marks and stains and clean the clothes. These clothes are dried in the same or sometimes different machine after the products have been washed and later, they are ironed.

Why do you need a specialist?

For normal leather maintenance, using natural cleaning and a damp cloth with soaked water is fine.  But it is not the best way to keep the quality of your leather jacket. The leather jacket contains oil inside which keeps its suppleness and durability, if you wash them yourself you might remove them by using liquid solvents. On the contrary, dry-cleaning solvents can easily remove stains and marks without damaging the leather or removing the oil from them.

Therefore, it’s not appropriate to clean a leather jacket with natural agents. You should take the item to a dry cleaner who specializes in treating leather and the cleaning process. Talk with him or her what is the problems with your jacket and he will find them out and will treat them accordingly to keep the suppleness of your leather jacket and make them elegant.

The Ultimate tip

If you are in London and have a busy schedule to maintain and no time to clean your leather jackets or if you don’t want to take the risk to dry cleaning your expensive leather jackets, we are here for you. We are Hamlet laundry collection and delivery service and have been serving our clients with trust, faith and utmost care. We have a highly qualified and experienced team of personnel to provide dry-cleaning services for leather jackets and other leather-based garments.

Or, if you are outside London still you can get advantages from us. You can read our regular blogs to know better about garments-related topics and make your life easier and more comfortable.