How to wash a leather jacket in an automatic washing machine and by hand at home: is it possible to clean a light leather jacket and lining?

Leather is a capricious and difficult material both to wear and to wash. It always shows scratches, stains, clips and defects.

Therefore, you need to wash the jacket in a special way, trying not to damage the material, so as not to spoil the appearance and functional characteristics.

In this article we will tell you whether and how to wash a leather jacket in an automatic washing machine and by hand.

Rules for washing at home

Before you start washing, you need to carefully inspect your clothes for:

tags,
signs,
logos.

There may be useful information or instructions for caring for the product.

There is no need to try to squeeze out the jacket, this can leave a lot of bends and cracks on it, since the material is quite fragile, and such deformation will definitely lead to damage to the structure.

It's best to treat a small area of skin before moving on to a full cleanse .
It is advisable to do this either on the sleeve in the wrist area, or on the collar, where it is least visible.

Hands

First, check the jacket for color fading. To do this, simply rub a damp cloth or napkin over any area.

If the color of the jacket is imprinted on a napkin, then it is advisable to take this item to dry cleaning, otherwise the color will fade or noticeably fade.

Hand wash steps:

Check all pockets, remove all items from them so that nothing affects the work.
Fill a container (wide basin or bathtub) with warm water.
Add detergent (delicate) and mix in water.
Immerse the product and let it absorb the solution. It will take about 10 minutes.
For processing you will need a soft sponge. With its help, you need to lightly rub areas with obvious signs of dirt, and go through others with light pressure of the sponge.
After this, it is necessary to remove moisture from the item of clothing. To do this, the item is taken out to the front side. You need to hold it in your hands or hang it on a hanger until the water drains, or lightly press on it, even swaying is possible.
The water is changed to clean. It is necessary to rinse the jacket in new water so many times that the soap is completely gone.
After washing, hang the leather item on a hanger and let the excess liquid drain out.
Then put it in a terry towel so that it absorbs additional water.
Ready.

Drying time may vary and may take up to 2 days . It should also be noted that for minor stains, “dry wash” is preferable:

a soft cloth should be soaked in a soapy solution;
squeeze out;
wipe the necessary areas;
rinse with a slightly damp cloth, preferably soft;
wipe with dry material that absorbs well.

In this way, you can remove contaminants from the desired areas, and do not expose clean areas to additional exposure, so as not to spoil the appearance.

Periodically cleaning leather jackets from small stains and dust

You can get rid of dirt and dust by regularly wiping the product with a soft sponge moistened with soapy water or warm water. For a good effect, it is recommended to add 20-25 drops of ammonia (per half a liter of liquid). Next, the remaining soap solution is washed off with water, the surface of the wardrobe item is wiped dry and lubricated with cream;

Thin and soft leather is cleaned with a dry rag or wiped with milk, then blotted with a napkin and lubricated with warm glycerin.

This is interesting: Is it possible to place a refrigerator next to a radiator?

In the washing machine

Manufacturers of leather clothing warn customers that after washing the jacket may shrink (or stretch) or lose its appearance.

Natural fabric will crack - this is one of the negative consequences of machine processing, and artificial fabric may peel off.

If you still decide to resort to this method, then you need to set up delicate mode . The water temperature should be 15 degrees Celsius. Before doing this, you need to fasten all the buttons and locks.

Regular washing powder is suitable as a detergent, but it is better to use a liquid detergent to avoid leaving streaks and stains.

Stages:

Take everything out of your pockets.
Set the mode to “wool”, “delicate” or “hand wash”.
If you plan to do push-ups (which is not recommended), then the speed should be no more than 400.
Add chemical.
As soon as the machine completes the process, you should not take out the leather jacket; it is better to leave it for a while to allow excess water to drain off.

Removing stains

Pollution is not always widespread or complete . Most often this is:

just divorces
small spots,

which can be removed using some tricks.

Toothpaste

Using a small amount of toothpaste and a cotton pad or any soft material on which the product will be applied, you need to wipe the stained area.

Do not use any metal objects or hard brushes. The paste is then removed with water or a damp cloth.

Nail polish remover

Using this method is only appropriate for fair skin .

Apply the liquid to the swab and use it to lightly wipe the stained area.
Then rinse off the liquid with plain water.

The method has proven itself well in removing marks from a ballpoint pen.

Baking soda or cornstarch

Ideal for removing oil or grease stains.

It is necessary to spray these products.
Leave it overnight and remove any residue in the morning.
You should wash off the soda carefully and several times.

Medical alcohol

Excellent mold remover . To remove a stain you need to:

make a solution in a 1 to 1 ratio: distilled water and medical alcohol,
lubricate the damaged area,
Wipe with clean water and dry.

Professional products

In addition to traditional methods, there are special products that will gently remove dirt from the skin:

Skora.
Leather Cleaner.
Leather Stain Remover.
Sir Asprins Stain Remover Spray.

... specific pollution

Oily stains are not all that the skin is afraid of. There are a number of specific contaminants (for example, from pens and blood) that need to be dealt with quickly. For example, dried blood from the skin is much more difficult to wash off than fresh blood. What to do if you don’t have any special store-bought products at hand?

Ball pen. Mix medical alcohol and heated glycerin (1:1). Soak a cotton pad in the mixture and apply to the painted area. You can also sprinkle a heap of damp table salt onto the ink squiggle. After two days, clean the area of powder and wipe with a rag soaked in turpentine.
Salt stains. Soak a cotton swab in table vinegar and treat the contaminated areas. A solution of laundry soap is also suitable (30 g of shavings per liter of water).
Blood. Treat with cold soapy water, moving from the edges to the center. The enemy of this kind of “blot” is hydrogen peroxide. But this substance may change the color of the product, so test first. Aspirin can also remove blood stains. Dissolve one tablet in a glass (250 ml) of water.

How to remove the smell of smoke?

There are several simple but effective methods:

Vinegar . Mix water and vinegar in equal quantities. Using a soft cloth moistened with this solution, it is necessary to treat the surface, but do not rub or wet it.
Coffee grounds . You need to fill it with a piece of gauze or an old nylon stocking and put it in your pocket. Coffee will absorb smoky odors on clothes.
Ventilation . It is enough to take the item out into the fresh air.

You can repeat these methods until the unpleasant smell from cigarettes disappears.

Recovery after the procedure

Most often, after washing, the previous shine that gave the leather product newness disappears. To solve this problem, there are simple but effective recipes:

Candle wax. If your jacket needs to add a touch of shine or shimmer, wax is ideal. It is enough to melt a candle and apply a little to the desired areas of leather or substitute clothing.
Glycerol. You need to rub it into areas of a more faded shade. It is absorbed quickly, about an hour or a little more. Glycerin will also add a little softness to the product.

Review of professional products

For leather products, care products are produced that allow them to maintain their shape and appearance, making it easier to clean from dirt.

Water repellent spray

The special product is designed to protect the skin from pollution. Use after washing, cleaning after drying.

Special sponge

A sponge soaked in special oil helps maintain the elasticity of the skin.

Wax

Products containing wax give the skin additional shine and create a barrier to pollution. Use no more than 3 times a month.

How to clean a light-colored item?

It is best not to machine wash a light leather jacket, but use dry washing using folk remedies.

For these purposes the following are most often used:

milk;
lemon juice;
soap solution;
eraser.

There is only one application recipe: apply to the stain and after 20-30 minutes rinse with a wet cloth.

In the collar area

First of all, to keep the collar as little as possible, you need to use neckerchiefs and, in cool weather, scarves. To clean the collar, use the same ingredients described above for greasy stains.

An effective way to clean a leather jacket in the collar area is:

First, remove dirt from the collar with a swab moistened with alcohol.
Then rub with lemon juice. An alternative to this can be orange peels.
Then the surface of the gate is softened with glycerin.

In the event that there are concerns that the item may be damaged or traces of stains will remain, use the services of professionals - take the jacket to the dry cleaner.

How to wash the lining?

Dust and dirt can accumulate not only on the outside, but also on the inside, so it is necessary to wash the lining.

Separately . If the lining is removed, then everything is quite simple: according to the material, treat it with powder or another product and rinse.
Together . It is important not to wet the skin so that it does not fade. You can clean the lining using a solution of soapy water. After 5-10 minutes, wipe with a dry and soft towel to remove moisture. Dry on hangers.

The first stage is cleaning the lining

Of course, you won’t be able to completely freshen up your jacket by forgetting about the lining. Although this is the most inconspicuous part of outerwear, it suffers from frequent wear no less than the outer surface of the product. Constantly touching the body, absorbing odors after some time make themselves felt. Accordingly, it is necessary to clean the back of the product even more often than the front part. If the lining cannot be unfastened, you will have to work hard.

First you need to prepare two small basins with warm, clean water, a dry towel and two sponges. The usual powder or gel for washing clothes is dissolved in one basin, vinegar is poured into another (about 100 g per 5 liters of water). After preparing the necessary materials, you can begin to work:

The entire lining is wiped with a sponge soaked in water and detergent. Particular attention is paid to the cuffs, collar, and armpit area. Do not wet the material too much; it is enough if the sponge is damp.
When the material is cleaned, it is wiped with a damp sponge and vinegar solution. Vinegar neutralizes all unpleasant odors, even washing powder. After a few hours it will completely disappear.
Next, everything is thoroughly dried with a clean, dry towel. When carrying out the last stage, do not put too much pressure or stretch the jacket.

Advice: “Cleaning the lining should be done very carefully; the front side of the outerwear remains dry. In some cases, these steps will have to be carried out several times. To dry, the jacket is placed on hangers and dried in the open air, but only if the weather is not frosty or humid.”

Drying rules

There are several rules:

Do not expose your skin to strong heat, that is, leave it near fireplaces or stoves.
When using a hair dryer, the air blown out should be cold.
Do not leave in direct sunlight.
You can dry a leather jacket only in a vertical position.
It is best to dry in a well-ventilated place.