Caring for Leather Coats: Frugal Tips
By Susan Sanders-KinzelWould you please send me some economical tips on caring for leather jackets. I want to keep them supple and soft without having to purchase expensive leather care products.
Julie
Here are some tips that I have for you, our readers may have some more ideas. These tips should work well for just about any kind of real leather. Because there are so many good synthetic leathers and suedes, make sure that you are using these treatments on real leather.
For Suede:
Suede must be taken care of carefully. The best first treatment for suede is a suede brush. These are sold at shoe stores and wherever shoe polish is sold. It is a short bristled fine wire brush. It is best that the suede is dry before brushing so you don't lose the nap. If you get a stain on the suede, rub some cornmeal into the stain. Let it absorb the stain then brush off.
For smooth leather we have put together these tips:
1. Periodically wipe down leather with a lightly damp sponge to clean off surface dirt.
2. When you store the coat make sure it has room to breathe. If it doesn't have room to breathe or gets too hot it may dry out.
3. Don't spray hairspray or perfume while you are wearing the jacket. These type of sprays on your jacket will damage the finish.
4. Avoid wearing pins on the leather, it will just create a small hole that could turn into a bigger one over time.
5. When your coat becomes wet, let it dry slowly at room temperature with plenty of room to breath. Excessive heat will dry your coat out and can make the leather stiff.
6. If you get a stubborn wrinkle in your jacket you can iron it out with a clothes iron. Put thick paper or a towel over the wrinkle and use an iron on a low setting. Make sure you don't use something that might bleed color in between the iron and the jacket.
7. You can buy water and stain repellant for most jackets for less than $10.00. Ask the store where you bought the jacket what they recommend. They may even sell some. They can also tell you if your jacket already has water or stain repellant on it. Some of these repellants are very dangerous and should be used with proper ventillation.
8. Lastly, when you hang your jacket use a coat hanger, not a wire hanger. A wire hanger may alter the jacket's shape and make the shoulders look bad. Leave some room on either side of the jacket so it can breathe.
Do you have any tips for caring for a leather coat to add? Post them below.
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