Leather Care Guide

Treat your leather jacket like the valuable item is the best way to ensure it stays supple, soft, smooth, and clean.

1. Keep the leather jacket dry.

Avoid wearing your leather jacket in rainy weather. Make sure that you hang it out to dry immediately if it does get wet.

2. Hang the jacket correctly.

Never leave your jacket folded for a long period of time, as this can encourage creases and cracks in the leather. Instead, hang it on a wide, preferably padded hanger in a well-ventilated closet.

Never leave the jacket in the sunlight, as that can quickly discolor the jacket. Whatever you do, don’t store your jacket on a wire hanger. You’re asking for weird “bumps” in the shoulders. After you hang it, don’t shove it into your closet among dozens of other coats. Give it some space!

3. Keep the jacket away from heat.

The heat will dry out and cause the leather to become brittle and crack. Never lay your jacket on or near a radiator or heating vent, and never iron or steam it yourself.

4. Use a leather conditioner.

Leather will always naturally lose some of its moisture, but using a reputable leather conditioner on finished leather can prolong its life.

5. Don’t clean at home.

You shouldn't try to clean it at home unless you have the experience or aren’t worried about causing irreparable harm to your leather jacket. Some cleaning labels may say that you can wash your leather jacket in a washing machine, but any small misstep can cause serious damage.

6. Stay anonymous.

Don’t put a sticky name tag on suede or leather. When you peel it off, chances are you’ll take some fabric with it, or worse, leave an adhesive mark.

7. Professional Leather Cleaning.

Even if you have been caring for your jacket properly, you should still have your leather jacket professionally cleaned at least once a year or more, depending on how often you wear it. A professional leather cleaner will know exactly what type of cleaning process to use (dry or wet cleaning, both of which can be used on leather jackets) based on the type of leather, color, and style as well as how to remove any stains (even dreaded ink stains).

If your leather jacket has gotten a little dirty, lost some of its colors, or developed cracks, a professional leather cleaning service can restore its vibrancy and repair the damage so you can keep wearing your leather jacket for years to come.