he best way to ensure that your leather jacket stays supple, soft, smooth and clean is to treat it like the valuable item that it is. The first step is to read the manufacturer’s label: there may be some specific care instructions for the leather, such as how often to waterproof or condition the jacket. There are also some general guidelines to keep your leather jacket in good shape:
Keep your jacket dry. Avoid wearing your leather jacket in rainy weather. If it does get wet, make sure that you hang it out to dry immediately before putting it away.
Hang your 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 in the sunlight, as that can quickly discolor the jacket. This is particularly important for suede.
Keep your jacket away from heat. Heat will dry out and cause leather to become brittle and crack. Never lay your jacket on or near a radiator or heating vent.
Use a leather conditioner. Leather will always naturally lose some of it moisture, but using a reputable leather conditioner on finished leather can prolong its life.
Don’t clean at home. Unless you have the experience or aren’t worried about causing irreparable harm to your leather jacket, you should not try to clean it at home. Some cleaning labels may say that you can wash your leather jacket in a washing machine, but any small misstep can cause serious damage.
Professional Leather Cleaning: When, Why and How
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 type of stain (even dreaded ink stains).
If your leather jacket has gotten a little dirty, lost some of its color 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.
