Leather jackets are a timeless piece from the winter wardrobe that adds class, style and individuality to your look. The perfect shiny leather, the zipper or rib knitted style collars or cuffs and enchanting colors all make you stand out like a star.
It is also considered as an easy wear that can be worn as many times and remain all good. However the real problem starts when you often wear it outdoors especially on a rainy day and it gets wet. The jacket in comparison to any normal clothing takes more time to dry. And in case of real wetness it should be dried completely in order to avoid any sort of damage to the fine leather fabric or the look of the jacket.
Understanding Waxed Leather Jacket
Before making important points on how to dry a leather jacket, it is vital to know the kind of leather you are dealing with. Leather genuinely is porous and has the capacity to absorb moisture from the air and the surrounding environment. However if you own a fine jacket that is waxed it provides a protective layer over it. This reduces the chances of bringing the moisture in the jacket layer and harming the jacket or the inner lining which is usually made of viscose fabric.
Waxed leather jackets are mostly made of real leather, classifying as sheepskin leather or cowhide leather. Whether it’s a jacket for men or for women, a transparent layer of wax is also provided on it for better protection. This enables the jacket to be shielded from extreme moisture. Therefore owning a waxed leather jacket would be a great option, making it comfortable, stylish and long lasting for all outdoors and occasions.
However if you have a lovely leather varsity jacket that has been wet in rain or you have washed it, then some important measures should be taken to ensure complete drying ensuring better protection and endurance of your favorite biker or leather aviator jacket.
Remove Extra Water
When you get hold of a wet leather jacket, the foremost step total is to ensure all the water is dripped off. The water should not be lingering from the jacket at all.
You can hang your jacket on a hanger all opened up to let the excess water drip off completely. Also another way is to take a fresh towel or a washcloth and blot the jacket until most of the water from the surface is gone.
Always make sure never to expose your jacket to any sort of heat for drying because it will harm or damage the quality of the leather material. Many people try to use a hair dryer, iron or garment steamer which results in crackling of the upper layer of the leather jacket. The safest way is to blot it with a piece of any soft cloth for better results.
Hang It Up properly
After letting the excess water completely take off from the jacket, it’s time to hang the jacket. You can hang your jacket on a coat hanger, or hang it up someplace in the house so that it will dry naturally. Best places are the ones that are airy, for example open balcony, laundry room or just at the roof of your house.
Drying the jacket naturally is the best option, hanging it up properly will ensure complete and proper dryness. Do not leave the jacket to dry, cramped up between other clothes or not spread out in the proper way. Because if it is not spread up in the right way the leather jacket will take a longer time to dry and will harm the quality of the genuine real leather.
Turn on a Fan
You can hurry up the drying progression by means of a fan. Once you select a place in your house to hang your leather jacket you should turn on the fan. If you have a pedestal fan you can please in a position that will blow direct air towards the leather jacket. And this will speed up the drying process for the jacket and it will be all nicely dried in a jiffy.
Rub on Conditioner
Once your jacket is entirely withered and becomes dry, you should condition it. Conditioning is the procedure of hydrating and moisturizing leather with a product known as a leather conditioner. Leather can withstand harm if it stays wet for a longer period of time. However, conditioning a jacket with a proper leather jacket moisturizer, it will ensure long lasting security of the jacket.
Tips to protect your leather jacket
If it’s raining outside, make sure to carry an umbrella for better protection. It will shield you and your jacket properly from getting wet.
Refrain from machine washing the leather jacket, if you wish to clean it use a warm soft cloth and damp wet it and clean the areas that are most dirty or have dirt or spots. Spot cleaning ensures a good easy and gentle take on the leather for longer use.
You can also try a hoodie, this will make sure to not let water reach your head as well as your entire jacket. There are many leather jackets that comes with better option of hoodie so if you are one of this people who has to wear jackets all the time outside and live in a place that receives rain most of the time, then you should opt for this option in order to protect your jacket from getting entirely wet all the time.
You should also store your jacket in a climate-controlled space. Mostly the rooms in the house are climate controlled so keeping a leather jacket there is a good idea. However do avoid storing or hanging your jacket in the basement or attic or garage area that can get damp or moist and would bring in the humidity to your jacket.
So these are some of the basic yet useful tips for all those leather jacket lovers to protect and keep your jackets all good in shape for a longer period of time.