Leather Care Guide

Leather is tough, leather is durable, leather is adaptable, but leather also needs to be cared for. Let’s learn how to look after leather together.

What is leather?

There’s no way of sugarcoating this—leather is animal skin. That’s just what it is. Of course, leather is treated and processed, but, ultimately, it’s animal skin. This gives leather many useful and desirable qualities but, since it’s a natural material, you’ll have to give it a bit of love and care.

Why leather needs proper maintenance

If leather dries out it can stiffen and crack, if it’s overheated it can warp, and if you leave it exposed to moisture for too long it can become susceptible to mould. You don’t want that.

Preserving the longevity of leather

Leather is naturally durable but if you neglect it, it will scratch and scuff or harden or warp. There are ways you can ensure the long and happy life (or afterlife, really, if we’re being pedantic) of your leather, whether that be via cleaning, conditioning, storage methods, or repair tricks.

Is leather water resistant

Leather is a bit water resistant but it’s not waterproof. You’re going to stay dry underneath your leather, and plenty of water will run off a leather jacket, but leather is naturally porous, so if you expose your leather to water for an extended amount of time, it’s going to get upset with you. If you’re planning on walking for miles in the rain to clear your thoughts or whatever, just whack a Sherlock on and grab your Umbrella.

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Tools you’ll need to care for leather

There are certain products that can make caring for your leather easy-breezy, namely leather conditioner and specialised leather cloths.

Leather conditioner

When leather ages it can dry and crack as a result of losing some of its natural oils. That makes leather less flexible and accelerates the aging process and suddenly, you’re in a dry, brittle cycle. Leather conditioner helps to keep your leather supple and… healthy? Poor choice of word but you know what we mean.

Leather cloths

Leather cloths are specially designed not to scuff or damage leather as you clean or polish. Leather is tough but even tough guys need a cuddle every now and then. A specialised leather cloth allows you to keep everything looking and feeling great with a soft touch.

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How to clean leather

If your leather gets dirty, mucky, clarty, hacky, filthy, or any other kind of unclean, it's not the end of the world. This can be remedied. There are ways of going about cleaning your leather, though. Read on to avoid disaster.

Can you wash leather?

Yes you can but, for the love of all that is holy in this world, do not wash a leather jacket or any other kind of leather in a washing machine. Please. Just don’t do it. As we mentioned earlier, prolonged exposure to water is a terrible idea for leather. The water will get into the pores and just wreak havoc.

Wiping down with a damp cloth

Using a damp cloth and gently wiping down your leather is the best way to clean it. This should remove most surface-level stains. Let it dry naturally—not on a radiator—and it’ll be fine.

Using leather-safe cleaning products

For those pigheaded, stubborn stains, you may require the help of speciality, leather-safe cleaning products. You can find these products online pretty cheaply—just check the label. Don’t go overboard when applying cleaning products—you can always use more if necessary.

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How to protect leather from cracks

When leather dries out and loses some of its natural oils, it has a tendency to harden and crack, like pork crackling. You don’t want to be wearing a pork crackling jacket. You’re not Lady Gaga. Unless you are, in fact, Lady Gaga and you’re reading this, in which case disregard the previous statement.

Applying leather conditioner regularly

Using a proper leather conditioner every six to 12 months is the best way to prevent your leather from drying and cracking. Just pop it in your calendar—it won’t take you long, and it will extend the life of your leather considerably.

How to repair leather cracks

A faint scratch can usually be buffed out with a little gentle elbow grease and a cloth. Deeper scratches or cracks require more attention. You may need to apply speciality leather filler, and then buff over the top to even everything out—like when you need to fill a hole in a wall where your mate has had too many negronis and put his knee through it. If that doesn’t work, you’ll need to hit up a professional and have your leather properly restored—that’s a last resort, though, and if you look after your leather properly, it won’t come to that.

Storing leather properly

As with most natural materials, hang your leather up, keep it dry, keep it cool, and keep it out of direct sunlight. This is a good general rule to live by if you’re unsure how to store just about anything, to be honest.

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