A Guide to Cleaning Leather Jackets

A leather jacket is the ultimate item of clothing for any stylish wardrobe. They’re great to bring out season after season and can be paired with so many outfits for both a casual look and a more sophisticated finish. But an uncared for leather jacket doesn’t have the same effect. Follow our step-by-step guide on caring for and cleaning leather jackets to keep them looking and smelling as fresh as the day you bought them.

How to Clean Your Leather Jacket

As blanket guidance for leather jackets, you should never wash leather jackets in the washing machine or soak them in water to clean them. Follow the guidelines that come with your specific jacket as well as our steps below to be sure your jacket is always in the same pristine condition you bought it in.

1. Get a bowl of warm soapy water and a soft clean sponge. Use the sponge to gently wipe away any obvious dirt/marks in a circular motion. We recommend paying special attention to the collars and cuffs as this is where most dirt collects.
2. Once you have removed the dirt, take a clean dry cloth and wipe away any excess water on the jacket.
3. Allow your jacket to dry completely, we recommend hanging it on a hanger for this so it maintains its shape.
4. Once completely dried, if your jacket looks dull you can use a small amount of leather conditioner or upholstery wax to buff the leather.

Cleaning the Inside of Your Jacket

Whilst leather jackets are a piece of clothing you can wear time and time again, it can be difficult to keep them smelling as fresh as the day you bought them. Our steps below will help you to safely clean the inside of your jacket without damaging the leather.

1. Turn your jacket inside out and spray a fabric spray over the lining of the jacket.
2. Smooth out the lining with your hands ensuring the spray hasn’t saturated any particular areas.
3. Hang the jacket up to dry for 15 minutes, still inside out.
4. After 15 minutes turn the jacket the right way round.

Cleaning Leather and Wool Jackets

Just to complicate things a little bit further, some jackets are a combination of wool and leather, such as our varsity jackets.

For these, clean the leather using the steps above and a bristol brush to remove any dirt from the wool body. If this doesn’t remove the odours, simply spray the jacket using a wool friendly spray to give it a freshen up. For any visible stains on the wool, use a small amount of warm soapy water to dab onto the stain, this should help lift it from the wool. Always allow the jacket to dry flat.

Taking Care of Leather Jackets

Once your leather jacket is clean it’s important to protect it, this way your jacket will stay cleaner for longer and stay in the best condition for seasons to come. We recommend taking these steps to protect your leather jacket every time you wash it.

Apply a waterproof spray for leather to the outside of your jacket. This helps to protect the leather from any liquids and can be bought from most shoe shops and some clothing stores.

To maintain your jacket and improve the appearance of your jacket further, you may choose to use a range of leather waxes and sprays to buff the leather. For these always use ones produced specifically for leather jackets and follow the manufacturers guidelines carefully.

When you first buy a leather jacket they have a pristine shape that is formed through careful manufacturing. This shape can disappear over time if not carefully cared for. By always hanging your jacket up on a hanger when not in use your leather jacket will keep its shape for years to come.

Follow these steps on any of our leather jackets for sale and be confident they will stay as pristine as the day you bought them.