Your leather jacket, the one that you love so much that makes you look so cool, got soaked. It could have happened in a variety of ways. The weather forecast could have been completely wrong and it poured rain on a day where it was supposed to be sunny without a cloud in the sky. Someone might have thought it would be hilarious to push you into the swimming pool - while you were still wearing your leather jacket.
Whatever the case, you’ve now got a very wet leather jacket and you want to get it dry. Should you do something like toss your leather jacket in the dryer? Or would that be the worst possible thing?
Why Is It Important To Dry The Leather Jacket?
Leather clothing is very porous, which means that it retains a lot of water that it’s already absorbed. If you were to just leave the jacket without making any attempt to dry it, then mold would start growing on it. There would also be a foul smell and the jacket would continually be damp.
When you take off your leather coat, you need to figure out how to get it dry fairly quickly before that moldy smell starts taking over. Is it a good course of action to put the leather jacket in the dryer?
What is the Best Way to Dry a Leather Jacket?
Take your leather jacket and start using a soft cloth to pat it dry. Don’t be too rough, you don’t want to damage the material.
After that, the best thing to do with your leather jacket is to air dry it. You don’t want to put it out in the direct sunlight or too close to direct heat. Leather jackets need time to dry out, otherwise you risk there being a lot of damage to the material. Don’t try to rush the drying process.
Make sure that the leather jacket is on a sturdy hanger as well. That way, it will be able to dry while keeping its shape. This will also help keep the mold from forming, since if you do something like bunch it up, that’s going to create damp pockets that are perfect breeding grounds for mold.
How Should I Wash My Leather Jacket?
Leather jackets come in many different styles, but i’s important to keep yours clean. You shouldn’t use harsh chemicals to do this, since that can also damage the natural oils. Instead, you should use a leather conditioner to get certain spots. That way, you won’t be having to worry about excess water being soaked up by the leather material.
You can use a slightly damp cloth to clean a leather jacket. Gently dab at the area, and then you can go about air drying it afterwards.
Will a Dryer Shrink a Leather Jacket?
Yes, it will. The only time that you should want to do this is if you got a jacket that is far too big for you and you want to make it smaller to fit. This is known as leather jacket shrink. This is also one of the only times that you should get it very wet.
You can get the leather jacket wet, either in a bathtub (put it in a bin first so that any colors that run won’t ruin the finish on your tub) or in a washing machine. If you’re doing the bin/bathtub method, you’re going to want to rub out the dye of the jacket.
After that, you can put it in the clothes dryer on the medium heat setting and then you can try the jacket on to see if it fits. If it’s too big, then you can re-do the whole process again.
Does Heat Ruin Leather Jackets?
The main thing that het does is dry up the natural oils in the fabric of the jacket. This is true whether you wear the jacket on a very hot day, where it’s also going to be in the sun a lot, or if you put it in a dryer on a high heat setting.
As far as the outdoor temperatures go, you would probably be OK wearing it on days that are below 60 degrees. After that, you’re just starting to tempt fate to have something go wrong.
Is it OK to Dry Jacket in a Dryer?
There’s one other way that you can get your leather jacket wet that you’re not supposed to - machine washing it. Instead, you can hand wash it with special leather cleaning products. Read the tag inside the jacket about the proper ways to care for it.
Wearing a leather jacket or a faux leather can make you look cool. A leather jacket is also made of durable material, but, as you can see, it can be damaged. If you’re diligent about taking care of it, then you should be fine. Then you will be able to enjoy wearing your leather jacket knowing that it will be in good shape.
Don't Make These Mistakes With Leather Jackets
The first mistake people usually make is when they buy leather jackets, they may buy faux leather instead, which can look like a pale imitation of the real thing. It's not going to feel the same and there's an odor to it that can be nauseating. True leather jackets, on the other hand, smell great to a lot of people. That's thanks to the natural oils, instead of the synthetic ones that faux leather jackets have. Another problem is that the faux leather jackets have a bad habit of fraying from regular wear. Regular leather jackets are much more durable in this regard.
Also, don't think that you should limit your color palette to just brown and tan. It may seem traditional to you, but there are plenty of other colors to choose from. You can get leather jackets that have colors that run the gamut between black and green. There are red ones, yellow ones, and whatever other colors you can think of. They can help you make an excellent fashion statement and turn people's heads while you're out and about. You can really make a statement about your identity with your leather jacket. You can even impress them with an old leather jacket.
When you buy a leather jacket, you also have to think about the thickness of the material. Make sure that you get the right thickness for the climate that you live in. You can even get ones for different seasons. If your springs and summers get warm, you can have a thin layer whereas you can get thicker layers in the fall and winter. It's all about feeling comfortable while you're outside. By paying attention to how thick or thin the material is, you will assure yourself of that.
Another one of the big mistakes is to not get your leather jacket in the proper size. Try it on first and attempt to do certain movements, like bending and stretching. On the other hand, if you look like a child trying to wear an adult jacket, then you've got one that's too big.
You want to get a good quality leather jacket. While there are some on the market that bill themselves as being genuine leather, you'll be able to tell that the craftsmanship is very poor. Even a vintage leather jacket should be able to hold up well if it's made by skilled people. Look to see who the manufacturer is and get it if you recognize the brand. If not, you could always look up reviews on your phone when you're in the store. That way, you'll be able to make a much more informed decision.
There are also ways to accessorize your leather jacket, and shoes play a big part in that. Try to match your shoes with your jacket's color. That way, they won't stand out in a bad way, especially if you're doing something like wearing a red jacket.
Ultimately, what it comes down to is doing the research before buying a leather jacket. Know your tastes and body type. That will help you make the best decision and prevent you from having to make any returns.
If you're going on a trip, you want to make sure that you treat your leather jacket well. That means folding it properly. Otherwise, you risk ruining it. If you're packing a lot of things, then you can take the other clothes that you have and roll them up to make room for the leather jacket. You can use a damp cloth to clean the jacket while traveling, but once you get back home, go to a leather expert to see what they think about any extra care for it. Definitely don't put the leather jacket in the dryer.
As you can see, there are a lot of things that go into owning a leather jacket, including the drying process. You want to have a great looking jacket for a long time. If you follow the above steps, you will increase the odds of that happening. Enjoy!