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Washing leather jackets

sweetfights

My Mail is Forwarded Here
Messages
3,231
Location
Canada
I’ve washed when needed. The black Schott suede type 3 I picked up needed it badly. There were spots where the suede had been worn to an almost finished side shine. I was apprehensive to say the least. Thankfully the suede completely rejuvenated. Only down side, if there is one, is that it now fades like a denim jacket.
View attachment 601607
I wondered about washing suede. When you say it fades like denim, what do you mean brother?
 

bigmanbigtruck

Familiar Face
Messages
53
I wondered about washing suede. When you say it fades like denim, what do you mean brother?
probably mean something along the lines of the pic below. would be more dramatic where the sleeve creases are especially
1713737421797.png
 

zebedee

One Too Many
Messages
1,846
Location
Shanghai
If you have to wash a leather jacket, put it in a pillow case, cold rinse, no detergent, 15 mins in the machine.

Dry outside over about three days. Condition with Renapur or Obenauf or whatever.

You might weaken the stitching slightly if you don't use a pillow case. You will screw up the pillow case. Personally, I wouldn't wash a leather jacket unless you're covered in building site dust/chalk/fallout.
 

VansonRider

One of the Regulars
Messages
220
I’ve washed leather jackets and super heavy wool overcoats in the tub, haven’t had any issues.
The trick is the drip dry without deforming or tearing.
I use folding step ladder.

I take the coat, wash and rinse in the tub, and then let the coat sit in the empty tub for an hour.

Then raise up the collar and shoulders onto the first step of the ladder, in the tub, the water drains out of the bit on that step.

Move the collar and shoulders up to the next step, wait a bit, the next step, wait… and so on, until the entire coat is up on the ladder.

Leave it over night to drop in the tub.

The next day It’s dry enough to hang it and it won’t make a puddle on the floor.

I’ll open up the coat, drape and shape it over the ladder, sometimes I put a rolled up towel inside across the shoulders, sometimes I use a thick wetsuit type coat hanger.

Then I set up a fan and blow air into it. I make sure there’s some air moving through the sleeves, too.

Then it’s dry in about 24/36 hours. I can wash a heavy wool watch coat, like 7/8 pounds of wool, and it’s dry and ready to wear 48 hours later.

This is how I lanolize my coats and woolens
 

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