Caring for Your Leather Apparel – Part II – Cleaning

Wouldn’t it be great if you could just toss your expensive leather teddy outfit into the laundry pile along with your jeans and sweaty socks? If it were that easy, you wouldn’t need Fifi, would you? In this Part II of my series on leather apparel care – cleaning – I explain the proper techniques for washing wearable leather items, which cleaning products to use, which ones to avoid, and provide stain by stain advice, from body fluids on up. Read on if you want to protect the value of that chic leather jacket by learning how to keep it clean and blemish free forever.

Before you roll your sleeves up however, stop. Think about what you’re about to do. If you feel the slightest bit hesitant about dunking your fine leather piece under the water, then call a professional. This isn’t for the faint of heart after all. Just make sure you find one that can really do the job. Call around and ask questions. Does the candidate cleaner understand how leather is bonded and treated? Does the establishment clean leather apparel regularly? Does it have references you can call? Obviously in the case of suede, expensive designer handbags or other specialty or high end leather items you will definitely want a professional to help you. Just make sure you find a reputable one.

Cleaning Your Leather

Let's get the bad news out of the way first: Some stains simply cannot be removed – paint, ink, and chemicals are a few of these. The better news: Softer stains like water, dust, urine, dirt, juices and other liquids can be cleaned if you get to them right away. There isn’t much to the actual procedure of cleaning your leather apparel. Just use lukewarm to warm water and a mild soap like baby shampoo. This proves to be the best solution for most stains, even greasy ones. For extra stubborn stains, apply baby shampoo directly onto the stain, blot with a rag, then rinse thoroughly. Alternatively, you can use a leather-specific cleaning product in place of baby shampoo. Just be sure to select one that preserves the natural lubricating oils applied by the tannery, perform a color-fast safety check on an inconspicuous area of the leather beforehand, and follow the directions on the bottle.

For cleaning, use a soft rag like a cotton diaper or a soft sponge. Nubuck cloth is a great choice for many difficult stains on Nubuck leather (go to www.leathermasterbymail.co.uk for a detailed analysis on how to treat specific Nubuck leather stains and more). Once finished cleaning, gently squeeze the leather to expulse the rinse water. Do not ring or twist the leather to squeeze the water out. Be sure to completely dry all metal snaps, zippers or other fittings so they don’t rust. Then lay the leather garment out flat on a clean, dry towel to absorb any residual wetness. Allow it to dry at room temperature which can take up to two to three days. Finally, protect with your leather protector and conditioner (see our post on conditioning and protecting leather for instructions on how to apply these) and hang it in a cool, dry environment. Do not cover the garment, and be sure to hang it on broad, padded hanger leaving space on each side of the garment while it is hanging.

Congratulations, you did it! Yep, that’s it and I mean it. Whatever you do, don’t embellish the cleaning process with anything else (except for specific stains which we describe below). To do so will invite disaster.

Fifi's List of Don'ts When Cleaning Leather

DON'T:

• Scratch at the stain with your fingernails and never use anything abrasive like a scratchy pad, brush, or toothbrush. While these work wonders on some of your poly blends, they will leave permanent scratches on leather.
• Use laundry detergents, chemicals, dish soap, or any other soap or detergents. Stick with the baby shampoo. Alternatively, if you’ve found a leather cleaning product, don’t use it until you’ve completed a “color fast” safety check on an inconspicuous area of the leather. Most are safe, but it never hurts to be cautious.
• Leave any soapy residue as this will cause the leather to stiffen and crack. Rinse thoroughly!
• Hang to dry on a metal wire hanger as you will risk distorting the leather’s shape with it.
• Use a hair dryer or any other heat source to dry the garment.
• Wipe stains. Always blot instead.

How to Treat Specific Stains

• Oils, grease and oily lubricants will be difficult to erase, but try baby shampoo mixed with a few tablespoons of water. Apply the baby shampoo solution by rubbing the stains gently. Rinse well. If this doesn’t work, try lifting the stain by applying ground blackboard chalk (after it is dry again, of course). Sprinkle the chalk powder on the stain and let sit for about a day. Don’t rub the chalk powder on the leather - just let it sit.
• Sweat and odors will come out if you wash the garment in baby shampoo and warm water. Some resources suggest corn starch, but by applying corn starch will risk compromising the quality of the garment, scratching it or staining it further. Another acceptable option is to allow the garment to soak in a solution of one teaspoon bicarbonate soda to one quart of warm water.
• Wax can be lifted by placing blotting paper on the leather and ironing with a cool or low temperature setting. Brown paper is also effective.
• Mold and mildew respond best to a solution consisting of one cup rubbing alcohol and one cup water. Dip a clean, soft cloth in the solution and gently wipe the stain. For stubborn mildew stains use mild soap containing a germicide and water. Wipe the excess soap with a clean cloth and let dry.
• Blood stains should be removed immediately with warm soapy water. Blood allowed to remain in contact will cause the leather to stiffen and will smell and will be difficult to restore.
• Urine is acidic and very damaging to leather, usually leaving behind discoloring spots or streaks. Wash the urine out right away using warm soapy water with baby shampoo. If urine remains in contact with the leather the damage will be irreversible.
• Disinfect away germs by soaking leather apparel in a solution of one teaspoon of bleach to one gallon of water for twenty to thirty minutes. Be sure to rinse thoroughly as bleach will damage leather if left on contact.

Leather apparel will maintain its original condition when you attend to stains immediately, clean it regularly, and clean it properly. Treat stains according to their type. If in doubt, call a professional.

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Caring for Your Leather Apparel - Part I - Conditioning

Let's face it - purchasing a leather garment comes with the same responsibility as caring for your own skin. Think about the similarities. Your new fetish leather corset is porous and needs to breathe. You need to be choosy about how to store and hang that sexy new leather harness because it can wrinkle or sag. That shiny new leather jacket IS a skin, after all! But while you'll never have to worry about dark circles under the eyes with your leather (thankfully), still consider your purchase as the beginning of a committed relationship. Doing so will ensure you keep your beloved leather healthy and supple for a lifetime.

Resources for caring for leather apparel run deep and wide, but the topic falls into roughly three domains: Conditioning, cleaning and caching (or storing). This article focuses on conditioning of your leather apparel. Subsequent articles will focus on cleaning and caching.

The Label is Your Contract

As you're shopping amidst tangled rows of chains, hangers and leather looking for the right size, look also at the manufacturer's care label. Follow the manufacturers care instructions exactly. Thinking of that tiny label as a little contract between you and the manufacturer and vendor is your best defense for a refund after you attempted to protect your coat and weren't satisfied with the results. If your item experiences damage in the form of discoloration, bubbling, warping, cracking or similar due to the application of a protector or conditioner you used at the recommendation of the vendor or manufacturer, take it back in the original store bag, receipt in tow, for a full refund. In the case of an online retailer, follow the retailer's instructions for a Return Merchandise Authorization (RMA) number and send it back, but take a picture first (just in case)

Protecting your Leather

In case the scenario above alarmed you, don't be. Its purpose is to simply reinforce the importance of following the label instructions. It's worth repeating that following the instructions on the label is your best insurance for life long, good looking leather. Those instructions will usually direct you to purchasing protectors and conditioners. So when the store clerk asks you if you would like to purchase leather conditioners and protectors with your new leather jacket or outfit, reply confidently with a resounding "Yes certainly, thank you!" These important accessories will only set you back about ten dollars or less a piece, an expense well worth it for extending the life (and investment) of your leather item.

Fifi says

"...consider your purchase as the beginning of a committed relationship. Doing so will ensure you keep your beloved leather healthy and supple for a lifetime."

Let's be clear: A leather "protector" is specifically designed to act as a water and oil repellant by forming an invisible barrier to protect against wine, coffee, water, oils, urine and etc., any of which will cause your leather to crack and stiffen. A leather "conditioner" conditions the leather by working with the natural surfactants imbued by the tannery to preserve that natural softness that is leather's alone. For both protectors and conditioners, avoid greasy products as these fill the leather's pores and making cleaning and conditioning more difficult. Realize however that all protectors will tend to fill the pores to a degree to form the necessary moisture barrier.

After making sure your leather is clean and dry, treat the entire leather garment by applying the protector lightly. After allowing it to dry naturally, reapply. Be sure to follow the directions on the bottle. Repeat the application periodically. Now you are ready to wear your leather.

Some recommended protector products include:

• Scotchgard Clothing & Leather Protector (4 stars out of 5 on Amazon as of this writing)


• Tana Style 16 Protective Spray protects (well known, recommended for all types of leather)


• Leather Master Protection Cream (5 out of 5 stars on detailersdomain.com)


• The Spinneybeck Finished Leather Maintenance Kit is popular

Conditioning Your Leather

Leather apparel needs conditioning just like any other leather. Again, the oils contained in good conditioners will work with natural oils of the leather, penetrating the fibers to replenish and restore its suppleness.Let's start with a list of common mistakes people make when conditioning their leather. Don't:

• Attempt to condition or oil your leather when it is dirty, dusty or wet. The danger here is that the dirt or dust will scratch the leather, block the conditioner from the leather, and just make a worse mess in general.


• Use a cloth that is not soft enough and which can scratch the leather. Many recommend using a 100% cotton diaper or Nubuck cloth for applying and buffing with conditioner.


• Use a substandard product, one that is too old, too greasy or which contains petroleum, silicon or mineral oils. These products tend to plug the pores and will eventually damage your leather apparel.


• Apply conditioner before performing a spot check. Always apply new conditioner to a small, inconspicuous section first as a color safety check.

Fortunately conditioning leather is easy. Start by applying a thin coat of conditioner and softly work it into your leather apparel. You should let the fibers absorb the conditioner before wiping up any residue. The great thing about conditioning leather is that you can do it as often you want. The leather will let you know you are over-conditioning by not absorbing the excess amount. Make sure you wipe up any excess with another clean, soft cloth since left over conditioner, besides appearing unsightly, can attract dust and dirt and will serve as a medium in which bacteria colonize.

Apply conditioner in this way several times throughout a season, and more if you expose it to intense or prolonged sunlight or other harsh weather conditions. Keep all this in mind when you approach conditioning your leather and you'll be wearing it like a pro for a long, long time!

Some recommended conditioner products for apparel include:

• Lexol Leather Conditioner (5 star rating on mySimon.com, 4.7 stars on Amazon.com. Probably the best known leather conditioner.)


• Mothers Leather Conditioner (4.5 star rating on epinions.com, used on auto leather too)


• Zymol Leather Conditioner (4 star rating on Amazon.com)


• Zelikovitz Professional Leather Conditioner (power user zelikovitzleathers on eBay)

Leather apparel can last for a lifetime if it is regularly maintained and treated well. Just remember that leather is skin. Condition, clean and nourish it as you would your own, and you will help keep it supple and durable for a lifetime.

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Sample Fifi's Lingerie

Hey hunnies! I finally put together a short video sampling some of my favorite pieces (and more covered up!) from my store. Forgive the watermark in the corner and some fuzziness. I'm still figuring this out but kudos goes to me for getting the sound in there. Yeah! So aside from that...click on the "Read More" link below to see the video. What do you think? You get the idea that I've got some pretty sexy, sultry and downright seductive pieces, everything from fetish to fabulous, something for everyone. Besides leather, I also carry vinyl and rubber pieces, for both women and men, including plus sizes. We also ship internationally.

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