A leather jacket, unlike cotton or other types of clothing textiles, cannot be cleaned in the washing machine and dryer. If you try to wash a leather jacket in submerged water, the color may fade, the material may deteriorate and the jacket may lose its shape or break. Sweat stains are a common problem that appear on the edges of leather collars and cuffs. Sweat spots are often oily and appear as dots on the skin. Sweat stains should be removed carefully so as not to damage the delicate fabric. Anyone can remove sweat stains from a black leather jacket if they use the right methods.
Washing a sweaty leather jacket: our step-by-step method
Inspect the jacket
The first thing to do is to check if the jacket is genuine leather and not made from scrap material or imitation leather.
So usually start by looking for the care label on the inside of the leather jacket. The label should be on the inside of the jacket near the seam that joins the jacket pieces or near the back of the neck, at the level of the collar. If you can’t find the label in these places, look inside the jacket along the seams or in the inside pockets.
This is an important first step to avoid damaging the leather. It is best to read and follow the care instructions carefully.
Wet the cloth and use the detergent.
Although it may not seem appropriate, you will clean the jacket special (street & steel leather jacket) with water, but in a small amount.
Place the jacket on a clean surface. Next, dip the washcloth in a bowl of warm water. Then twist it until it is moist to the touch.
Before cleaning and using the washcloth on the entire jacket, test a very small area in an inconspicuous area for damage.
Once this test is done, put a washcloth on the leather of the jacket to clean it, and then wipe the entire outer surface of the leather jacket with a soft cloth.
Next, be sure to follow the directions on the jacket label to apply a leather cleaner to any sweat stains on the jacket. As in the previous step, it is best to test the product on a small area first.
To avoid damaging the leather surface of the jacket, use a soft cloth to apply the cleaner. Using a cloth, gently apply the cleaning product to any sweat stains. Among the most used products, we find glycerin soap, cleansing milk, glycerin, or clay stone.
Once the product has been applied to these areas, gently wipe the entire jacket with a clean towel or cloth to avoid moisture marks. Clean the outside of the leather jacket with a soft cloth, working from front to back.
Finally, hang the leather jacket on a hanger to dry to prevent moisture from forming. Ideally, it should be hung in a well-lit area but not in direct light and away from rooms such as the kitchen that can smell or create new greasy stains.
This article may also interest you: How to restore sun-stained clothes?
Should a sweat stain be treated once?
If, after cleaning your leather jacket, you cannot completely remove all the sweat stains, it is best to have a professional clean the jacket without damaging it. will be equipped with the best practices of
A professional will certainly perform dry cleaning which will not only remove sweat stains but also repair and restore the leather jacket.
Also, you can avoid the appearance of new sweat stains by taking care of your jacket and maintaining it regularly. In the future, to help protect the jacket, consider purchasing a leather spray specifically designed to seal the material. Finally, to remove sweat stains from your leather jacket, avoid using fabrics with abrasive textures as these types of rough textiles will damage the surface of the leather.
And for the smell, what do we do?
Once the stain is gone, you may need to deal with another problem: sweat odor.
The first thing to know is that sweat is not responsible for the smell of your clothes. Bacteria growing in your armpits, combined with deodorant and poor washing practices, can cause this problem.
For strong sweat odors
To get rid of the strong smell of sweat on your shearling leather jacket, follow these instructions:
Lay your garment completely inside out on a flat surface, sprinkle a generous amount of baking soda on the underarm area, and let it sit overnight for at least two hours.
Some of the baking soda will absorb into the fabric and eliminate the sweat odor, as well as the bacteria it creates.
After a while, all you have to do is remove the excess product. If the odor persists, all you have to do is repeat the process.
When the smell is sensible.
If the smell of sweat is very mild but still bothers you on a daily basis, you can hang your clothes on a hanger in the bathroom where it will not get wet.
Place a bucket of warm water mixed with 100 ml of white vinegar under the cloth. Then take a shower in the bathroom and let the steam penetrate the fibers of your clothing.
Then keep it in a ventilated place for best results. You can also use steam with your iron, but the operation seems more delicate.
Another solution is to use a fine brush, a dry, white cloth, and a container with about a liter of warm water and 50 ml of ammonia dissolved in it. Start by brushing the inside of your jacket on the underarm area. If the inside isn’t lined with material that needs brushing, simply wring it out and wipe it with a damp cloth soaked in an ammonia-water mixture.
Be careful, it is important that the cloth is only wet, not saturated with water. Wipe as often as needed and hang your leather jacket on a hanger in a ventilated area.
