Cleaning light and dark leather gloves with folk remedies

Both women and men prefer gloves made of genuine leather in the cold season. The accessory not only saves your hands from chapping and frost, but also complements the look. A classic coat, a beautiful scarf and leather gloves are the image of a truly elegant person. However, in order for an expensive and important accessory to last longer, you need to know how to care for it. Leather gloves become dirty over time, although not as quickly as textile ones, and also become dull and crack. Cleaning them at home is quite simple, knowing several traditional methods.

General cleaning rules

How long your leather products will last depends entirely on how you take care of them.

Let's list the basic rules:

1. The most important thing is timely, and therefore regular, care. It is better to clean every day, even if it seems to you that the surface is not dirty - over time, dust eats deeper into the skin and becomes more difficult to remove.
2. Leather goods cannot be machine washed. Hand care only.
3. Moisture is harmful to leather gloves. Moreover, water of any temperature. Despite the fact that the leather is impregnated with a moisture-repellent agent, you should not play snowballs. Also, do not forget a leather accessory in “wet” places - a swimming pool, sauna or bathhouse.
4. Never place leather goods on batteries. High temperatures will cause cracks to appear.
5. Leather gloves can only be cleaned with a soft cloth. Hard brushes can damage the leather and leave scratches.

Adviсe

• If it is heavily soiled, you should contact a dry cleaner. Then the products are guaranteed not to deteriorate and will become like new;
• After treatment with chemicals, softening compounds must be applied to avoid drying out.

If your old gloves no longer look attractive, you shouldn’t immediately throw them in the trash and go to the store for new ones. There are many methods that help you tidy up the accessory yourself, restore its shape and color. In the future, it is important to ensure timely care of the gloves - if you delay, the process will become more complicated.

When cleaning, keep in mind that the item cannot tolerate large amounts of water. It is also important to protect products from rain.

Cleaning dark gloves

Most often, people purchase leather accessories in dark colors: from different shades of brown to black or dark blue. Or even dark red. They are more practical, fit better with other things, and last even longer, because signs of wear are less noticeable on them.

Cleaning gloves depends greatly on their color. Dark products cannot be treated with products that contain bleaching components.

Soap

The easiest way to clean leather gloves from dirt is with a soap solution:

1. Mix warm, not hot, water with soap shavings, dishwashing gel or a small amount of laundry detergent to create “soapy” water.
2. Wear one glove on your left hand, and on your right hand, which you will be cleaning, it is better to wear a protective nitrile work glove to protect your skin from the cleaning agent.
3. Lightly soak a cotton pad, soft cloth or fiber cloth in the soapy water and wipe the surface with it.
4. Do not wet the haberdashery too much.
5. Lay leather items to dry horizontally, preferably on a towel, so that the water is absorbed immediately.

Vinegar + alcohol + water

This home method is suitable for cleaning noticeable dirt and will also get rid of unpleasant odors, if necessary. Vinegar adds shine and eliminates odor. The alcohol will cleanse the skin of dirt. Water will soften this seemingly “nuclear” composition.

Procedure:

1. Mix all ingredients equally.
2. Apply to skin using a soft cloth or sponge using circular motions.
3. Clean and see: if the stains are not gone, repeat the procedure.
4. Wipe the surface with a cloth soaked in clean water.
5. Dry away from radiators or sunlight - this is an important condition; its violation will cause cracking of the skin.

Ammonia

A mixture of water and ammonia solution will help get rid of stubborn dust and abrasions on dark items:

1. Take a small plate or other container.
2. Pour 100 ml of water into it and about 1/4 of this amount of ammonia (1 tbsp is enough).
3. Soak a soft cloth in the resulting solution.
4. Clean away dirt.
5. Be sure to wipe your gloves with clean water.

After such cleaning, it is better to dry the products directly on your hands, since treatment with ammonia can cause them to decrease in size and become rough.

After the products have dried, rub them with baby cream, castor oil or any other emollient.

Gasoline + turpentine

The most radical way to help clean leather gloves from serious dirt is as follows:

1. Mix 1 part gasoline in 2 parts turpentine.
2. Soak a rag in the mixture and treat the leather surface.

Be prepared for a strong, strong odor. Don't worry, it will disappear over time, but we recommend carrying out such aggressive cleaning at the end of the season, when you can forget about protecting your hands from the cold for several months.

Proper drying

Wet accessories should always dry on a horizontal surface located away from heating devices . The only exception is drying on a mannequin. You cannot use a hair dryer on your skin. It becomes deformed due to drying out. By placing the gloves on a soft terry towel or wrapping them, you can naturally speed up the process a little. When dry, straighten and smooth the skin with your hands . Then be sure to treat with a softening compound.

Cleaning white and light-colored gloves

To clean light-colored haberdashery, more gentle methods are used, since all imperfections are more noticeable on it. Also, white products can acquire a yellow or even gray tint over time. But you can return them to their original color.

Egg white

The best way to clean leather white gloves is to whip up an egg white. It will not only whiten yellow spots, but also add shine to the skin.

Procedure:

1. Separate the white from the yolk.
2. Beat it until foamy using a mixer.
3. Wet your gloves with soapy water or just water before applying the protein. Cleaning a dry surface using this method is more difficult.
4. Distribute the protein evenly on the leather product using a cotton swab or rag.
5. Leave it on for a few minutes.
6. Remove the mixture with a wet cloth and wipe dry.

Lemon juice

Light leather models can be brought back to life with lemon juice. Citrus will clean dirt and whiten stains.

Lemon juice will not harm the skin; on the contrary, it will even soften it a little:

1. Squeeze the juice from 1 lemon or dilute citric acid in water.
2. Before applying the juice, it is recommended to wipe off dust from the gloves and clean them from fresh dirt that has not yet been ingrained inside.
3. Apply the juice in a thin layer.
4. Leave for 25-30 minutes.
5. Wet the sponge with plain water and wipe the leather material.

Bulb

Onions will return white color and remove stains from light leather items:

1. Cut the onion in half.
2. Use slices to go over the stains.
3. Then wash off the remaining onion juice with water.

The smell can be removed using an orange - wipe the pulp on a light leather surface.

Cosmetic milk

You can also clean white haberdashery using makeup remover milk. The composition of these products is approximately the same, so there is no need to buy a special product - use the one you have.

How to use:

1. Wipe the surface of the gloves with water.
2. Apply a little product to a cotton pad and rub it over the skin.
3. Leave to act for a few minutes.
4. Rinse with water, wipe dry with a cloth or dry sponge.

This method will not only remove dirt, but also give the skin shine and restore softness.

Advice! It is better to use a product without a strong smell. For the best whitening results, milk labeled “Nutritional” is suitable.

Proper care

The most important thing you need to know is that you can put this accessory in order not only from specialists, but also yourself at home.

There are several types of care:

• Everyday (dry). Every day you need to wipe your gloves with a dry cloth or brush to remove dust.
• General (wet). This is a more in-depth method. It should be done once a month or whenever the gloves become dirty. For cleansing, you can purchase a special product, or you can prepare it yourself.

Cleaning suede gloves

It is more difficult to clean suede products at home than leather ones, because this can only be done using dry methods. No water. It's all about the pile: if it gets wrinkled, shiny, or even falls out in places, the accessory will lose its appearance. It is important to brush suede regularly with a special brush, raising the pile.

Cleaning Tips:

1. Swipe the brush over the pile in one direction, lifting it up, this way you will clean the material from dust.
2. If stains appear on the suede, use an eraser. Rub it over dirty areas and shake off.
3. If the stains remain in place, use purified gasoline, which is used for refilling lighters. Soak a cotton pad or cloth in it. Rub the dirty area. Leave it like that without rinsing. The smell will disappear after 10-12 hours. After the pile has dried, comb it.

Basic Rules

Standard manual and automatic cleaning is not suitable for leather products. There are many methods for processing gloves. It is important to choose the right detergent to use for cleaning. It must be mixed well with water before use.

Basic rules for cleaning leather gloves:

• It is allowed to wash the item only with soft materials - cotton wool, soft flannel rags, washcloths;
• If the method involves the use of soap foam, then it needs to be treated well with the most contaminated areas;
• After processing, drying should occur naturally. Heating devices should not be used for this purpose;
• For superficial cleansing, the product must be put on your hand;
• If non-soap mixtures are used, then the item is wiped with cotton wool, previously dipped in the product. It needs to be changed frequently;
• Any leather clothing does not tolerate ironing;
• To make the material soft and elastic, you can lubricate it with hand cream or oil (castor oil is suitable);
• It is allowed to apply colorless shoe polish with wax to dark items;
• After applying the cream, you must wait until it is completely absorbed.

Important: Special compositions for cleaning leather items are not always suitable for gloves, because they are made of thin material.

After cleaning procedures, gloves should be lubricated with castor oil.

How to clean the inside of leather gloves?

You have to clean leather goods not only on the outside - it also gets dirty on the inside. Dirt, grease, hand cream residues and other contaminants accumulate on the insulation. The cleaning method depends on the lining material.

If it is synthetic, usually used on demi-season models, then the inner surface can be easily cleaned with ammonia. Dilute 1 tsp. ammonia in 200 ml of water. Turn inside out and wipe the inside of the fabric. Leave the gloves inside out and leave to dry.

If the lining is made of natural materials - fur or wool, this makes cleaning more difficult, since they cannot be wetted with water. You won’t be able to wear an exclusively dry clean or accessory anymore – it will shrink. Take the starch, pour it onto the lining, and rub it in thoroughly. Then turn the gloves inside out and shake out the starch, brushing the lining to completely remove any remaining household cleaner.

Storage recommendations

Try to pay attention to your gloves more often. Their service life depends on the regularity of cleaning. Care is no less important than proper storage. It also has its own nuances:

1. Place gloves in a dark, dry, cool place. The normal temperature for storage is about 20 degrees.
2. It is best to store items in a box rather than a plastic bag. It is important that there is air access and that the accessories “breathe”.
3. Do not fold or bend leather items when storing them for an extended period. There will be creases and cracks may appear.
4. Before putting them away, you can lubricate the leather with glycerin for softness, and comb the suede.

Quick cleaning methods

It often happens that there are twenty minutes left before leaving, and the gloves are dirty. What to do? Go without them? No way, because there are many quick cleaning methods:

• For the first method, you will need purified gasoline. It is necessary to moisten a cotton pad in it and walk over the entire surface. After this, leave the leather gloves in the fresh air to allow the smell to dissipate.
• Milk and kefir are excellent means for cleaning light-colored gloves. It is necessary to mix 250 ml of the product with a spoon of soda and wipe the resulting mixture on the gloves.

Important! In addition to the fact that no trace of dirt will remain, the skin will become much softer.

• Before purchasing gloves, be sure to make sure that they are the perfect size for you, so that later you don’t have to worry about trying to hem or stretch them.
• Caring for gloves made of genuine leather necessarily involves treating their surface with a water-repellent layer. Firstly, if it rains, they will not get wet so quickly, and secondly, by doing so you will protect them from the negative effects of the environment.
• If you want to keep your gloves in perfect condition until the next season by putting them away in the closet, then you need to store this accessory correctly. To do this, cut out brush stencils from cardboard and stick them into each glove. Then put them in a cloth bag. This way you will maintain the shape of the gloves and not interfere with air circulation.
• To restore the shine to your gloves, wipe them with egg white.

Important! If suddenly the accessory has become quite hard, then wipe the surface with castor oil or glycerin - the skin will become much softer.