Sometimes we make the wrong size when buying leather clothes or go a little oversized. To increase these things, you need to know how to stretch the skin. This is not difficult to do if you use effective methods in relation to the fabric. With the help of available tools available in every home, you can make the processing procedure simple and quick.
Accurately determine the composition of a leather jacket
Sometimes a situation arises when a leather product becomes small for some reason. For example, a person gains weight, and the jacket becomes tighter. But sometimes you really want your favorite jacket to fit perfectly. What to do in this case?
The first and most important thing to do at the initial stage is to determine the composition of the leather jacket and make sure that it is truly natural. After all, today's technologies make it possible to obtain types of eco-leather that are almost impossible to distinguish from natural material.
If this cannot be done simply by palpation and visually, then you can find the fold and cut of the seam along the inner edge of the product and very carefully, with a thin blade or small nail scissors, cut off a tiny piece of skin.
Then put it on a saucer and try to set it on fire. If it is genuine leather, then it will not burn or melt, but will only smolder slightly.
Important! Once you have a lump of charred skin, you need to rub it with your fingers. If it disintegrates into ash and has a distinct smell of burnt flesh or burnt meat, then the leather jacket is genuine. Otherwise, when the product is made of eco-leather, the burnt lump forms one continuous coal, which will be difficult to destroy with your fingers.
How to stretch a jacket made of artificial material?
It is more difficult to make a synthetic leatherette product larger - even by 1 size. Faux leather jackets are tougher, so you have to be extra careful. But eco-leather products can be treated with alcohol-containing products. When working with leatherette items, be careful not to tear them.
Hair dryer and thick sweater
If your stylish jacket is small at the shoulders, there's a simple way to make it bigger. Put on a thick sweater, a jacket over it, and zip it up. Treat the tight spots with hot air (temperature 70-80 degrees) using a hairdryer. Continue the procedure for 20-30 minutes, then let the skin cool directly on the body, remove.
Warm shower
Hang the jacket on hangers and stuff it with soft rags. Turn on a warm shower so that no water gets on the product, but steam is created in the bathroom. Close the door and leave the product to “steam” for 1-2 hours.
Alcohol-containing solution
You can increase the size of the jacket by treating areas that need stretching with alcohol or vodka. If there is no lining, wipe the inside with alcohol. Layer the jacket over 2-3 sweaters and wear until dry. After a couple of days, the smell of alcohol will go away and the item will be ready to wear.
Stretching with store-bought products
Once it is determined that the leather jacket is natural, you can begin to stretch it. The easiest way is to use special products that are sold in cans.
To stretch the jacket, spread it skin side up and use a spray bottle to spray the foam over the entire surface. If necessary, you can distribute the product in hard-to-reach places with a sponge or rag.
Next, you need to layer yourself with some thick sweaters - it's important to increase your body size to accommodate a leather jacket for more volume. Wait at least 30 minutes.
Note! If the jacket is unlined, then stretch foam can also be applied from the inside, that is, directly along the split of the leather.
Special means
There are special professional products available for sale that are designed to stretch leather items. Shoe sprays are especially effective.
Advice. Stretch the product moderately, otherwise you may cause cracks to form.
Wear a thick sweater and a leather jacket over it. Spray the product over the entire outer surface and walk like this for 1-2 hours. Then remove your clothes and hang them on a hanger or mannequin. There the fabric should dry completely and absorb all the spray. If after the procedure the item is still too tight for you, then treat it again.
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Using soap solution
If you don’t have the product on hand or you can’t buy it, you can use an ordinary soap solution.
Prepare it this way:
- You will need liquid soap without fragrance or color. Pour approximately 200 g of water and 50 g of soap, mix thoroughly.
- Using a rag or sponge, apply the solution liberally to the outer surface of the skin.
- Put on a few things to increase your size, and then put on a jacket over it, wait about 0.5 hours;
- It is imperative to wash off any remaining soap solution. To do this, simply wipe the outer surface of the product with a cloth under running water.
Effective Ways to Stretch
Before using the methods listed below, wear a few thick sweaters. This is necessary in order to put a leather jacket over them for effective stretching. If the product needs to be increased by half a size, you can use the sweater method yourself. Put them on with a jacket and walk for 3 hours.
Hot water and glycerin
- Fill a clean bucket/basin with very hot running water (do not combine it with cold water). Place the container in the bath so that the hole is directly under the tap. Place the jacket in the basin; it should completely submerge in the water.
- After this, turn on the hot water so that the pressure is low (to maintain temperature). Water should flow for 1-1.5 hours, this is how much time it will take to completely saturate a medium-density product. If your jacket is made of tough leather, soak it in hot water for 30-60 minutes longer.
Soap and hot water
- Before you start processing the product, prepare a soap solution. Mix 200 ml. liquid soap or clear shower gel (fragrance-free!), dilute the composition in 300 ml. boiling water, shake and pour the solution into a spray bottle with a dispenser.
- Soak the jacket in hot water for 1 hour, maintaining the temperature constantly. Take a thick plastic film, lay it on the floor and secure it with tape around the entire perimeter. Remove the jacket from the water (the product should still be warm), sprinkle it with a large amount of soap solution. Treat both the outside and inside of the product.
- Put on a jacket with warm sweaters, fasten the zipper and wait 1.5 hours. At the end of the period, remove the product and repeat the previous steps (soaking, processing). After this, put on your sweaters and jacket again, wait 2.5-3 hours.
Important!
If you don't want to bother with using a soap solution, purchase a spray for stretching leather shoes at a specialty store. Treat the outside with it; do not soak the product in hot water before doing this. Put on your sweaters and jacket, zip up and wait a couple of hours. Remove the jacket and let it dry naturally. If necessary, repeat the procedure again.
Do not shorten the exposure time; when using hot water, the product must be thoroughly soaked. Use colorless and odorless soap to avoid streaks after drying. It doesn’t matter for what reasons you decided to resort to the procedure, the main thing is that there are effective methods for stretching a jacket at home.
Use of vegetable oil
Any type of fat, including vegetable oil, makes the skin structure softer. Therefore, if you soak it in vegetable fat, you can stretch it a little. In order for the effect to be as expected, you should first heat a small amount of oil, or better yet, bring it to a boil.
Then be sure to apply the oil to the surface of the skin while hot. It is necessary to absorb and rub the oily mixture into the skin itself with a sponge.
Put on something thicker and put a leather jacket on top. But in this case you need to wear it on yourself for about 2 hours.
Advice! At this time, you should not sit down and bend your elbows. Since in this way you will stretch the products where it is not needed. As a result of such manipulations, you can simply ruin the thing, giving it an unpresentable appearance.
Preliminary procedures
It is IMPORTANT to make sure whether the jacket is made of genuine leather or not. If the material is artificial, it may not withstand various modifications: stretch marks, stains will appear, the item may simply tear.
Determine the required degree of stretch: 1.2 sizes or more. Pay attention to the color and thickness of the leather. All these factors must be taken into account. Depending on them, choose a method.
Try increasing the size without special procedures. They may not be needed. Put on several warm sweaters, then a jacket, and walk around like this for several hours. Soft skin is quickly stretched, the procedure will take about an hour. For thick, dense skin, it may take more time and repeated repetitions. If it doesn’t help, use auxiliary means.
If the jacket is more than a size too small, find someone who will fit it. If a person wears a lot of warm clothes under the product and spends several hours in it, the natural material will stretch.
Spray or foam
The products are sold in any shoe stores; they are intended for stretching leather shoes.
Take the item you want and carefully spray the outside of it. If there is no lining, pay attention to the inner one. Throw on a few warm layers to add extra volume, then put on a jacket. Leave it like this for about an hour, remove it and let it dry. Repeat several times if necessary. IMPORTANT: for hard, dense types, you must first allow the product to absorb: leave the product for half an hour.
Soap
Take soap without fragrances/dyes, warm water. Mix them in a ratio of 1:4. Add the resulting mixture to a spray bottle and moisten the product generously. If you need to stretch the item greatly, process both sides: the outer and inner.
Put on a thick sweater, a jacket over it, and spend about 40 minutes in it. After removing, re-treat, put on and stay in it until the soap dries completely. Then remove the residue with a damp cloth.
REFERENCE : the method is not suitable for products made of thick leather: soap will not saturate the material.
Vegetable oil
Pour the required amount of oil into the pan and wait until it boils. Treat the surface of the jacket with oil (be careful!). For convenience, use a cloth or thick napkin. Put the product on and spend several hours in it. Try to bend your arms as little as possible to avoid the “extended elbows” effect. Periodically lubricate the areas that hurt the most with oil. After completing the procedure, rinse thoroughly with warm water and dry.
Soaking + glycerin
Take a container of a suitable size and pour hot water into it.
HELP: the temperature should not exceed 60 degrees, otherwise the product will deteriorate. Place the required item in the container so that it is completely submerged in water.
Wait about 2 hours: during this time the material will be saturated with water, soften, and its color will become more uniform.
“Stuffing”: take the required number of things, place them in bags. Remove the jacket from the container and hang it on a hanger. Fasten the product, stuff it tightly and thoroughly with the prepared material. Take it out into the fresh air and let it dry completely (about 5 hours).
HELP: it is better to choose those periods of the day when the sun is not very bright. Avoid direct sunlight on the material, they will negatively affect its structure.
After drying, thoroughly treat the entire surface of the item with glycerin. For convenience, moisten a cloth, napkin or sponge with the substance. The procedure removes residual moisture from the material and gives it shine and its usual luster. Then take the jacket out into the fresh air again: it will take about 6 hours for the glycerin to absorb. Only after complete drying is it necessary to remove the stuffing from the product.
Laundry soap
First, soak the product in hot water.
It is IMPORTANT to constantly maintain a high temperature, but not to allow it to rise to 60 degrees - this threatens to deform the surface.
Take half a liter of water at the same temperature and dissolve a piece of laundry soap in it. Mix thoroughly and pour the liquid into a spray bottle. Take out the jacket, hang it on hangers and moisten it generously with the resulting solution: both outside and inside. After treatment, dry it for 5 hours in the fresh air. After drying, stuff it tightly with various soft rags or clothes and leave in this position for 24 hours. Then remove the stuffing and thoroughly rinse off the remaining soap from the material, and dry it again in fresh air.
Hot water
Another easy way is to simply run the outside of your leather jacket under hot water. It is necessary to ensure that the streams flow exactly along the outside of the product and do not fall inside.
In this case, the jacket is also worn over several items and worn for a certain period of time, which is more significant than in previous stretch options. Ideally, a person walks in such a wet jacket for at least 6 hours. This way the product can actually take the right size.
Important! In this case, restrictions on bending the arms at the elbow joints also apply. And in long garments you should not sit down, so as not to stretch the jacket at the hips.
Using these simple tips, you can slightly stretch leather products and achieve a more comfortable fit for the item on a person.
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If the jacket has become stiff
If, after improper drying, the jacket not only shrinks, but also becomes stiff, you will have to take drastic measures. You will need:
- hot water;
- glycerol;
- large pelvis;
- a lot of plastic bags;
- a lot of old clothes and just rags;
- scotch.
Important! The water should be very hot - it is best not to mix it with cold.
- Fill the basin with water, do not close the tap completely.
- Place the jacket in the basin until it sinks completely.
- Apply low pressure, place the basin under the tap and leave it all alone for one and a half to two hours, just make sure that the hole in the bath is open.
- Wait until the item is completely saturated - you can tell by the color, the jacket will become completely monochromatic.
- After a couple of hours, take out the product and touch the skin - it should be warm and soft.
- Button up your jacket.
- Fill plastic bags with rags and old clothes.
- Tape them tightly.
- Fill your jacket with bags, not forgetting the sleeves.
Important! You need to stuff it very tightly, preventing air from entering.
- Hang the product on a hanger and dry it in the fresh air, but in a place well protected from direct sunlight.
- After the jacket has dried (and this will happen in about 12 hours), take it indoors and treat it with glycerin.
Important! It is best to lubricate with glycerin using a sponge or a piece of cotton wool wrapped in cotton cloth. The entire surface must be covered with this substance. Glycerin has the amazing property of drawing out excess moisture and softening the skin. You need to apply several layers without taking out bags of rags.
- After this, hang the jacket again on hangers in the fresh air and wait 14-16 hours - during this time the glycerin will be completely absorbed. Only after this can you get the stuffing.
