Wearing products made from genuine leather adds elegance, prosperity and style to its owner. Leather is a material that is relevant in any weather conditions and at any time.
By purchasing a high-quality leather item, you can wear it for many years, but not everyone will be able to wear it immediately after purchase. After all, the new material is hard and can cause discomfort. However, you can soften the new item using one of the methods described below.
Affordable ways to soften a leather jacket at home
If you do not want to feel discomfort when putting on a new leather jacket, it is better not to wear it immediately after purchase, but to use one of the methods that will help soften the new material. The jacket will need time for the leather to break in and fit on you.
This is especially true for men's rough jackets, whose cuffs and collars are much harder at first.
In order not to waste time and not torment yourself with an uncomfortable thing, without altering your leather jacket, treat it at home, making the leather softer and more pliable. If you don’t know how to properly make leather softer, contact the Mobile Tailor studio.
How to smooth the leather on a bag using an iron and steam
Natural leather should never be ironed, but steaming does not harm it:
- Set the minimum temperature on an iron with steam mode or a steam generator;
- Treat the surface of the accessory with steam at a distance of 10 cm, simultaneously removing any condensation that forms with a soft cloth.
Serious creases and deep folds can be straightened as follows:
- Cover the bag with several layers of gauze or cotton cloth;
- Use an iron with a steamer on the problem areas from the wrong side, but again, avoiding contact between the iron and the material.
"Steam bath" in the bathroom:
- Fill a basin, bucket, or other container with hot, almost boiling water;
- Hang a bag with weights inside over it for 30 minutes;
- Immediately after this procedure, wipe the accessory dry to remove moisture.
If the damage is serious and you are afraid that your intervention will only worsen the situation, contact a repair shop, where you will at least get specialist advice.
Method one - mechanical processing
Despite its sensitivity to the environment and elasticity, leather is considered a fairly durable material. To speed up the breaking-in process, place the jacket on a clean floor, cover it with a sheet and stomp on it.
The minimum time for the result to be noticeable is 5 minutes. The rougher the skin, the more time you need to trample on the thing.
Note! If the jacket is decorated with patterns, rhinestones, spikes and other decorations, it is better not to use this method.
Method two - heat treatment
Leather shoes can be easily stretched under the influence of heat, after which they will fit well on the foot. The same method can be applied to a jacket.
First of all, you need to steam the product. To do this, use a regular battery or a heater turned on at full power. It will take 10 minutes to warm up.
While the jacket is warming up, prepare a leather lubricant. This can be regular Vaseline, castor oil or special mink oil for leather.
Then, while the leather is still warm, take a small rag, cotton pad or piece of bandage, soak it in the prepared lubricant and apply evenly over the entire surface of the jacket.
After this, hang the jacket on hangers and leave it overnight. During this time, the skin will absorb the lubricant, become softer and not wrinkle.
Such actions can make a leather jacket soft and pliable for a long time.
Castor oil for leather products
At any nearest pharmacy, you can buy an inexpensive product that will help you care for your leather jacket. The oily structure will effectively nourish the skin, while softening the new material, or one that has become rough over time.
Remember! Castor oil should not be used on white or light-colored items.
Apply the oil using a thick cloth to avoid getting your hands dirty. The item needs to be covered generously throughout. It is better to repeat the procedure at least three times, but between each of them you must wait until the oil is absorbed.
After treatment, hang the jacket by the shoulders and leave for 10-12 hours.
How to soften the heel so that the shoes do not rub
It happens that boots that fit perfectly on the foot and fit in size have a fairly hard back, which can cause great inconvenience to the owner when walking.
In this case, you should not wait for the shoes to soften; you need to start acting on your own. Before softening the heel of your shoes, you need to familiarize yourself with the following methods:
- the simplest method involves tapping the heel with a hammer, and you need to treat not only the heel, but also all its sides. It is important to remember to be careful not to inadvertently damage the skin. If it is a light shade or too thin, you need to place a piece of dense material between the shoe and the hammer;
- To soften the heel from the inside and outside, it makes sense to use pliers. True, this method is only suitable for shoes with low heels; unfortunately, this method will not work with boots;
- quite popular is the treatment of backdrops with vinegar, which has good softening qualities;
- You can purchase special products that are sold in shoe stores; they are the most effective, although not too cheap.
Quick help - Vaseline
This product is found in almost every home. Vaseline will soften and rejuvenate leather products. This product is ideal for light and elegant jackets, as it does not leave stains and has no foreign odor.
To restore a leather jacket, rub Vaseline all over it, squeezing it straight out of the tube until it is medium damp. After this, leave the item for 15-20 hours until completely absorbed.
Lifesaver - egg white
If you don’t have any of the above remedies at home, and you need to restore the jacket as quickly as possible, you can use egg white. To do this, carefully separate the yolk from the white so as not to spoil the item with the composition and not to take your leather jacket for repair. Beat the egg whites until they form a stable foam; it is most convenient to do this with a mixer.
Soak a rag in the resulting mixture and apply it to the jacket.
Note! When choosing a place for this procedure, keep in mind that protein may drip onto the floor during and after rubbing.
After the entire surface of the jacket has been treated, leave it for 4 hours. After the time has passed, wipe off any unabsorbed protein and leave the jacket to dry.
Special Moments
The best solution would be to go to a shoe repair shop. A specialist will be able to eliminate such issues in a few hours.
Unfortunately, this opportunity is not always available. If it is still not there, then it is necessary to use various professional methods.
There are various chemicals available on the market that can soften shoe leather quickly and reliably. In particular, such products include creams and other products.
You can find them in standard hardware stores or contact shoe centers. Many workshops also offer their clients various products that can soften shoes.
It happens that consumers use creams designed for a person’s face or hands to soften their shoes. In principle, tanning uses skin that is somewhat similar to human skin, but the effect of such creams on it will be very weak.
It turns out that the effect of such products on softening shoes will be insufficient.
Softening shoes with glycerin
In principle, glycerin is a universal agent used in various formulations used in the care of leather products.
It is worth noting that glycerin is an alcohol compound in its composition, but it is non-aggressive, which is why it is used in a wide variety of substances. By using glycerin, shoes made of genuine leather can be made soft and quite comfortable.
The effect of glycerin is much stronger compared to the most reliable shoe polishes.
The product is quite easy to use - you just need to apply it to the area of the shoe that has begun to rub your foot, and leave it to soak in for a certain period of time. With the help of glycerin you can get rid of even quite extensive hardenings on the surface of leather shoes.
After some of this substance is absorbed, its excess is removed from the surface of the leather, and the shoes themselves are polished. As a result of such operations, leather shoes become very soft and comfortable to use.
Soften shoes with wax
The most ordinary wax left over from a candle will be a pretty good help for those who are going to make leather shoes softer.
The method of application is very simple - you need to melt the candle stub and apply a certain amount of wax substances to the surface of the difficult area.
When using this method, you should be quite careful - immediately after melting the candle, it is not advisable to apply wax to the skin, as it will be very hot - this can seriously damage the skin.
To soften your shoes, apply wax along with paraffin a couple of minutes after it melts.
After the shoes are waxed, they are left for a few minutes, then the substance is removed and the leather is polished.
Pleasant softness and citrus aroma
Citrus fruits will be a good helper in caring for leather jackets. You need to buy a few oranges or lemons, cut them into convenient slices and wipe the jacket completely, not sparing the juice.
Important! It is better to carry out such processing in a horizontal position, since citrus juice does not have an oil base and will simply drain from the product.
This procedure can be repeated several times, then you need to leave the jacket for several hours until the juice is completely absorbed. After that, you need to wipe the product from sticky traces.
The advantage of this treatment is a light citrus scent that will linger on the jacket for the next few days.
If you don’t want to soften the leather product yourself, you can entrust this work to the professionals from Mobile Tailor.
How to avoid hardening of the jacket?
Remember that the best way to avoid repairs to outerwear is proper and timely care. Follow the following rules, and you will not have to alter your jacket or contact specialized workshops:
- Avoid drying out your skin. Store your jacket in a closed, dark closet rather than on an open hanger.
- When storing your jacket in the closet for a long time, use a fabric cover instead of a plastic one. They can be purchased at any hardware store.
- The best storage option is constant wear. The leather may become rough and cracked while you are not wearing the item. If you leave the product hanging in the closet for a long time, be prepared to spend money on repairing it with liquid leather.
Why does leather tan?
Basically, genuine leather tolerates water well; the material acquires these properties due to a special water-repellent impregnation. If you are caught in pouring rain wearing a jacket or shoes made of genuine leather, getting wet does not threaten either you or your clothes. Rarely, but still, moisture can penetrate into the inner surface of the product (you stepped into a deep puddle or swam in leather pants), then after drying the fabric noticeably thickens and becomes uncomfortable for further wear. Do not rush to get rid of the damaged product.
The easiest way to soften your leather is to trust dry cleaning specialists. But if such actions cannot be carried out, do not be afraid to take on the problem yourself.
