Leather Coat: How to Clean a Genuine Leather Coat
by Jessica Anning
Once you have purchased the perfect leather coat, you want to keep it looking great for seasons to come. Leather coats can be expensive, and the investment deserves a great deal of care to make sure you are wearing your signature style for years into the future. Depending on use, with preventative maintenance and proper care your leather coat can last indefinitely.
A few simple tips can help you maintain your leather coat. First, always hang leather coats on wide, padded hangers to ensure that you don't stretch or puncture corners or shoulders. When storing your leather coat over the summer months, avoid storing leather goods in plastic bags or other non-porous covers, because leather is best preserved if it can "breathe." If clothing must be stored in a garment bag, keep it open for ventilation or choose a natural fabric garment bag. Place in a cool, dry closet to store, not in any area with excess moisture.
There are ways to clean leather, but knowing a few basics about your leather coat assists make sure you don't do more harm than good when you try to clean a spot or stain on your coat.
First, know that many stains on leather coats can be treated with simple soap and water. This works best if your coat is considered "finished" leather, which includes most leather coats sold by retail stores.
To spot clean leather with soap and water, place a small amount of gentile, moisturizing soap such as Dove soap on a damp cloth and bring it to a light lather. Rub the damp cloth on the leather without putting too much water or pressure on your leather coat. Wipe away any lather with a fresh damp cloth, but don't rinse the leather in water. Next, polish the leather with a dry towel, and treat the newly clean leather with a leather coat conditioner after it has air dried totally. One tip to remember when cleaning your leather coat with this method is to always test the cleaning method on a small, hidden patch of leather before proceeding to the whole item, as leather cleaning can sometimes transform the color or appearance of your coat. Caution in cleaning is ever the key to keeping your leather coat in good condition!
In addition, it is best to avoid products like mink oil, shoe polish, and waxes when cleaning leather coats, as they can leave both a residue on the coat and an odor that you will not be able to get rid of after you have used the product.
For unfinished leather, saddle soap worked into the leather with a damp cloth or sponge works well to clean stains and spots. Wipe away any lather and allow the leather to air dry. Oil leather with a leather preservative after you have finished cleaning and the leather is completely dry.
If you have an unfortunate accident and spill something on your leather coat, you are best served to avoid rubbing the stain in to the grain of the leather. Always blot dry any stains. You can remove dry stains and marks by softly rubbing a pencil eraser on affected areas. There are also dry cleaners that specialize in spot treatments for stains on leather, though few will guarantee their results as stains on leather are quite difficult to remove. Bottom line - be as careful as you can to avoid the stains in the first place!
About the author: Jessica Anning runs an information site about Leather Coat. Articles,News,Resources and Video about Leather Coat Maintenance Don't reprint this exact article. Instead, reprint a free unique content version of this same article.
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