Keep Leather Looking Sharp With Good Care

Tue., Nov. 19, 1996

So, you finally got that leather coat (pants, skirt, jacket). It’s exactly what you wanted and you plan to wear it often. Proper cleaning is vital to get the most out of your new leather garment and to keep it looking its best.

Caring for leather and suede garments at home is easier than you might think. Actually, cleaning leather at home is more a matter of what not to do than what to do.

Avoid spraying perfume or hair spray near the garment, which permanently stains the fabric.

Keep leather away from heat, especially if the garment is damp or wet. As the moisture dries, it will leave spots that won’t come out.

Avoid prolonged exposure to harsh, bright lights to keep the color from fading.

Never store leather in plastic garment bags. That will dry the leather and could cause it to crack.

Leather and suede conditioners can help keep a garment clean and looking fresh, but if you have a difficult stain, it’s best to take it to a professional, trained to properly clean leather.

Unlike garments made from rolls of uniform fabric, each leather garment is a unique, natural product that requires special handling, depending on the skin type and coloring method. A bright purple suede skirt must be handled differently than a wool-and-leather varsity jacket.

Cleaning leather differs from fabric in another important way: The removal of oil, like that found around the collar, is a common goal. However, certain natural oils are essential to keeping leather supple and soft.

Sometimes the processes used to clean leather pull out the natural oils and a bit of color along with the dirt and grime. It is the job of the professional leather cleaner to know how to restore these oils and any color changes that may have occurred as a natural result of the cleaning process.

While it’s unrealistic to expect your garment to look brand-new, a professional leather cleaner can come very close. Cleaners uses their experience and artistic talents to refurbish a garment to near-new condition.

For more information on at-home leather cleaning products, or to locate a professional leather cleaner, call the Leather Apparel Association at (212) 924-8895. For a brochure on leather cleaning tips, send a selfaddressed, stamped legal-sized envelope to the Leather Apparel Association, 19 W. 21st St., Suite 403, New York, NY 10010.

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