Leather products and accessories don’t come cheap, and a lot of them might even have sentimental value. Naturally, you want them to last as long as possible, which is why you need the best tips possible on how to look after your leather products.
Of course, some of the basic care tips like not washing the leather jackets are common, but some others like not washing them with cleaners and using certain things to protect the leather are not very well known. If you want to know more about any of these things, keep reading!
Use Leather Protectors
Whether you have expensive handbags or crocodile wallets, it’s always a good idea to use leather protectors on them to keep them safe from the elements. The chemicals in the protector bonds with the leather and keeps things like water and dust from damaging it on a molecular level.
Once water or anything gets through, it weakens the proteins in the leather, and even if you won’t see any instant damage, you’ll see the leather wearing off with time.
Don’t Let Stains Sit
If you accidentally spilled something on your leather products, you need to get it off immediately. This is because leather is skin, which means it’s porous. The more time you allow the stain to stay on the leather, the harder it will be to take off. And even if you do manage to take it off after a while, it’ll seep deep into the leather and cause long term discoloration.
Keep Strong Stain Removers Away
It’s a given that you shouldn’t clean your leather accessories with strong chemicals and stain removers. Again, these cleaners only damage the bonds inside the leather and leave it in worse condition than it was before.
Instead, you can use natural cleaners like a vinegar solution with water or some olive oil. Use a gentle brush to do all the cleaning and make sure you get the stains, but otherwise leave the leather how it was.
Watch Out for Stains
Since spilling anything on leather is pretty much a time sensitive operation, you need to look out for any stains, especially in places that you might usually ruin your outfits.
This means being careful about the sleeves of your leather jackets, and being careful placing your wallets or your handbags close to any liquids or sauces when out on dinners.
Take The Out
If you have leather accessories that you’re not using a lot, make sure to air them out in natural light from time to time – preferably every two weeks – so they don’t grow any molds or get ruined just sitting there.
However, take care not to let the leather items sit in direct sunlight – this will only cause discoloration and a lot of damage.
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