Leather jackets are a great accessory that will add to any outfit, but at the same time the material needs great care to keep it looking good! Putting a leather jacket into the dryer is not a good idea.
Here Is Why You Shouldn’t Put Your Leather Jacket In The Dryer:
There are 5 main reasons why you should never put your leather jacket in the dryer and this includes shrinkage, cracking, distorting the shape of the jacket, colour loss and in some extreme cases leather dryers can be flammable.
Throughout this article we will talk about the details of why you shouldn’t dry your leather jacket in the dryer and why you should hand wash instead (with some great hints and tips included).
Ways A Dryer Will Damage Your Leather Jacket
a. Shrinkage
A leather jacket is made with animal skin. Like any organic material, it will shrink if it is exposed to heat or steam. If you wind up putting your leather jacket in the dryer by accident, you can expect it to shrink about 5%. This is actually a very large amount when you consider that there are a few other ways that one can increase the size of their leather jacket.
Shrinkage won’t affect the quality of your leather jacket in any way, but it will change its size and appearance. If you’re looking to sell your jacket soon after shrinking it, this can be a benefit since larger people would probably want a larger size than before.
When a leather jacket shrinks, there is no way to reverse the process. The only solution is to stretch it out again by wearing it as often as possible for a few weeks. This will help loosen up the fibers and increase their size back to normal. So, it is advisable you avoid the dryer at all costs.
b. Cracking
If you take your leather jacket through the drying cycle of a standard clothes dryer, it will crack over time. This is because some parts of the jacket are subjected to more heat than others and this causes the fibers in these regions to stretch apart while some other areas remain relatively cool.
If you’re really intent on drying your jacket the standard way, you should avoid putting it in a hot dryer. Instead, put it through an extended cycle that slowly heats up the clothes over time. This will ensure that all parts of your leather jacket are exposed to equivalent levels of heat and this will prevent cracking.
Have you ever seen dehydrated animal skin? I bet you have. Cracked leather is just like that. Cracks in the surface of your jacket are irreversible and once the damage happens, the only solution is to get it re-dyed.
Leather jackets are worse once they crack since this problem is permanent. Therefore, it is best to leave any leather jacket in a cool place and hope for the best.
c. Distort The Shape
If you put your leather jacket in a clothes dryer, it will shrink or expand to a large degree which will affect its overall shape. If you want to avoid distorting the size of your jacket, it is best to leave it out in a cool place and allow the water to evaporate naturally. This may take a long time but at least you can be sure that your leather jacket won’t end up being distorted after drying.
The reasons why the shape of your leather jacket will change are similar to the reasons why your leather jacket will shrink. Leather jackets, like all other clothes, are made with cotton fibres that contract when they get wet. If you take them through a drying cycle in a clothes dryer, they can expand or contract quite significantly which will affect their final shape.
Distorting the shape of your leather jacket may not affect its value but if you plan to sell it in the near future, this can be a problem. The only solution is to stretch out the jacket again using an old-fashioned method that has been around for centuries. All you need to do is wear your jacket as much as possible throughout the day and night until it becomes loose enough to revert back to its original shape.
The only reason why leather jackets are distorted is that they are made with organic materials.
d. Colour Loss
Leather jackets, like all other organic items, can fade away or become discoloured over time. To avoid this problem, you should keep your jacket indoors and out of direct sunlight. If you want to colour-protect your leather jacket and keep it looking good as new for a long period of time, the best solution is to condition it using a special leather conditioner in the weeks after you buy it.
If you’ve ever shopped for leather jackets, you’ll know that most of them come with a special coating that protects the jacket against water and sunlight. This means that if you take your leather jacket through a drying cycle in a clothes dryer, it will lose this special coating over time.
Leather is a natural organic material and as such, it is susceptible to discoloration over time. This can be caused by a variety of factors including exposure to direct sunlight, contact with water and other liquids, and general wear and tear. To prevent your leather jacket from discolouring, it is important to keep it in a cool place and out of direct sunlight.
You should also avoid exposing it to any kind of liquid. If you do happen to get your leather jacket wet, make sure you air dry it away from sunlight and heat.
Putting your leather jacket in a dryer will damage it to a significant degree. This is because the temperature in a clothes dryer can rise significantly and this heat will damage the finishing colour applied to your jacket along with the cotton fibres that make up its core.
e. Leather Dryers Can Be Flammable
Another reason why you should not put your leather jacket in a dryer is that leather dryers can be flammable. If you have ever been to a dry cleaner, you will know that the machines they use to dry your clothes are often located in a special room behind a closed door.
This is done because leather dryers need high temperature and humidity levels to work properly and these settings can cause sparks or an open flame if they are too close to the machine itself.
It is important to keep your leather jacket away from any open flame and high heat sources, including a clothes dryer. If you do decide to put your jacket in a clothes dryer, make sure you remove it before the drying cycle ends and have it on very low heat. This will minimize the damage that’s likely to do to your jacket.
Leather jackets, like all organic materials, are also more susceptible to fire damage. This doesn’t mean that a clothes dryer will cause a fire but you should be careful around it just in case.
How to Hand Dry Your Leather Jacket?
Hand drying your leather jacket is the best way to go. There are a variety of techniques that you can use which include:
a. Rub Excess Water From Jacket With Cloth:
This involves using a clean dry cloth to gently wipe the extra water from your jacket. You should wipe over the surface of your jacket in a downward motion and focus your efforts on any particularly wet areas.
The type of cloth you use will be able to absorb a significant amount of moisture from your jacket without damaging it. This will prevent the surface of your leather jacket from getting damaged during the drying process.
Avoid using a piece of cloth that will scratch your jacket. This can cause damage that may require professional repairs.
b. Air Dry: (Away From Sunlight And Heat)
Using compressed air to blow water droplets from your jacket is another option you have for drying your leather jacket after washing it. The advantage of this method is that it requires no extra equipment and can be easily done at home or at a commercial dry cleaner.
You should do this away from a source of heat or sunlight as this can cause discoloration. Make sure you turn the surface of your jacket over regularly during the process to make sure all angles are dried.
Air drying is a slow process but it’s far less damaging to your leather jacket.
What To Do After Hand Drying Your Leather Jacket?
Once you’ve finished hand drying your leather jacket, it’s important to take some steps that will prevent the damage that was done during washing from getting worse. This can easily be done at home by:
a. Condition Your Leather Jacket:
Leather jackets should be conditioned after washing to retain their flexibility and colour. This will help your coating resist water stains, cracking, and other forms of damage that can be caused by outside elements over time.
The leather conditioning process is simple and only requires a few tools that you probably have lying around the house. Conditioning your jacket is best done with a clean, soft cloth and regular petroleum jelly.
Start by applying a thin coat of regular petroleum jelly over your leather jacket to add moisture back into the surface. After this process is complete you can apply a small amount of conditioner to make sure all the pores in your leather jacket are covered.
It’s important not to use too much petroleum jelly or conditioner as this can cause your jacket to look shiny and damage the surface of your leather. Make sure you follow the instructions on the label for the best results.
After following these steps, your leather jacket should be ready to wear again. Remember that this process will only prevent further damage from occurring to your jacket.
Leather jackets are susceptible to shrinking, cracking, distorting the shape of your jacket, and colour loss. The best way to dry a leather jacket is by hand drying it with a clean cloth or using compressed air. After you’ve finished the process of washing your leather jacket, remember that it needs conditioning in order to retain its flexibility and colour.
