Leather gloves are an accessory that you can keep for many years because of the quality of the material.
If you look after the leather, & know how to care for them, they will last you many more years!
Here Is How Your Gloves Stretch And Sometimes Shrink:
Below I have compiled a list of important questions you should ask yourself that will fix up your precious pair of gloves and make them right again.
Gloves that need Stretching: Stretch with Newspaper, water and alcohol by placing the newspaper inside the glove. There are also gloves stretchers you can purchase.
Gloves that need Shrinking: The best way to shrink gloves is to use a spray bottle with water (1/2cup), rubbing alcohol (1/2 cup) and a drop of detergent. Apply to gloves and let them dry.
In this article we are going to go over how to stretch and shrink your leather in much more detail. Thanks for reading.
Will Your Leather Gloves Shrink From Water?
Leather gloves will shrink in different conditions from water. Below are 2 different ways they are able to shrink with water.
- Taking your leather gloves whilst wet inside a hot house and placed them near a heater, this will shrink the leather e.g., going from being wet to dry.
This process dry’s the leather cowhide out which causes it to shrink. - When you use hot water on your leather gloves with the addition of alcohol, this process will strip away any barriers over the leather.
This will allow the water to seep into the leather causing the gloves to also shrink. ( If you are wanting to try this then rubbing alcohol is the best type to use for this process ).
How Do I Make My Leather Gloves Tighter To Wear ?
If your leather gloves have been stretched and don’t fit like they used to, then there is a solution to bring them back to size.
We recommend to tighten and shrink your leather Gloves (without nasty chemicals) put 1/2 cup of lukewarm water, ½ cup of rubbing alcohol and a drop of dishwashing liquid and blend together into a spray bottle.
Shake thoroughly, & spray evenly onto the gloves and leave to dry.
What To Do If Your Gloves Shrink?
We have two different ways you are able to stretch out your gloves if they just feel too tight.
There is nothing worse than feeling uncomfortable in your gloves, so finding a quick and easy solution is essential.
Are Your Gloves Brand New? Please Note :
If so, you may just want to wear your gloves in without any of the below methods. Gloves will always need to be broken in at the start.
If they are not new then the below manual methods might be the right way for you.
Stretching with Water & Alcohol :
One of the ways you are able to stretch a leather glove is by moisture. Wet the inside of the gloves with part rubing aisopropyl alcohol and water into a spray bottle and apply inside the glove.
Best then if you wear the leather for a few hours to help further stretch out the material.
Stretching with Newspaper Water and Alcohol :
It is recommended that if you don’t have time to be wearing the leather gloves in (as we suggested above).
Another option is the to mix just water with newspaper. Let the newspaper soak for 10 minutes.
Then shaping the newspaper to fit inside the fingers and the body of the glove.
This works as a substitute for your hands, and if you leave the newspaper for periods of time (1-2 day period would be good). The moisture in the newspaper will slowly stretch out the leather.
Shoe Stretching Spray : (For Gloves)
Another alternative for stretching is buying a shoe stretching spray. This formula is already prepared for you, ready to spray and go.
It is branded Shoe stretching spray but is fine to be used for leather gloves.
Buying A Hand Stretcher :
There are also Hand Stretchers you are able to purchase.
This is a substitute for your own hand, and something you are able to leave inside a leather glove to stretch it manually.
It would be recommended to wet the inside the glove before placing a Hand Stretcher inside the glove.
Most of the ones online are usually used for golf gloves but are also suitable for normal gloves also.
Can Water Ruin Your Gloves ?
Water and Leather Gloves do not mix well together.
Below are three negative ways water will damage your leather, and then what you can do to stop this from happening in the future.
Change of colour to leather
Leather gloves will discolour with water damage. This is due to the oils being drawn out when rain water absorbs into the leather.
If left for long periods of time it may permanently leave a mark on your leather when it sets.
If you have a watermark stain there are leather cleaners e.g Leather Cleaner by Leather Honey click here. Great products for cleaning and removing water stains on leather.
Cracking of Leather
Water dries out leather, and if left for long periods of time can get to the stage of cracking. This is usually when leather is left untreated.
If your leather gloves have become brittle it is because water has soaked in and been left in a warmer area.
Mold and Mildew
Extreme cases mold and mildew may appear on your leather gloves.
This normally occurs when the gloves have been left in moist conditions e.g heat and moisture area such as damp, dark spaces with poor air circulation.
Please Note : A way to avoid Stains, Cracking or Mold and Mildew is best to apply a Leather Conditioner straight away on any new leather item including leather gloves.
We do recommend a Beeswax leather conditioner.
This will waterproof, seal and protect from any harsh weather and from any water that touches the leather.
Here is a good article on will water ruin your leather gloves.
Do leather Gloves Stretch ?
Yes leather gloves will stretch in time, but it is always advisable to purchase them tighter.
This is to give you room for the gloves to stretch out.
Should A Leather Glove Be A Tight Fit ?
Every pair of gloves should be a tight fit when you first receive them. If you purchase a new pair- make sure they are not.
Normal fit or
Too Large
If they are normal or too large send them back for a replacement for a tighter fit glove.
All gloves will take a few weeks of normal wear to stretch them to an appropriate size. If you have them too large they will further stretch and be not suitable for further usage.
How To Break In Leather Gloves Easily ?
To break in your gloves: Wear your gloves for a few weeks to stretch them to an appropriate size. (buying one size smaller is recommended)
If you have bought the gloves too large in size at the beginning they will stretch and become oversized.
This will make the gloves unsuitable for further wearing and sloppy and loose to wear.
