How to care for leather garments

Updated 25 July 2026 · 3 min read

The four fundamental rules

Rule	Why
No water, no washing machine	Water strips the oils from the leather. The result: stiffening, cracking, colour loss. Irreversible.
No direct heat when drying	Radiators, dryers or hairdryers contract the leather abruptly and deform it permanently.
Never fold	Fold creases become permanent and eventually crack along the line.
No plastic cover	Leather must breathe. Plastic traps condensation, then mould forms.

What to do when it gets wet

1. Blot excess water with a soft towel, without rubbing.
2. Hang on a wide hanger at room temperature, somewhere ventilated.
3. Away from radiators, direct sun, hairdryers. Rapid drying is what destroys leather, not the water itself.
4. Once fully dry, apply a leather conditioner to restore the lost oils.

If it got wet with salt water or dirty water, take it straight to a cleaner — salt crystallises in the fibre and leaves permanent white marks.

Smooth leather vs suede

Smooth leather

Wipe with a slightly damp cloth for dust, then let it dry naturally. Every 6–12 months apply conditioner in a thin layer with circular movements. Too much conditioner clogs the pores and leaves the surface tacky.

Suede and nubuck

Here, nothing damp at all. Clean with a suede brush along the nap and a nubuck eraser for spot marks. A water-repellent spray at the start of the cold season prevents most problems.

Suede stained with oil or grease cannot be rescued at home — any attempt spreads the stain.

Storing for summer

• Clean it before storing. Perspiration and organic residue attack the leather during storage months.
• Wide hanger that supports the shoulder line. Wire hangers deform permanently.
• Cotton or canvas cover, never plastic.
• Dry, dark place. Direct light fades, damp causes mould.
• No pressure from other garments — compressed leather keeps its creases.

How often professionally

With regular wear, once a year is enough — usually at the end of the season, before storage. More often only if stains or odour appear.

Leather cleaning is not ordinary dry cleaning: it requires special solvents and re-oiling afterwards. That is why not every cleaner offers it, and why it costs more than textiles.

With us, leather jackets start at 90 RON, coats at 120 RON and suede at 110 RON, with free pickup from your door.

What cannot be repaired

• Leather cracked after drying on a radiator — unrecoverable.
• Sun-faded areas — can be professionally recoloured, but the result is rarely uniform.
• Mould that penetrated the fibre — surface cleaning works, but the smell returns in damp conditions.
• Old oil stains on suede — usually permanent.

Frequently asked questions