How to smooth a leather jacket at home?

Leather is a practical and durable material that allows you to widely use it when sewing outerwear. Due to their excellent decorative qualities and high wear, leather jackets are very popular and have not gone out of fashion for many years. However, during prolonged storage, wrinkles and creases appear on things, which is why the problem of smoothing the skin at home is more than relevant.

There are several methods for smoothing leather jackets, and the choice of one of them depends on the quality and thickness of the material, the degree of bruising and the availability of necessary devices.

• Natural smoothing. The essence of this method is that the product is hung on a coat hanger and left alone for several days. The period of straightening of creases depends on the thickness and quality of the material. So, models made of thin skin can completely smooth out within three days, and if the product was wrinkled slightly, then one day will be enough. Jackets made of thick pigskin straighten much longer - in some cases this can take up to seven days. The main condition for using this method should be the right choice of hangers. The product should not be too thin, and its size should clearly correspond to the size of the jacket. The best option would be a wooden or wide plastic hanger. The use of thin wire models is not recommended.

• Steam bath. This method is quite effective and allows you to put in order much wrinkled things. To perform smoothing, you need to place a jacket on the shoulders and hang over the bath. Then you need to close the door to the room and open the hot water. After the bathroom is filled with steam, you should try to straighten out strong bruises and creases with dry hands, without stretching the skin and acting with extreme caution. After 15 minutes, you can turn off the hot water, and leave the product in the bathroom for a while. Usually, it takes 50 minutes to get the jacket to its original appearance.

• Oil treatment. This method involves the use of peanut butter. To smooth out bruises, it is necessary to treat problem areas with a cotton swab dipped in oil. At some intervals, the procedure should be repeated 4 more times. Walnut oil is able to quickly and deeply absorb into the pores of the skin and effectively smooth out the material. This method is very effective and allows you to get rid of old creases and folds caused by long-term storage. After the treatment is completed, it is recommended to place the jacket on the shoulders and hang it in a ventilated room for 2-3 hours.

The main condition for oil smoothing is the cleanliness of the leather surface. Otherwise, the dirt is absorbed with the oil deep into the skin and to clean such a product will become quite problematic. However, walnut oil, the main raw material for which is walnut, is a rather expensive tool, which is why smoothing the jacket in this way will require certain investments. Replacing an expensive composition with cheaper petroleum jelly, glycerin or castor oil will significantly reduce the cost of the procedure. Processing a leather product with these products will not only help to quickly straighten dented areas, but also protect the skin from premature drying.

• Using a steam generator. Before you start steaming a leather jacket, you should familiarize yourself with the information on the label. So, models saturated with water-repellent compounds cannot be steamed at all. In the absence of contraindications, this method can be safely used, especially since it is quite effective. Steaming should begin with the preparation of the product. To do this, empty the pockets, unfasten the fur from the hood and place the jacket on the shoulders. Then turn on the steam generator or iron with the option of vertical steam supply and smoothly steam the creases.

• Dry smoothing. The essence of this method is to very carefully and neatly iron the product with a warm iron. You can iron leather things either from the wrong side through the lining, or from the front side, using wrapping paper or a dense cotton fabric. It is very important not to allow direct contact between the sole of the iron and the leather surface. It is for this reason that the use of gauze or thin tissue is prohibited in this case. You should not use embossed kitchen towels, the so-called "waffle": the skin has a fairly soft texture and the texture of this fabric can be printed on the material.

Skin smoothing should be performed at the lowest temperature, which usually corresponds to one division on the iron regulator. Usually, silk and other sensitive fabrics are ironed at this temperature.The folds should be carried out with an iron very carefully, allowing the skin to cool. Problem areas, such as sleeves, collar and shoulders, must be ironed using additional tools, and in case of their absence, you can use a towel rolled up and placed inside the product. It is strictly forbidden to use steam and stay in one area for more than two seconds.

• Use of the press. If a person is not at home and there is no possibility to iron the product in the traditional way, then the pressing method is very suitable. This technology belongs to the category of sparing and does not require the use of special tools and household appliances. As a press, a book pile, pan or basin with water and bricks wrapped in fabric are suitable. The jacket must be placed on a hard surface, for example, on a table, and crushed wrinkled places with a press. In this position, the thing is left overnight, and in the morning it is hung on the shoulders for full straightening.

Among the most ineffective methods of smoothing leather jackets include straightening creases with a hairdryer. Dry air negatively affects the leather surface and makes it hard and coarse. In addition to ironing in this way, the old folds are unlikely to succeed. The disastrous procedure for natural skin is the use of hot water.

When smoothing the product with boiling water, the wrinkled places will of course straighten out, but the material may deform and change color. It will not help eliminate wrinkles and stretching the problem area in different directions. This will only spoil the appearance of the product, while creases will remain in place.

Often when ironing clothes, there are quite unusual situations, to solve which you can use simple, but at the same time practical tips.

• In order to properly remove creases from the collar, it is necessary to stroke it on both sides through a dense fabric, after which immediately rub peanut butter or petroleum jelly into the skin. With severe wrinkling, the procedure must be repeated twice, and, as a rule, this is enough to ensure that the collar acquires its original appearance and the jacket looks like new.
• If there are various kinds of defects on leather clothes, then in no case should you use steam. This procedure can aggravate the situation and problem areas will become more noticeable. In this case, oil treatment or dry ironing is well suited.

• When straightening folds on winter jackets with a non-detachable insulation, it is recommended to use a steamer. After processing, the product must be hung unbuttoned on a coat hanger and left in a ventilated room for several hours.
• After steam exposure, the skin needs to be dried well. However, it is not recommended to do this near heating appliances or in direct sunlight. The product must be in a well-ventilated area with a normal level of humidity.

In order to avoid creases and bruises, the leather jacket must be properly stored. The best storage option will be a wardrobe, in which the product will hang on its shoulders, and not be folded in the cabinet. A practical solution is to use a separate case for storing the model. This will help protect the jacket from constant mechanical stress, which it will be subjected to every time you open the cabinet door.

It is also very important to observe the humidity regime in the room where leather things are stored. Too dry air will lead to evaporation of moisture by the pores of the skin and rapid coarsening of the material, while too humid air will contribute to its excessive wetting, sagging and loss of initial gloss. In addition, if the jacket is wet in the rain, then it is not recommended to put it in the closet.First, the skin should completely dry, and only then can it be removed in place.

See how to steam the jacket from the skin in the video below.