How to Care for Leather Garments

Leather garments are long-term investments. A quality leather jacket, well maintained, can last decades. The same jacket, neglected or cleaned incorrectly, can crack, fade, and lose its structure within a few seasons. At our Maple Ridge facility, leather cleaning is one of the most careful processes in our workflow — and the home care principles that underpin it are straightforward once you understand what leather actually needs.

How to Think About Leather Care

The most useful analogy for leather is skincare. The routine follows the same logic: cleanse first, then moisturise. Cleaning removes accumulated dirt, body oil, and environmental residue from the surface and the pores of the hide. Conditioning replaces the moisture that cleaning removes and that everyday wear depletes over time. Skip the conditioning step and leather gradually dries out, loses its suppleness, and eventually cracks.

What leather cannot tolerate is the reverse: conditioning over a dirty surface seals contamination in, and heat or excessive water at any stage causes rapid and sometimes irreversible damage.

Choosing the Right Products

For cleaning, use a mild water-based leather cleaner. These are available at most leather goods or shoe care retailers and are formulated to lift surface soil without stripping the finish or dye. Avoid household cleaners, dish soap, or anything with harsh solvents not specifically designed for leather — these can alter the finish or remove colour from dyed leather.

For oily or greasy soil — the kind that accumulates on collar interiors, cuffs, and areas with regular skin contact — a dry-side leather solvent or degreaser handles what water-based cleaners cannot fully address on their own.

For conditioning, use a dedicated leather conditioner. The product should match the type of leather: smooth finished leather, nubuck, and aniline leather each respond differently, and using the wrong conditioner on a delicate finish can darken or alter the surface.

The Testing Step

Before you apply any product to a visible area of a leather garment, test it on a section no one will see — the interior of a pocket, under a collar, inside a seam. Apply a small amount, wait a few minutes, and check for colour change, darkening, or finish alteration. Dyed and finished leathers vary in their reactions, and this step takes thirty seconds but can prevent permanent damage.

Cleaning Technique

Put a small amount of leather cleaner on a clean, dry cloth. Wipe the leather in smooth, even strokes across the garment. Use a fresh section of cloth as the existing one becomes dirty. Some colour transfer onto the cloth is normal — it is the accumulated residue being lifted from the surface. If you are seeing a significant amount of dye transfer rather than just dirt, slow down and re-examine whether this particular leather should be cleaned professionally.

For greasy problem areas, apply a small amount of dry-side solvent or degreaser to a separate clean cloth and work it gently into the affected area. This step is targeted — you do not need to apply it across the whole garment.

Conditioning and Finishing

Once the leather is clean and fully dry, apply a thin, even layer of conditioner using a soft cloth. Work it into the surface in circular motions. Allow it to absorb for a few minutes, then use a fresh dry cloth to buff away any excess and bring up the natural sheen. Over-application of conditioner can make leather tacky and may leave marks on clothing.

When to Call a Professional

Valuable leather garments, pieces with metal hardware that could complicate cleaning, vintage leather where the history of the finish is unknown, and any leather showing signs of cracking or mould should go to a specialist. At our facility we handle leather cleaning that goes beyond what home care can safely address.

The Laundry Brothers offers wash & fold and dry cleaning pickup across Greater Vancouver, seven days a week. See service areas →