Can You Put A Leather Jacket In A Washing Machine?

Leather jackets are different from most other attires as putting them in a washing machine is likely to ruin them. This is because leather is easily damaged by any rough handling, especially when wet. Here are some of the reasons why you should never put your motorcycle jacket into a washing machine.

Understanding Different Types of Leather

Before we delve into the dangers of washing your leather jacket using a washing machine, it is important to understand that there are different types of leather. Depending on what your jacket is made of, they differ in terms of strength. For example, lambskin leather can easily be damaged by even rough handling and experts recommend taking it to an expert if you need to have it cleaned. Other types of leather can be cleaned at home and even then, it is never a good idea to machine wash your expensive leather jackets even using the gentlest setting on the machine.

Water Shrinks Leather

Unlike most other attires, leather jackets are prone to shrink when exposed to water. This is especially true if they are soaked in water with laundry detergent that tends to be harsh. When cleaning leather jackets, experts recommend using a damp cloth and leather cleaners to remove dirt and stains.

Squeezing May Cause Cracks

Laundry machine processes especially when it comes to removing excess moisture from leather jackets may destroy your valuable bomber jacket. Even during hand washing, experts often discourage leather jacket owners from wringing their jackets as this may cause the jacket to crack.

Dry Run is Impossible 

Given that leather jackets are made with different kinds of leather, it is difficult to anticipate how any detergent that you use on the machine will affect the color of your jacket, This is why even with handwashing, it is recommended that you rub a damp cloth that is soaked in leather cleaner on a small and hidden area of the jacket in order to ascertain the effect it has on the leather and the color. If the effect is adverse, you can stop the process and look for alternatives with little harm done. This kind of cautious approach may not be possible with machine washing.

Alternatives to Machine Washing

Many leather experts often say that you should avoid washing your leather jacket as much as possible. If you maintain your leather jacket by properly conditioning it, then it is unlikely to be very dirty as the conditioner prevents dirt from adhering to the jacket. When it comes to removing particular stains, it is often easier to focus on those stained areas only using compounds such as rubbing oil to remove them. If you need to clean your expensive leather jacket, it may make more sense to find a leather expert who will professionally clean it for you with minimal danger of destroying your jacket. In this sense, cleaning your leather jacket becomes a trade-off between ensuring that your jacket looks and feels great for a long time versus the need to constantly clean it.