How to clean a synthetic leather jacket
Synthetic leather is a fabric that looks very similar to real leather but is usually more affordable. But even though it's a cheaper fabric, you should still look after it. In fact, because this type of leather is of inferior quality, you should take good care of it if you want it to last. If you have a synthetic leather jacket, in this OneHowTo.com article we'll tell you how to clean it so it always looks like new.
- Detergent for coloured clothing
- Dry and clean rags
- Washing-up liquid
- Wet wipes
- Alcohol and cotton
If you want to wash your synthetic leather jacket in the washing machine, you need to use a cold water cycle for delicates and a laundry capsule for coloured clothing.
Wash the garment for a maximum of 15 or 20 minutes and remove the jacket from the machine before the spin cycle. Then gently squeeze out the excess water with your hands.
If you prefer, you can wash your synthetic leather jacket by hand. To do so, add some mild liquid dish detergent to some warm water and stir until bubbles form.
If the stained area is very large, try to wash it bit by bit to get the best result. Wet a soft clean cloth in the water, squeeze out the excess and wipe it over the stained areas of the garment, then wipe the jacket with a dry cloth.
If there are stubborn stains, such as ink or dye, take a cotton swab dipped in a little alcohol and gently rub the area until the stains disappear. After using the alcohol, dip a clean cloth in some cold water and use it to remove any traces of soap or alcohol. Make sure you don't leave the alcohol on your jacket for long because it can discolour the synthetic leather.
To prevent your synthetic leather jacket from getting dirty, you could maintain it by regularly wiping it with a cold damp cloth. This will remove dust and dirt accumulated during the day, keeping it clean and reducing the need to completely wash it with soap.
If your synthetic leather jacket is starting to get smelly, air drying it for a few days should get rid of the smell. If this doesn't work, you could spray it with diluted white vinegar (2 parts water to one part vinegar), and wipe it off with a dry cloth.
If you want to read similar articles to How to clean a synthetic leather jacket, we recommend you visit our Home cleaning category.
- You can help avoid staining your synthetic leather jacket by carrying wet wipes with you. Then, if you have a mishap, you can use them to immediately wipe the fabric.
- Try to tackle stains as soon as they occur; the longer they are on the fabric, the harder they will be to remove.
