Clothes are meant to protect you from external elements, such as extreme heat, strong winds, rough terrain, and heavy rain. Although they’re meant to protect you, some of your clothes might not be able to withstand these extremities even if there’s just a drizzle of rain outside.
Although it can seem pretty harmless, water can actually do strange things to your clothes — some can be water-resistant. In contrast, others aren’t meant for rain at all. But what about our durable and trusty leather jackets? Can it withstand the rain, or will it get messed up?
Leather jackets are a tricky situation. That’s why even when it comes to cleaning, you should take your beloved leather jacket to reliable dry cleaners to ensure that they remain in tip-top shape.
So if you’re curious to know what water can do to your leather jackets, read on. Here, we’ll share the effects of rain on your leather jackets and how to fight the effects of water on your leather goods. Let’s get to it!
Is It Safe to Wear My Leather Jacket in the Rain?
The short answer to this question is yes. If the weather report says that there may be precipitation and rainfall for the day, you don’t have to worry about your leather jacket getting ruined. However, it’s still best to keep it dry at all times. That’s why you should have an umbrella with you at all times in case you get caught in the rain.
Leather is known to have water-resistant qualities, but it’s not entirely waterproof. But what is the difference? Water-resistant means it can resist the penetration of water up to a certain degree. On the other hand, waterproof means that it’s impenetrable to water.
With that being said, you can wear your leather jacket under the rain, but know that the water can still seep into the jacket. With that, the water can damage your jacket when there’s too much of it. So when you don’t dry your jacket properly, expect to see water stains, fade-outs, and even cracking without proper care.
How to Fight the Effects of Water on Leather
- Leather Lotion: Because leather lotion is water-resistant, applying it to your jacket creates an extra barrier between the rain and your jacket. This extra step can be done at home before you step out to ensure that your jacket is well protected.
- Careful Drying: If by any chance your jacket gets extremely wet, the best thing to do is to ensure that you dry it carefully. Using a soft cloth can wipe down excess moisture, and leaving it at room temp to dry can help. However, it’s best to let expert dry cleaners clean up your jacket for you.
- Waxing: Another great way to protect your jacket is to add wax to it. This adds another barrier to help protect the jacket’s material from excess rain, heat and even reduce risks of cracking.
The Bottom Line: Take Out Your Leather Jacket in the Rain but With Caution
Though it won’t ruin or completely damage your leather jacket, prolonged exposure to rain and improper drying and care can lead to negative effects on your beloved jacket. For this reason, ensure that you follow the right steps to protect your leather jacket and take it to reliable dry cleaners to have it cleaned and maintained, so it looks good as new at all times.
How Can We Help You?
Are you looking for dry cleaners in Ottawa? If so, Goodfellow Cleaners can help you.
We provide professionally dry-cleaned services to ensure that your everyday or special occasion clothing gets the love they deserve. Besides cleaning your clothes, we also clean household items, such as pillows, duvets, drapes, and more.
Learn more about how we can help you today!