Leather Care

Storing Your Leather

Hopefully you don't store your leathers in plastic. That's a no-no. If leather is stored in plastic, in a warm environment, water can condense inside the plastic and mildew your leather. Once leather gets mildewed, it usually cannot be saved. Also, hardware rusts. If you want to cover your leathers for winter, cut a hole in an old bed sheet or pillow case.

After you pull your leathers out of the closest, feel the skin. If it feels dry, it probably needs conditioned. Any good leather conditioner will work. We use a product called Lexol. It's usually sold in a little brown jug. Use an old sock and work it into the leather. Any time you purchase a product for your leathers, try it first on a hidden area. Many products will darken leather if the leather is not finished leather.

When To Condition

How many times a year should you condition your leathers? If you ride a lot in hot sunny conditions, or get caught in the rain, you will need to condition it several times during the season. You can usually tell when your jacket or chaps feel dry. Incidentally, rain will really dry out leathers because when the rain evaporates from the jacket, it pulls moisture away from the skin. I would recommend conditioning your jacket once it dries if you are unfortunate enough to get caught without your raingear.

Can I use mink oil on my jacket or chaps? Many people swear by mink oil to condition and waterproof their jacket. Mink oil will clog the pores of your leather just as Vaseline creates a barrier between your skin and the environment. That's why it will make your jacket waterproof. It will also eventually dry out your leather because the pores areclogged. You will also notice your jacket may have a whitish haze to it. That's what happens when mink oil solidifies in cold weather. To answer the question, it makes more sense to put mink oil on your boots, if you so desire, and use a conditioner specifically designed for quality leather for your apparel.

Keeping It Dry

Does your jacket need a water repellent? A spray water repellent will not hurt your jacket, however, if your jacket is a finished leather (most bike jackets are) it doesn't need a water repellent. A water repellent will help any unfinished brushed or naked leather. However, if you get caught in a downpour, don't expect any water repellent to keep your leathers completely dry! Water will eventually soak into the leather. Once again, try any water repellent on a hidden area before srpaying it on the outside of your garment. One thing I like to use spray water repellents for is treating my good leather dress shoes and boots. I saturate my shoes or boots with the repellent, that way if I walk through puddles I have a chance of keeping the water from soaking my socks. If you live in the north then you know about the salt lines in the winter time. I have never known anything to remove those salt llines. Incidentally, it's not the water that spots leather, it's the mineral in the water that stay behind once the water evaporates. ALWAYS, ALWAYS SPRAY WATER REPELLENTS IN A HIGHLY VENTILATED AREA, OR BETTER YET, OUTSIDE. Some water repellents have been known to make people dizzy or cause other health problems if they have a lot of silicone in them.