How to smooth a leather skirt, wash it, make it a size smaller, restore it

Leather jackets, raincoats, and suits are always at the peak of fashion. Currently, leather skirts, gloves and shorts have also become popular. This material is famous for its wear-resistant qualities, but leather requires very careful and special care. In order for leather items to retain their presentable appearance for a long time, it is necessary to take care of them in a timely manner. There are some simple recommendations on how to wash a leather skirt so that it does not change its color or decrease in size.

Rules for daily care of a leather skirt

What rules should you follow:

Things hanging next to the skirt on hangers should not squeeze the leather product, otherwise it will become very wrinkled and then the material will be impossible to straighten.
Hangers with clothespins and clips must not be used. They will leave dents on the skin that cannot be smoothed out.

When purchasing a leather skirt, you should make sure that it fits the owner in size. Otherwise, the material will sag in some places, or, conversely, become very stretched. In this case, loss of product shape is guaranteed.
Do not use substances containing chlorine, solvents or gasoline to remove stains.

These are general rules for caring for a leather skirt. However, it should be remembered that real and synthetic leather differ from each other in texture, so care for such clothing must be carried out, taking into account some nuances.

Made from genuine leather

Caring for a real leather skirt should be delicate.

Main rules:

It is advisable to clean the skin of dirt and stains without contact with water.
Washing is required only in special cases. Real leather must be washed by hand. Do not use a washing machine.
It is not recommended to dry the skirt with a hairdryer, or hang it on the sunny side of the balcony.

Improper care can harm the skin. It will harden, crack and lose its attractive appearance.

PU Leather

Leatherette is less “demanding” to care for.

What rules should you follow:

You can use a washing machine, provided that the temperature conditions are observed. The water should not be hotter than 25 °C.
Occasionally you can dry it in a centrifuge.
Stain removal solutions should not be applied directly to the surface of the skin. First, you need to soak a cotton pad or cotton napkin with them, and then try to remove the dirt.

Further in the article you can read the rules about caring for skirts made of artificial leather and natural materials in more detail.

Types of stains

Potato starch needs to be heated up and sprinkled on the stained area, and a clean piece of white cloth should be placed under it. After 20 minutes, shake off the starch and replace it with a new portion.

This is repeated until the grease stain disappears. Then the skirt must be knocked out and cleaned with a brush.

Dye

If the stain is still fresh, you can use turpentine, gasoline, benzene, or kerosene.
If the stain has already hardened, then carefully remove the crust with a knife, and wipe the remaining stain with solvent several times and then rinse with water.
If the paint stain is very old, then moisten it with turpentine. When the paint has softened, clean the stain with a baking soda solution, and then rinse thoroughly with clean, warm water.

Ink

A fresh stain is removed with a solution of soda and ammonia.

You can soak the stain in sour milk and then wash it in soapy water.

Washing the skirt

Contaminated areas of skin can be cleaned without using water. There are several alternative dry cleaning methods. However, these methods are not always effective. In some cases, clothes have to be washed, so it is important to know how to do it correctly.

In the washing machine

Real leather cannot be washed in a machine, but synthetic leather can, if you remember 3 important nuances:

Manually

Washing is required only when dirt cannot be removed by other means. A real leather skirt can be washed no more than once a month.

Procedure:

Fill the product with warm water (25 °C) and leave for 5 minutes.
Make a solution of soap with 2-3 drops of ammonia. Cleaning components should be applied to the stained areas of the skirt with a cotton napkin or a special brush. Do not rub the skin with your hands, crumple it or squeeze it.
Use a soft sponge to carefully wipe off the dirt. Then rinse the product with warm water so that no traces of soap remain on the surface of the skirt.
After rinsing, shake the skirt several times to remove excess moisture. It is forbidden to twist the skin or squeeze it with your hands!
Excess moisture should be removed with a piece of cotton cloth.
Turn the product inside out and dry it flat.

The lining should be washed separately. The skirt is first turned inside out, the lining is dipped in water, washed as usual, then wrung out.

Skirts made of light-colored material should be washed in a soapy solution of baby shampoo and ammonia. For 1 liter of water you need no more than 5 drops. If you add more ammonia, light skin may turn yellow.

Pay attention to color

It is important to wash light and colored leather clothing separately, both by hand and in the machine. To wash white items, it is better to give preference to the manual mode; it is not even necessary to use powder; you can (and even should) limit yourself to baby soap or shampoo.

To do this, pour warm water into a basin, add a little soap or shampoo, as well as ammonia (a couple of drops). Afterwards, a sponge or piece of cloth is moistened in this solution and the contaminated areas are carefully wiped.

It is important not to overdo it with wet processing of the material, otherwise there is a risk of soaking the leather and the product will become deformed, which can no longer be corrected.

How to dry a leather skirt correctly

A skirt made of leather can be dried in a horizontal position, spreading it flat, or you can dry it by hanging it on a special trempel. You need to dry your skirt in the shade. There should be no operating heating elements nearby. Intensive evaporation of moisture may cause the skin to crack. Machine drying and spinning mode cannot be used.

How to properly dry a leather skirt:

Allow excess water to drain. Then the skirt should be turned inside out and straightened so that the lining dries separately without blocking the air supply to the skin.
Place the skirt on a clean towel. Smooth out all wrinkles and curves.
Cover the top with a thin towel. It will absorb excess moisture.
When the skirt becomes damp, you can hang it on a trempel, take it out to the balcony and leave it in the shade.

It is advisable to dry synthetic leather skirts using the same principle, but if you need the product to dry faster, it can be wrung out in a centrifuge. Then you will need to straighten the skirt and dry it, placing it on a flat surface.

Removing an oil stain

How to remove a greasy stain from skin? These stains are easy to remove and are not a cause for concern.

First way. Blot the grease with a sponge or paper towel, then apply a little talcum powder to the affected area and leave overnight. The powder should draw out oil and absorb moisture from within the skin. The next morning, wipe off the talc with a clean cloth.
Second way. Blot the grease stain with a dry cloth, trying to remove as much grease as possible. Cover the stained area with cornstarch and leave overnight. In the morning, dampen a clean cloth with undiluted white vinegar and wipe off any cornstarch and excess grease.

How to clean?

Some stains can be wiped off the skin with wet wipes. Contaminants that cannot be removed by this method are removed with vinegar, alcohol or soap solution. You can read about dry skin cleaning methods further in the article.

Wet wipes

What wipes are allowed to be used and what can be removed from the surfaces of leather items.

Children's	They erase oil stains, lipstick marks and other decorative cosmetics well.
Antibacterial	Suitable for removing stains from soapy water.
Alcohol	They erase grease stains and remove traces of spilled wine.
Alcohol-free	Helps remove dust.

Stains must be removed immediately. The longer a foreign substance is in contact with the material, the more strongly it will “eat” into its structure. Grease and oil stains are absorbed into the skin faster than any other contaminants. Therefore, when putting on a leather skirt, you should always take a pack of wet wipes with you.

Ammonia

Ammonia will help remove stubborn stains. In small quantities, it is unable to cause damage to the skin.

How to properly use ammonia to clean a skirt:

Apply 3-4 drops of ammonia to a cotton pad.
Lightly rub the contaminated area. You should make careful movements, erasing the stain from its edges, gradually moving towards the center.
If the dirt is not completely removed the first time, the procedure must be repeated.
Remove any remaining alcohol from the surface of the skin with wet wipes.

Before using ammonia, you need to open the windows in the room. Protective gloves should be worn on your hands.

Soap solution

Soap solutions should be prepared using soft substances, such as baby soap or shampoo. The main condition when preparing the solution is that it should not contain components containing chlorine and phosphates. For 1 liter of water, 1 tsp is enough. shampoo or 25 g of ground soap.

Ethanol

Ethyl alcohol effectively removes greasy stains. To remove dirt, alcohol should be applied to a cotton pad and gently rubbed onto the area of skin that needs to be cleaned.

This treatment helps to quickly degrease the stained area and remove the stain from its surface. When the dirt is removed, the cleaned area will need to be lubricated with lemon juice, then a thin layer of glycerin should be applied on top. These are preventive measures against cracking of the material.

Vinegar

Vinegar can be used to remove salt stains and remove stains that may form after washing. If the skirt is not rinsed well after washing, then during the drying process whitish spots (stripes in the form of stripes) appear on it.

A cotton napkin soaked in table vinegar will remove these stains. You need to wipe the pockets and side seams of the skirt with vinegar after washing to remove any remaining soap from the threads with which the skirt is sewn.

Cleaning furniture

If this or that stain appears on an expensive leather sofa or chairs, this does not mean that you need to pack all the interior items in special cases to keep them in their original form. You can get rid of dirt on furniture. For this, there are both special products purchased in the store and home methods:

You can eliminate stains with the help of special wet wipes, which are soaked in a special solution that allows you to wipe off the dirt without harming the furniture itself. Products with air conditioning functions are also sold, which not only remove stains, but also give the furniture a well-groomed appearance.
You can make do with what you have at hand. For example, an alcohol solution. The stains themselves are rubbed off with it, and after they disappear, these places are treated with glycerin so that the leather product does not dry out after using alcohol (it is known to have drying properties).
Particular care should be taken when cleaning light-colored leather furniture. It requires delicate handling. In this case, milk in combination with chicken protein works best for cleaning stains. The ingredients are mixed until foam forms, then the mixture is applied to a cloth and the contaminated surface is wiped with it.

Another way to remove stains from light-colored furniture is to use soap in combination with fabric softener. The resulting solution is used to lubricate the contaminated areas until they are completely eliminated. Then the surface is wiped with a damp cloth.
When cleaning stains from furniture, do not use aggressive substances (turpentine, bleach and other solvents). It is advisable not to wet sponges and fabrics with tap water.

It is quite hard, it contains salts and heavy metals, which can leave stains on your favorite sofa or chair, which are then difficult to remove.

To prevent stains from appearing on leather furniture, you should be careful and periodically care for the products by wiping them from dust.

Ironing a skirt

Due to improper storage conditions, dents often appear on the leather. You can straighten a leather skirt in different ways, the main thing is to do it correctly.

Using an iron

You can iron a leather skirt with a regular iron.

This must be done taking into account some nuances:

Set the device to the coldest mode.
Real leather is ironed from the front side. Synthetic, on the contrary, must be ironed from the inside out, otherwise the coating may melt.
The lining is always ironed separately from the skirt, using a different mode.
The heated device should not touch the surface of the skin. The skirt should be covered with a cotton diaper or paper that is resistant to high temperatures. Gauze should not be used as a backing. It is too thin and heats up quickly.
If the iron is equipped with a steam system, it should be turned off.

To smooth out any wrinkles that have formed, the iron must be carefully applied to the substrate for 10 seconds, then moved 5-10 cm to the side. Ironing, in the literal sense of the word, is not worth it. New creases may form. Stopping and holding the iron in one place for a long time are unacceptable.

After smoothing 1 area, you need to lift the substrate and evaluate the result. If there are still wrinkles, the procedure will have to be repeated. You can move on to ironing another area only when the already processed part has cooled down.

Steamer, water bath, cold water

You can smooth a leather skirt with a steam generator. For convenience, clothes should be hung on a trempel. Steam should be supplied at a distance of at least 20 cm from the product. This method is suitable for ironing clothes with pockets, sewn-in inserts and other decorative elements.

After steaming a leather skirt, it will take about 4 days for it to dry completely. To speed up the process, the product can be lubricated with a special cream that repels moisture.

You can steam a leather skirt without special equipment by hanging it over a container of hot water. The skin will be moisturized and straightened in 20-30 minutes. When the water has cooled, the skirt should be left hanging over the container for another 35 minutes.

You can remove faint wrinkles on your skirt by moistening it with cold water. The crumpled areas should be moistened with a soft sponge or sprayed with a special gun. For these purposes, it is recommended to use clean, distilled water, otherwise streaks may form on the skin after the moisture evaporates. After 2-4 hours, the skin will soften and straighten, taking its original shape.

Fat-based products

You can smooth a leather skirt using ointment-like substances, for example:

petrolatum;
cedar oil;
glycerol;
walnut oil;
Castor oil.

The product should be applied to a cloth, then wipe the wrinkled areas. When the skirt comes into shape, the remnants of the applied substance will need to be wiped off from its surface with a clean napkin. Then the product must be hung on a glassed-in balcony. This method will not only help smooth the skin, it will give the skirt a beautiful shine and moisturize the material, preventing it from cracking.

Cargo usage

You can smooth out a leather skirt with mild dents by simply hanging it on a trempel. Under its own weight, the material will straighten out and become smooth. This may take from 3 to 6 days. There is a faster way to return the skirt to its original appearance. You can use a weight.

The skirt is straightened and laid flat. Use your hands to smooth out the creases and press the fabric, placing heavy objects on it. Stacks of books or a large pan of cold water will work as a press. Under the weight, the skin will straighten out in 6-8 hours.

Skin restoration and elimination of defects on the skirt

Sometimes the leather may crack and lose color in some areas that have been subject to frequent rubbing. Most often, leather deteriorates where there are pockets and belt loops. Sometimes the edge of the hem and the top of the waistband are worn out.

For minor scuffs and scratches, you can apply shoe polish in the same color as the product itself. This is a temporary solution. The cream will be washed off during the next wash.

The article describes in detail how you can smooth a leather skirt.
Before applying the abrasion masking agent, the skin should be treated with alcohol wipes. The cream must be applied very carefully, in small quantities. You can use cotton swabs. A thick layer of cream can dry out the damaged surface more, so the product needs to be blended well.

Softening

Leather hardens after a while due to improper use or poor quality material. On the Internet, you can often come across articles where it is recommended to use coconut oil to soften the skin.

This is wrong advice. Coconut oil can affect the structure of the skin and change its color. In addition, it has a smell that is absorbed into the material and does not disappear for a long time.

The skirt must be lubricated with special products to moisturize real leather and its substitutes. These conditioning creams can be purchased at hardware stores. Before applying the product, the surface of the product must be cleaned of dust.

The conditioner is applied to the skin and left for 10-15 minutes. Then remove the remaining cream with a clean microfiber cloth. To prevent the skin from hardening, this procedure should be repeated every 6 months.

Such products should be used with caution. Some of them can slightly change the color of the skin if applied to areas with scuff marks. The material may become lighter in color at the site of damage.

DIY leather cleaner

If you don’t want to spend money on purchasing a special stain remover for leather products, we will help you prepare it at home.

For this you will need:

sea salt;
flour;
water;
baking soda.

Armed with these components, you need to do this:

Measure out ⅛ cup sea salt.
Mix salt with ½ tsp. flour.
Add ⅜ glass of water.
Mix everything with 1 tbsp. baking soda.
Mix everything again until smooth.
Apply the mixture to the greasy area with a clean rag or sponge.
Wipe dry with another clean cloth after 5 minutes.

Important! Do not rub the mixture with force so as not to spoil the structure of the fabric.

How to make a skirt one size smaller/larger

Steaming a product in a water bath for several hours is an unsafe way to stretch leather clothing. It might go bad. A skirt can only be made a size larger in a studio. You can make suede inserts on the sides or sew elastic in the waistband area.

Also, in the studio, you can sew a skirt up to 1-2 sizes. The craftsman will trim off the excess material and carefully join the side seams. A skirt with an elastic band can be made smaller by opening the seam at the waistband, tucking in the elastic band and securing the bend with secure seams. Then you need to sew the belt again with a hidden seam.

Things you shouldn't do to your skin

There are several prohibitions in the rules for caring for leather products:

Do not store clothes in a bag where air does not circulate. In the closet, the skirt should hang, not lie. It is advisable to cover the product with a cotton cloth, which will protect it from dust.
It is prohibited to use degreasers to remove dirt. Any substance that is used for the first time should be tested on the back of the lining or seams.
In damp and rainy weather, wearing a leather skirt is not recommended. High humidity can cause it to stretch.
During the washing process, do not rub the material, twist or stretch it.

Knowing how to properly wash, iron and store leather clothing will help keep your favorite clothes in good condition. A leather skirt can last from 7 to 10 years if you care for it following all the recommendations.

When might dry cleaning services be required?

Dry cleaning services are used when complex stains appear on the skirt that cannot be removed on your own. Since it is prohibited to use aggressive household chemicals for washing, you should entrust the product to professionals.

The cost of work depends on its complexity. Approximate prices:

suede long skirt - about 900 rubles;
suede short skirt - about 700 rubles;
long leather skirt – about 800 rubles;
leather short skirt – about 650 rubles.