How to wash a dress made of eco-leather manually and in an automatic washing machine

How to wash a faux leather dress

high technology has given us a new material – eco-leather. Artificial leather existed before, but did not have good performance qualities. It was hard, rough, cracked, and unattractive to look at.

High-quality artificial leather products are wear-resistant, hypoallergenic, do not crack, do not fade in the sun, do not tan in the cold, and are beautiful. In many respects, artificial leather is superior to natural leather. Leggings, trousers, skirts, dresses, jackets, etc. are sewn from it. The undeniable advantage of the material is that it can be washed!

How to wash artificial leather

Eco-leather is produced synthetically: a polyurethane film is applied to a fabric base. Polyurethane film under the influence of high temperature, hot air, and aggressive chemicals cracks and loses its original appearance. And the textile base can stretch or deform. That is why it is important to follow all the rules for cleaning leatherette items.

When planning to wash, you need to carefully study the product label. The manufacturer indicates there all the necessary information:

Is it possible to wash the item?
by hand or by machine;
at what temperature;
how to do push-ups;
dry;
iron.

If it is written that a dress made of eco-leather cannot be washed, then it is better to take the item to the dry cleaner. Specialists will professionally remove stains and tidy up your clothes.

If the label is lost, you will have to act at your own peril and risk. A leatherette dress can be washed in the following ways:

partially, washing only visible stains;
completely manual;
entirely in the washing machine.

The choice of method depends on the specific item. If there is no label, you need to visually assess the strength of the product. It is better to use a washing machine for clothes of the same color, without decorative elements.

You should prefer manual cleaning if your leather dress:

sewn from material of different colors;
has textile inserts;
decorated with rhinestones, embroidery, appliqués, perforations;
contains metal elements: buttons, rivets, spikes, decorative details.

When there are doubts about the strength of the product, it is better to use a more delicate method.

Smooth out wrinkles using a special solution

What should I do if, during trial processing, the material reacted negatively to a hot iron or steamer? Do not despair! Try the effects of a special aqueous solution. You need to prepare it yourself.

This is not difficult to do; in addition to water, you will need ordinary table vinegar (9%) and fabric softener, usually used for washing, and a spray bottle. For the mixture, you need to take all 3 components in equal proportions, for example, mix 5 tbsp. l. each substance.

Having thoroughly mixed all the components, fill a spray bottle with the resulting solution and spray it on the problem area. Many housewives use this method even if they have the necessary household appliances: they like the instant transformation of leatherette and the safety of the solution, which leaves no traces.

Handwash

For the procedure you will need a basin, detergent, and water. The material is easily damaged, so it is important to follow the general rules for cleaning leatherette:

Use only mild household chemicals, without abrasives or aggressive substances.
Avoid bleach, stain remover, and conditioner.
Water temperature is about 30 degrees.
Do not squeeze.

To wash a leather item:

Pour clean water into the basin.
Add a mild detergent. A liquid or gel form is better. If you don't have it, you can use regular or baby soap. It should be grated, poured into water and stirred after 15 minutes until completely dissolved.
If there are stains, they are removed in advance.
Immerse the clothes, turned inside out, in the soapy solution. There is no need to pre-soak.
Gently rub the contaminated areas: usually the collar, armpits, sleeves. Do this without force so as not to damage the material. If there is a lining, it is washed in the usual way more thoroughly than leatherette.
Place the clothes in a bowl of clean water and rinse well.
Lightly wring out clean items and send to dry.

Before the procedure, the pockets are checked to make sure they are empty.

Zippers, hooks, and buttons are fastened so that metal elements do not damage the material during the cleaning process.

Traditional methods

Our grandmothers tried to iron leatherette using these methods. They are completely safe, suitable not only for artificial, but also for natural materials.

Valuable recommendations on how and with what to smooth leather products
Read also: TOP 10 best washing gel: rating, how to choose, characteristics, reviews, pros and cons

Hang the jacket on the trempel and secure it above the bathtub. Then draw hot water and close the room for several hours. Next, the item should be thoroughly dried in a room with dry, cool air.
Go for a walk in rainy (under an umbrella) or foggy weather. Increased humidity will help smooth out the leatherette, and in just 2-3 hours it will be perfectly smooth.
In a small container, mix 5 tbsp. l. 9% table vinegar, conditioner and water, mix thoroughly. Apply the resulting mixture to the areas that need to be stroked using a spray bottle. There are no traces or smell left, and the result is almost instantaneous.
Moisten a clean soft cloth with glycerin and wipe the jacket. Hang the product on the trempel until completely absorbed, then repeat the procedure 2-3 times. You can also use any colorless shoe polish.

In an automatic machine

Before using the washing machine, study its modes. For eco-leather, a care program for delicate fabrics is suitable. It is often called "wool" or "silk".

You need to pay attention to the spin settings. If it cannot be turned off, set the mode with a number of revolutions of no more than 300. The drying function is turned off.

Place the item in the washing machine.
Add a mild detergent. A special gel is suitable, but it is better not to use powder and capsules. The quantity should be minimal, otherwise there is a risk of getting white streaks after drying.
Enable the selected program.
If the spin cycle has been deactivated, the clean product is lightly wrung out by hand and left to dry.

Temperature

It happens that the label was accidentally cut off and it was erased, so there is nowhere to get detailed instructions. It doesn’t matter, just follow the general principles of caring for artificial leather, and success is guaranteed.

Pay special attention to the temperature. Such items should not be washed in hot water. It doesn’t matter at all what your dress is made of – genuine leather, vinyl or eco-leather.

Important! If you are not entirely familiar with the features of these materials, we suggest that you read our separate review, where all their pros, cons, and characteristics are discussed in detail. Click on the link “Which is better - artificial leather or eco-leather?”

Boiling water makes any material of this type too hard and the product loses its shape. Natural leather usually shrinks, artificial leather most often stretches, and unevenly. So a water temperature greater than 30°C is clearly not suitable for you.

Partial

If you need to remove a specific stain, you don't have to wash the entire item. It is enough to treat the place of contamination itself.

Before cleaning, test any product on an inconspicuous area.
Sometimes manufacturers use low-quality dyes, which can be accidentally rubbed off and ruin the item.
To avoid this, an inspection is carried out in an area that will not be visible in the event of force majeure.
Most stains on leatherette can be easily wiped off with a regular damp cloth. It simply wipes away the dirt. If it remains in place, you can use soapy water. A soft cloth is moistened with it and the dress is treated.

For complex stains, use an alcohol solution:

Mix alcohol with water in a 1:1 ratio.
Gently wipe the stain with this liquid. Light-colored items are cleaned with warm milk using the same procedure.

After cleaning with any means, wipe the clothes with a cloth or sponge with clean water. Then wipe dry. Finally, you can treat the entire item with a water-repellent spray. This is not suitable for all products, but may reduce contamination.

Artificial leather should only be cleaned with a soft cloth or sponge. Brushes should not be used - they will easily damage the delicate material.

Prevention

To wash leatherette products as rarely as possible, they need to be properly cared for. For this you need:

liquid detergent;
alcohol;
warm water;
terry towel;
cotton pads.

Use these simple things to perform preventive cleaning a couple of times a month.

Option 1:

Dilute a little liquid soap in warm water.
Dampen a cotton pad.
Wipe the entire outer layer of the jacket or coat.
Wipe the jacket with clean warm water.
Remove excess moisture with a towel.

Option 2

Soak a cotton pad in alcohol, wipe the entire top layer of the product, and then dry with a soft towel.

Proper drying

After cleaning and washing, the dress must be dried properly. This will help maintain the original appearance of the clothing and avoid deformation and cracking.

How to dry eco-leather:

Immediately after the procedures, things are placed on a towel to drain the water.
Slightly dried clothes are hung on hangers. It is convenient to do this above the bathtub.
The dress is straightened well so that after drying there are no folds or creases left.

Eco-leather is not lubricated with creams and oils, like real leather. It does not absorb these substances. If treatment is necessary, excess cream must be wiped off with a dry cloth.

Do not dry leatherette on a radiator, this will cause the material to crack.
Drying with a hairdryer or fan is prohibited.
Things are hung where there is no direct sunlight, because it can cause fading.
You can dry your clothes with the wrong side out, this will help them dry faster.
Leatherette does not absorb water, so the main task is to dry the textile base of the material.
If dried skin looks dull and pale, it is treated with special paint. There should be a mark on it that the product can be used for eco-leather.
Aggressive cleaning powders, bleaches, spinning, and radiator drying are not suitable for leatherette.
Cleaning should only be done with mild chemicals without harsh impact.

Washing a dress made of eco-leather will not cause any difficulties if you follow these simple recommendations. The main thing is to remember that the material is easy to spoil, and any impact should be soft and delicate. If you have any doubts about how to properly clean a dress, you do not need to use a machine. Hand washing will help to gently clean clothes and not damage the eco-leather.

Steam treatment

Prepare an iron with a steam function or a steamer. Place faux leather clothes on hangers. Bring the device to the problem area at a distance of 10-15 cm and turn on the steam supply. The exposure time per place is several seconds. After steam treatment, leave the product alone for at least half an hour. The steamer will help you quickly straighten your collar, sleeves and small parts.

"Steam room"

Faux leather clothing can be straightened using steam in a tightly closed bathroom. Place the leatherette product on hangers and hang it high directly above the water, while avoiding contact with it. Open the hot water and run the bath until the room is filled with steam and the mirror becomes cloudy. Steam and strong humidity help smooth out minor bruises, and there is no need to resort to other methods. The procedure should last approximately 2 hours. During this time, you need to add hot water several times, turn the clothes and straighten out the folds.

When finished, move the item to a heated room and leave it to dry away from the radiator.