Store Leather

With the costly price and luxurious reputation of leather goods, proper leather storage techniques are necessary to preserve your items. Taking care of leather items will keep leather in the best condition possible, preventing wrinkles and hide degradation. Learn how to store leather in order to prolong the life of the leather goods.

Steps

1. Include acid-free paper in with your leather items when you store them. Stuff the arms and legs of shirts, coats and pants to retain their shape. These items can be hung and covered for protection from dust and damaging environmental elements.
2. Hang leather clothing items to protect them and prevent wrinkles. Cover them in plastic, or choose a cloth covering or garment bag which will allow the leather to breathe. Use wide hangers instead of wire hangers which leave creases in garments and can damage or destroy the items over time. Similar to using wire hangers, using any ribbon loops located inside the clothing items to hang them can disfigure the clothing due to the counterweight of the leather. There is just as much a chance for the loop to pull out of the fabric, resulting in a tear, due to the weight of the garment.
3. Store leather in a breathable container. Good storage container choices for leather are fabric bags, suitcases or wooden trunks. Do not store it in plastic because leather needs breathe and plastic prohibits that. Leather can mildew if the surrounding conditions are too humid. Leave enough room around each item so it can each breathe and is not crowded.
4. Apply leather conditioner to preserve leather quality and further retain moisture.
5. Place the leather in a climate controlled area. Exposure to elements like heat, sunlight and moisture will jeopardize the leather's quality.
6. Acquire the services of a professional to store leather items. Your local cleaner will sometimes offer this service.
7. Take your leather items out of their storage area periodically to extend their life. Leather can be stored long term but should be taken out periodically air the material out.

Tips

• Use your hands to press out any wrinkles. Sometimes wrinkles can occur during storage or if improperly hung. Many such wrinkles can be smoothed out if the leather item is hung appropriately or if you use your hands to flatten out the wrinkled area. You can press the item at home using an iron on very low heat (60-80 degrees Fahrenheit or 16-27 degrees Celsius) and placing a slightly damp cloth between the leather and the iron. Alternatively, a professional cleaner can assist you with your leather storing and unpacking needs.

Things You'll Need

• Acid-free paper
• Wide hangers
• Cloth bag or suitcase
• Leather conditioner

Related Articles

• Dye Leather
• Buy Leather Scraps
• Choose a Leather Jacket
• Braid Leather
• Remove Wrinkles from Leather Jackets

Sources and Citations

• http://www.rd.com/home/5-ways-to-store-your-suedes-and-leather-goods/
• http://www.fashionleather.com/about%20leather.html
• http://www.belenechandia.com/infoarticlepage.aspx?intMenuId=878&intId=90

See also

• Dress Appropriately
• Strengthen Tights or Pantyhose
• Weather Leather
• Wear Tights with a Skirt
• Stamp Leather
• Case Leather
• Dull Leather
• Wear a Trench Coat
• Clean Colored Leather
• Wear a Pleated Skirt

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• Remove Wrinkles from Leather Jackets