Both women and men prefer gloves made of genuine leather in the cold season. The accessory not only saves your hands from chapping and frost, but also complements the look. A classic coat, a beautiful scarf and leather gloves are the image of a truly elegant person. However, in order for an expensive and important accessory to last longer, you need to know how to care for it. Leather gloves become dirty over time, although not as quickly as textile ones, and also become dull and crack. Cleaning them at home is quite simple, knowing several traditional methods.
How to clean leather gloves at home: care products
The main source of pollution is street dust and dirt, which form spots on the skin, especially noticeable on the palms and seam joints. If such stains are not removed in time, they begin to become shiny and the gloves take on an unkempt, worn-out appearance.
How to clean leather gloves at home to rid them of such stains?
We will need warm, room temperature water and soap, preferably neutral - any “children’s” varieties are perfect. Make a strong soap solution, soak a cotton sponge or cloth in it, put the glove on your hand and carefully treat its entire surface. Under no circumstances should you wet the skin too much, much less let it get wet. Light moisturizing is the maximum that is needed to properly clean genuine leather gloves from common dirt.
Carefully remove the remaining soap solution with a cloth soaked in clean water at room temperature and wipe dry; any remaining moisture can damage the leather. In this way, almost all light stains are removed, and if you repeat this procedure regularly, you will be protected from the appearance of more “serious” stains.
Can the product get wet?
Leather gloves cannot be washed in the usual way. The same applies to ironing and processing at high temperatures. Excessive amounts of moisture and heat will make natural leather very rough and tough.
When cleaning any leather products, it is always worth remembering a simple rule - “the less water, the better.”
Then we put on gloves and carefully clean it in soapy water. The actions closely resemble the process of washing hands. Then rinse under running cold water.
To remove excess moisture, use a clean terry towel and gently pat down the item. After such a spin, put on the gloves again and let them dry a little. It is advisable that during the washing process no moisture gets inside the product. Drying on a radiator or near heating devices is strictly prohibited.
How to clean it properly and not spoil it?
If there is serious contamination, you can use improvised products and compounds that can be purchased at a regular pharmacy. This approach is more careful and practical, so the damage to the product is minimal.
For cleaning you can use the following:
- you will need to mix cold boiled water and ammonia in a ratio of 4:1;
- To apply to the product, use regular cotton wool or a cotton pad, which are changed as they become dirty;
- The solution wipes away all dirt, seams, abrasions, etc.
A similar treatment can be done using vinegar. To do this, dissolve 1-2 teaspoons of concentrate in 1 liter of water. The composition is applied as needed.
If you have peroxide, you can use that too. For 1 liter of water you will need approximately 40-50 grams of hydrogen peroxide, 1 tablespoon of ammonia and a couple of drops of baby soap in liquid form. The mixture is mixed well, applied to the item and rubbed.
To remove excess moisture, you will need to wipe the gloves with flannel or cotton cloth. To dry, you can put the product on your hands or place it on a terry towel away from the radiator.
How to care and what to treat?
It is unlikely that it will be possible to restore wrinkled and overdried gloves to their previous appearance, but it is possible to significantly improve their current condition. To do this, you will need to lubricate the product with a small amount of castor oil.
It is advisable to do this as soon as you notice that something is wrong with your gloves. The oil is applied in an even layer and rubbed well into the skin. After 2-3 hours, the product can be put on and used for its intended purpose.
To store a genuine leather product, use a linen bag or a small box made of cardboard, thick paper or wood. If you need to maintain the shape, you can cut out a small stencil that is placed inside the glove before storage.
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Home care for genuine leather gloves
If stains do appear, then ordinary onions will help to clean leather gloves from dirt as effectively as possible. Treat the accessory with soapy water, dry it with a napkin and treat the entire surface with a cut of the onion, paying special attention to the seams, the tips of the “fingers” and the top edge. There is no need to be afraid of an unpleasant odor, just treat the accessory again with a damp cloth and dry it, the smell can be felt for some time, but it will disappear completely, after 12 hours, just leave the gloves at room temperature.
Grease stains, unfortunately, become a real “magnet” for serious dirt.
How to clean leather gloves if they appear?
You will need a strong soap solution at room temperature, to which you need to add hydrogen peroxide and just a little ammonia in the same volume. Apply the solution to previously cleansed skin with gentle movements, paying special attention to problem areas, remove any remaining residue with a damp cloth and dry.
How to clean red and brown leather gloves at home
The least demanding models are those made of black and brown leather; all the methods described above work flawlessly for them. You can clean red leather gloves in the same way; as a rule, high-quality factory dyeing is a guarantee that the color will not be damaged during delicate home cleaning.
When planning to properly clean leather gloves at home, you should never forget about the temperature of the water; in no case should it be hot, and cold water simply cannot cope with heavy stains. Room temperature water and the correct drying mode will help give your accessories a renewed look. Under no circumstances should you dry them near heating devices, radiators or in the sun. Even if you doubt whether traces of the smell will remain and you are going to air your gloves, especially at sub-zero temperatures, you shouldn’t do this either. Room temperature and a few hours to dry naturally will do this best.
To prevent contamination and give the leather a glossy soft shine, carefully cleaned accessories should be lightly rinsed with your hands, straightening out all the seams. Then, take regular glycerin and a cotton swab and treat the entire surface, you will need very little glycerin. Let it dry and remove any residue with a dry cloth, lightly polishing the surface. Glycerin forms a thin and flexible protective film that will literally repel dust, and accessories can be cleaned simply by wiping them with a dry cloth.
How to clean white and light leather gloves
It is somewhat more difficult to care for accessories of light shades, and even more so for white ones. But even in this case, time-tested methods will tell you how to clean leather gloves at home. When choosing how to clean light leather gloves, do not forget that even the most delicate products can leave marks on light leather. The same hydrogen peroxide can give the material an unpleasant yellowish tint. Therefore, when starting to clean light-colored gloves, you should first clean them of dust and dirt using a regular soap solution at room temperature. Under no circumstances use washing powder, much less laundry bleach - these are too aggressive products that can damage the accessory.
White leather gloves are notoriously the hardest to clean, but the same simple home remedies will work on them too. After removing dirt with a soap solution and rinsing it off, thoroughly blot off any remaining moisture. And also go through the cut of the onion to remove “hard” stains. Rinse off any remaining onion juice with room temperature water. Are you satisfied with the result? If not, then you need to prepare a mixture of one protein and half a glass of low-fat milk. Mix these ingredients, but do not beat, soak a napkin in the mixture and treat the entire surface with it.
Let the mixture soak in, this will take no more than five minutes, but do not let it dry out. Remove any residue with a damp cloth and dry the accessory at room temperature. This mixture not only removes heavy dirt, but also gives light and white skin shine and a noble gloss.
How to clean suede gloves at home: dry cleaning at home
Suede accessories require much more attention than leather ones. But even at home, cleaning suede gloves, as practice shows, is no more possible than dry cleaning. One has only to remember that water and any solutions based on it are strictly contraindicated for them. Dry clean only!
The suede pile wrinkles and, if not properly cared for, quickly begins to look untidy and literally attract dirt. Therefore, as a preventative measure and as the first stage of cleaning, it is necessary to “comb” it. This can be done with any brush with soft bristles, lifting the bristles upward - this way you will rid the surface of dust.
To clean difficult stains, use an ordinary school eraser - rub it over the entire surface of the accessory and simply shake it off. Any dirt left? Then gasoline will help to properly clean suede gloves at home; the best one is the one that is used to refill lighters - it is the most delicate. Soak a cotton swab or cloth in gasoline and wipe the stain - let the gasoline dry at room temperature. Under no circumstances should you wash it off and worry about the smell - it will disappear within 12 hours on its own. After drying, comb the suede against the lint again - this method removes stains even from light and white accessories.
Basic care methods
Some people frequently take items to the dry cleaner in an attempt to remove dirt, stains, or other contaminants. All this happens because they do not know how to care for leather gloves at home.
Some home care rules:
Remember that the product you take for care is not always suitable for the skin, so make sure that it is safe to use. Following all these cleaning rules will help extend the life of your favorite accessory.
Some additional tips:
How to clean the inside of leather gloves
Unfortunately, accessories don't just get dirty on the outside. How and how to clean leather gloves from the inside depends only on the material from which their lining is made. Any synthetic fabrics that are used for demi-season models can be easily cleaned using a weak solution of ammonia: a teaspoon per glass of warm water. Turn the glove inside out and wipe the lining, blot it with a cloth and let it dry at room temperature, during which time the smell of ammonia will disappear.
Caring for gloves made of genuine leather with wool, and even more so fur lining, is somewhat more difficult. These materials should never be wetted or strong “aggressive” chemicals used for cleaning. But they can be dry cleaned. Contamination usually occurs from street dust and hand cream residues - they are easily removed using ordinary starch - a product for caring for leather gloves, which is found in literally every kitchen. Pour two tablespoons of starch inside the accessory and carefully remember it for several minutes, turn the signet inside out and carefully clean the inside of the starch with a brush.
Caring for leather gloves at home is not as difficult as it seems. The only rule under which it will be effective is regularity. Do not wait for serious dirt or stains to appear on them. It is enough to clean them once a month using any of the gentle methods suggested above so that they always look like new.
But to keep your gloves in order, you should never use products intended for shoes. They are designed for rougher skin and can give completely unpredictable results.
When storing gloves at the end of the season, even if there is no visible dirt on them, clean them. For leather ones, lightly lubricate them with glycerin, and for suede ones, simply comb them against the pile. They should be stored in the same way as your favorite bags and furs - in fabric cases, you can simply wrap them in a napkin made of natural fabric.
Storage recommendations
Try to pay attention to your gloves more often. Their service life depends on the regularity of cleaning. Care is no less important than proper storage. It also has its own nuances:
- Place gloves in a dark, dry, cool place. The normal temperature for storage is about 20 degrees.
- It is best to store items in a box rather than a plastic bag. It is important that there is air access and that the accessories “breathe”.
- Do not fold or bend leather items when storing them for an extended period. There will be creases and cracks may appear.
- Before putting them away, you can lubricate the leather with glycerin for softness, and comb the suede.
