Natural leather is known to age beautifully, especially full grain leather, developing a natural sheen over time called Patina. This patina is one of the joys of owning natural leather products. Along with natural imperfections on leather, the natural wear gives a beautiful character to your prized possession. But, being an organic material, natural leather requires proper care. To make sure that your leather item lasts long for you to enjoy these perks of owning a leather product, Let's explore different ways leather can be damaged and how to make sure that it remains in pristine condition so it lasts a lifetime.
COMMON LEATHER PROBLEMS AND HOW TO AVOID THEM
CUTS AND TEARS
Though natural leather is resilient to daily wear and tear, especially full grain leather, it is not indestructible, it is still susceptible to deliberate/- directed cuts and tears. To protect your leather accessory from cuts and tears, make sure you don’t keep the accessory with keys or sharp objects in your pockets or bags. The contact with sharp objects because of the movements can result in cuts and tears to the leather.
LEATHER SHRINKING
Natural leather shrinks when it gets wet and then dried with high heat, the result is hardened/thickened leather resulting in reduction in size. To avoid this, make sure that you don’t wet your leather accessory and then dry it in sun or with a hairdryer. If you happen to wet your leather accessory accidentally, dry it in shade and apply leather conditioner when it has dried to keep it supple.
SCUFFS
Natural leather shrinks when it gets wet and then dried with high heat, the result is hardened/thickened leather resulting in reduction in size. To avoid this, make sure that you don’t wet your leather accessory and then dry it in sun or with a hairdryer. If you happen to wet your leather accessory accidentally, dry it in shade and apply leather conditioner when it has dried to keep it supple.
LEATHER DRYNESS
Being an organic hide, natural leather may dry out resulting in cracks and creases on the surface, though leather on leather accessories like wallets come in regular contact with hands so it doesn’t dry out easily, it is still a good practice to regularly condition or oil your frequently used leather accessory yearly to keep it in top condition. Accessories that are not used regularly should be conditioned every 3 months to maintain them and avoid dryness.
DO’S
LEATHER POLISH
To keep your leather accessory supple and shining, regularly polish it with a good leather conditioner/oil/wax. Conditioning the leather not just keeps the dryness away but also protects it from too much moisture getting in. To apply leather conditioner, just take a small amount on a cotton cloth and rub it gently in circular motions on your leather accessory
AIR IT OUT
Being a natural hide, leather needs regular air to pass through it so any excess moisture can evaporate, this prevents any buildup of mildew caused by too much moisture and unpleasant smells. To avoid this, it is necessary to regularly air out your leather accessory on the counter to let the excess moisture evaporate.
MAINTAIN SHAPE
As leather can shrink it can also be stretched out, unfortunately once stretched it doesn’t go back to its original shape. To prevent this from happening, make sure that you don’t overstuff your wallets or purses to fit over its capacity.
STORE IN A CLOTH BAG
Never store your leather items in a poly bag since it hinders the breathability of the natural leather. Make sure you store your leather accessories in a cotton cloth so that air can pass in and out easily, keeping your leather accessory fresh.
DON’TS AT A GLANCE
DON’T STORE IN PLASTIC BAGS
DON’T WET IT
DON’T KEEP NEAR THE HEATER / DRY WITH HIGH HEAT LIKE HAIR DRIER
DON’T PUT IT OUT IN DIRECT SUNLIGHT
DON’T KEEP YOUR LEATHER ACCESSORY WITH KEYS OR SHARP OBJECTS
DON’T STORE YOUR LEATHER ACCESSORY AWAY FOR A LONG TIME WITHOUT CHECKING UP ON IT
Nice!