How to Save Your Leather Jacket from Cracking?

Leather jackets are the most iconic pieces and are quite popular as our favourites. And all this is attributed to the robustness and durability of leather. Well, just like all things beautiful, leather jackets for men too need maintenance to keep up their aesthetics. Irrespective of the type of leather jacket, it may crack if you forsake caring for it. The surface will dry out, and the upper layer of grain will develop fissures. So now what needs to be done to prevent your leather jacket from cracking?

Go for Leather that of High Quality

The type of leather used for crafting your jacket hugely determines the likelihood of cracking. Jackets made using low-priced and low-quality leather are more prone to cracking. As a result, you should choose a jacket made of high-quality leather.

Allow some air

Leather is obtained from the skin and hence is porous, and like all porous materials, it needs some air. Keeping your leather jacket in a sealed bag will not allow it to get air. Your jacket won’t be able to get any moisture vapor in the air in a sealed bag. With time, this can cause your leather jacket to crack.

You can store it in a place where it can breathe. Moisture vapor will help keep your jacket hydrated. This lessens the possibility of cracking.

Store in a Dark Area

Ensure that you store your leather jacket in a place where it is protected from sunlight. Exposure to the sun can cause your leather jacket to dry out.

It may not happen all at once. A constant exposure to sunlight, aggravates the likelihood of cracking. To protect your leather jacket from cracking storing it in a dark place.

A coat closet is a place perfect for storing a leather jacket. It does not allow any sunlight and is well-ventilated, hence your leather jacket is well-protected from cracking. It is absolutely ok to store your leather jacket in some other place also, provided the storage area is well away from direct exposure to sunlight.

Keep Away from Heat

Not only sunlight, but your leather jacket needs to be kept away from all the other heat sources as well. Heat does not go well with leather. Exposure to heat causes drying of the leather. Dryness, eventually is something that causes leather to crack.

Leather is a material that is moist, not packet with moisture, but it contains moisture in its pores. This moisture is something which is responsible for keeping it soft and supple and at the same time protects it from cracking. Exposure to heat will lead to loss of moisture, which may result in cracking. You can lessen the risk of cracking, however, by keeping your leather jacket away from heat.

Common heat sources that can cause leather to dry out are:

1. Fireplace
2. Clothing dryer
3. Air vents
4. Hairdryer
5. Heating blanket

Timely Conditioning

The best way to protect your leather jacket from cracking is by regular conditioning. Conditioning involves the application of a cream or lotion. There are conditioning creams and lotions available that are devised particularly for hydrating leather.

However, remember that over-conditioning can cause problems. It can cause your leather jacket to be saturated with moisture and mildew is formed. Then the question which crops up is how often should you condition your leather jacket? Most experts recommend that conditioning leather jackets about once every three months is good.

Manufacturer’s Instructions

There are instructions provided by the manufacturer on how to clean and maintain the leather jacket. These instructions can be located on the care tag.

There is no better way to protect your jacket than following these instructions. Following these instructions, assures that you won’t unintentionally cause any damage to or harm your leather jacket.

Conclusion

Dryness is the main cause of cracking of leather jackets. Following the above points helps protect your leather jacket from cracking.