Harriet Wetton
Do you think before how to soften the leather that why you need to use this? Various motives may come in this context that has to be recognized.
For getting more durability and flexibility in your daily life, you always opt leather’ items to use. From shoes to saddles, bags to jackets, wallets to belts, furniture to sports equipment, these entire products grant you leather’s durability. But keeping them for a long period turns the leather stiff enough that seems awkward. It’s natural for leather to change its texture over time. So, if you want to turn your old and stiff leather goods into soft form, then this guide is for you. Where you will come to know that how to soften the leather with some easy tactics. So continue to read…
Why does leather need to be softened?
At times, before moving to do something, you need to understand why you have to do this. The same is the case here. Before figuring out some facts about how to soften the leather, you have to determine why it needs to be softened. Leather comes by the tanning of animals’ skin, most cattle skin. Although it provides more flexible and durable products, yet each organic material has its half-life. When it ends, anything alters its texture. The same is the case with leather too.
Generally, if you keep your leather’ goods unused for a long time, they often become stiff, cracked, damaged, or dried out. So if they softened in the right way, they might become able to use as before. Moreover, it’s quite important to mitigate the stiffness of the leather, especially in the case of footwear. Because hardcore shoes may lead to blisters and bumps on your feet.
Fortunately, the leather can be soft by wear and tear too. But in severe conditions, you have to follow some approaches that work hand in hand. Thus, you may easily understand how to soften the leather.
How to soften the leather
Usually, there are different modes to softening the leather, but some most useful and tested approaches are going to describe here. So, you may come to know that how to soften the leather with some easy tactics. Let’s move on and grab those strategies…
#1. Use water to get the soft texture of leather
The easiest way to get your leather accessories in a fine and soft texture is by using water over them. Because water seems just like a toner in the context of how to soften the leather. Leather dries out and then hardens. It means it requires a humid environment to get back its softness. For this, you have to take a spray bottle and pour water into it. Then shower it on the dried leather goods.
Remember, your purpose is just to loosen the dry surface of leather. So, drizzle water carefully, and don’t get the whole leather wet. To absorb the water into the surface, take a fibrous cloth, and clean the water generously. Moreover, remove the excess water.
Nevertheless, there are some leather products with water-proof quality. So, don’t apply water treatment with them. Because as you pour water, it will be vanished out.
#2. Use Coconut Oil to loosen dry leather
Coconut oil helps to soften the stiff and cracked leather generously. Its fatty-acid nature assists more in conditioning the hardened leather to give its smooth texture. Before moving to use the coconut oil, first, it has to prepare that leathered item that needs to soften.
For this, follow the instruction…
- Leave your leather goods in sunlight for 10 minutes.
- Thus, leather will come in the condition to accept coconut oil.
- Then take a clean rag or dip your fingers in coconut oil, and apply to the surface.
- It gives a smooth and soft texture to your leather goods.
However, when you move on to how to soften the leather via coconut oil. Then some drawbacks are also alongside. Though coconut oil turns the leather softened, it shows significant darkening to the surface. That makes the appearance cumbersome. So, don’t apply it to the entire surface at a time. First, apply to unobtrusive areas if you feel okay with the shade.
#3. Use Conditioner to get nap leather
There are many commercial products available in the market or stores, to conditioning leather. Special lanoline-based conditioners come in superstores, that many people buy to look their leather accessories pappy. You can use their several coats if the leather is too stiff and thicken. One thing must remember, read instructions carefully before using anything. So, make sure you apply the conditioner by following the instructions given on the casing. However, some home remedies may also be done to get the answer of how to soften the leather.
#4. Use Petroleum Gel & Alcohol
Another easy way to make your leather accessories so soft is the application of alcohol and petroleum gel. So, if you want to know that how’s it be used, follow two easy steps as given below…
- First, you have to clean your leather bag, jacket, shoe, or any other such accessory by using alcohol. It helps in damping the leather. Alcohol evaporates quickly, so it doesn’t leave any spots on the surface.
- Then gently apply a smooth vaseline or a petroleum gel over the surface of the leather, that is damped by alcohol. Gently rub the surface with gel. It will make the leather so soft and smooth in texture.
Once you apply petroleum gel for the sake of how to soften the leather, you will definitely be amazed by the results. There is a prosing attribute of using petroleum gel and alcohol. No dark shade appears on the leather’s surface, as appears by using coconut oil. So, a bright glow will appear on the leather surface that increased its shining along with softness.
#5. Use Mink Oil for softening leather
Mink oil is specifically used in medical and cosmetics products. But to get the soft texture of stiffed leather, mink oil can be used. It can mainly apply to jackets, boots, bags, saddles, or any other leather products. Thus, if you are pondering on how to soften the leather, mink oil will assist you up to a great extent in this regard. The method of using mink oil somewhat varies from coconut oil.
For this, follow the instructions…
- Take a clean and dry rag, and dump it into mink oil
- Apply this soaked rag on the surface of the leather, up to the three layers
- Rub this oil over the surface into circular motion
- Then allow it to absorb in the surface around 2-3 days
So, in this way, you will get your leather goods in a soft touch sensation very soon. Using mink oil is a good option because its use for treating, conditioning, and preserving any type of leather makes it a convenient commodity.
#6. Heat the Leather for conditioning
Sometimes it becomes essential to know how to soften the leather. So, if you have nothing to apply to your stiff and deformed leather, you may simply heat it. There are various ways to heat your leather accessories.
- Put your leather items in the dryer
- Keep the leather items in a warm and humid room
- Blow up the leather with a hairdryer
- Hang the leather goods near the steamer
#7. Manually soften the leather
Though you can soften your leather goods by different modes as described above. But if you can’t move these, you may go to some manual ways to get to know how to soften the leather. However, you may opt for any way in this respect.
Tap with a tool
Take a hammer, a baseball bat, or a rubber mallet. And tap it on your leather goods, like on a leather bag. Put a little amount of force by soft hands, and strikes evenly over the entire surface. Thus, the hardened and stiffed patches of leather would be softened.
Knead by hand
If you are eager to know how to soften the leather, your hands can also assist you in this regard. Treat your leather items, as you knead the dough. Just pull them by your fist, stretch and squeeze well. In this way, the flexibility of leather would be resuscitated.
Use formally
Mostly, rarely used leather things become stiff and cracked. The easy way to renew them is to use them formally. As you use them, the softness will come back again. Thus, if you think about how to soften the leather, you have to use it in a formal way.
Avoid the softened leather from exposing them to some objects
As you have achieved your goal of how to soften the leather. Now there are some precautionary measures, you have to pursue them wisely and carefully. For this, you have to keep avoiding exposing leather goods to some specific objects. Let’s figure them out…
Avoid sun exposure
Usually, leather is sensitive to sunlight. More exposure to the sun damages the leather, especially when it is already stiff and needs to be softened by various tactics. So, avoid exposing your leather accessories to the sunlight, so that they may avoid sunburn. Thus it’s so helpful for understanding how to soften the leather. For instance, if your leather furniture has been kept in a place where the direct beams of sunlight fall on it. Then continuous light rays badly affect your leather furniture. So, alter its direction or move it to a safe place, where no sun exposure occurs.
Steer clear of treating the leather with harsh chemicals
Various laundry soaps, detergents, and conditioners contain chemicals that cause more damage to leather than cleaning. So, always choose the right product with minimal risk factors. Directions to use and precautions are mentioned on each product. You may figure out them and then buy any product. Because your main objective is to know how to soften the leather. Therefore, it’s essential to know about the pros and cons of anything before use. So that any severe consequences would be avoided.
Keep your leather accessories from too much heat
As discussed in the solutions, heat can lead to the softness and flexibility of the leather. But after gaining the desired texture, you must avoid heating more. In addition to this, too much heat causes serious damage to the leather surface. Burning can also happen. Because such practice leads to vandalization of the fabric severely. So, elude your leather from too much heat. Such advice will very helpful to answer how to soften the leather.
Eschew the leather from extreme temperature variations
As temperature change affects all life on earth. But this abiotic factor may also affect the leather as well. Are you wondered to hear this? Don’t be surprised..! The reason is that leather comes from mostly cattle, which are considered to most useful living organisms on this planet. Any variation in temperature leads changing in their body. So, why not with leather… That’s also an organic form. Thus, if your leather items are kept in any place, and drastic changes in the temperature occurs. Then it alters the original texture of leather, which affects badly its durability and flexibility. So, try to keep it in a room with a constant temperature.
Takeaways
Hopefully, you have got enough info about how to soften the leather. Along with it, some precautionary measures have also been given. If you follow all of them, you will get back your leather’s flexible and durable texture. So, you do not worry, if your leather accessories get damaged, stiffed, or somewhere cracked. Now, you can turn them in their original outlook.
You may augment more leather jackets in your wardrobe. Besides, the leather couch will feel relaxed in your home. Your leather bags will never be discarded soon. Moreover, the durability of your leather belt will be prolonged. So, put a smile on your face, if you have got everything about how to soften the leather that you want.
FAQs:
Is it okay to iron leather goods?
Iron may cause serious damage to the leather. Because iron puts too much heat on it, that may instantly burn the leather. And it never recovered. Keep in mind that the leather is always heat-sensitive, and iron is just like a fireball for leather. So, avoid moving your leather items under the iron. That’s why you have to think twenty times to move on to how to soften the leather.
Which kind of conditioner seems ideal for leather-softening?
There are various kinds of conditioners are available in the market, used for various purposes. However, leather quality and the item are also varied. So, buy goods’ specific quality conditioners to soften your leather. Moreover, lanoline is a compound that primarily works to soften the leather. So, choose the conditioner that carries this compound.
Can baby oil used to fix the leather?
Yes! You can use baby oil or any other essential oil to sort out the mystery of how to soften the leather. But one thing always keeps in mind is that oils are fatty acids and mostly, oils may leave their stains after their application on the surface. That’s why, first, use it on an inexplicit area of the leather item. So that the entire surface will be reserved from further damage.
