From tips on how to stop your gloves from stretching to how you can waterproof them, here is our comprehensive guide on how to care for leather gloves — such as driving gloves — so you can enjoy them for many years to come.
How to Waterproof Leather Gloves
It is best to start from the beginning. When you first buy a pair of leather gloves, it is important to find out if you can waterproof them, which will provide them with protection from outdoor elements.
It is important to realise that leather is a type of “skin”, so it already has its own natural resistance when it comes to different elements. Provided you do not take them for a swim in a pool or the ocean, your leather gloves will usually be just fine.
Nevertheless, many of the high-street brands now produce products which enhances the resistance of leather gloves from elements like wind and rain. While these enhancements might be useful, they may affect the look of your gloves, especially if you have chosen a lighter colour.
The most vital thing that you always need to remember, regardless of whether your gloves feature a protective layer or not, is that if they do get wet, never allow them to dry using external heat such as in a tumble-dryer or putting them on your radiator. Rather, allow the gloves to dry out on their own which will stop them from drying out and cracking.
Once the gloves have dried out on their own, we do suggest that you rub in a leather creme so that they stay soft. The leather cremes can be purchased in just about any local store such as John Lewis or Tesco.
Tips on How to Clean Your Leather Gloves
Similar to any other product that contains or is made up of high-quality leather, washing or cleaning leather gloves should only ever be done when necessary and with extreme care.
The colours are delicate as the skins are “full blossom”, which means that drying additives and tanning are natural. This means that fixing the colours is regarded as fine, yet if you wash them using the wrong chemical additives this may damage the gloves.
If your gloves are showing up light marks and you want to clean the leather, here are few steps to follow:
1. Prepare a solution of lukewarm water and soap flakes that are pure, such as “Lux”. (??QUERY: I Googled this brand of soap flakes and it looks like it may be discontinued.)
2. Now wipe the gloves down gently with a soft cloth.
3. Never submerge them in water or wash the gloves in your washing machine.
4. Allow the gloves to dry on their own, and while they are in the process of drying, put your hands inside a few times which will gently stretch your gloves and help them to return to the right fit. (Query: Would numbers be better than bullets here?)
Tips on How to Stop Your Leather Gloves from Stretching
In the last few years, we have received many questions associated with how to prevent stretching in leather gloves. Our answer is simple: You shouldn’t have to.
Leather is a gift from nature for glove makers. It’s natural recovery and elasticity allow for your fingers and your hands to push past the part of the gloves that are narrow and to then snuggly reform around your wrist and hand.
It is the skill of the glove cutter to select the perfect leather piece for every part involved in making the gloves. They then prepare the leather in such a way that it will retain precise elasticity which results in the perfect pair of leather gloves.
For this reason, we suggest that you spend a bit more on quality leather gloves which will probably last you forever and always make sure you have chosen the right size to match your hands. If you buy the right gloves you won’t need to worry that they will stretch.
How to Clean the Lining of Leather Gloves
Most gloves have a wool or silk lining which provides extra warmth or comfort. Because leather should not be submerged in water, the lining becomes a bit trickier to clean.
We do not suggest that you try to clean this lining on your own, as it is possible to damage these delicate materials. If you feel that the lining requires cleaning, it’s advisable to take the gloves to your closest specialist dry cleaner.
Leather gloves of quality usually last for a lifetime.