Machine Washing-Drying Leather Jacket

[Marrk]

I've done a few google searches and forum searches on this, and found some interesting stuff, but thought I'd run it up the flagpole one more time before going ahead.

The jacket is a fashion item, not a military jacket. It is made by Diesel and the label says "sheep leather chrome-free vegetable tanned jacket." The lining is 100% cotton (body) and 100% polyester (sleeves).

In a thread on this forum, John Chapman says that he machine washes capeskin. I gather that he is talking about hides that are tanned and prepared, but not yet cut and sewn into jackets.

The outcome that I want to achieve is this: The jacket is a little big. I'd like to shrink it down. Will machine washing-drying (or even hand washing-drying) achieve this without totally destroying the jacket? What about the lining? Will the jacket shrink, but leave the lining baggy and saggy?

I appreciate your input and apologize if this is a tediously over-discussed topic.

Cheers.

 

[a2jacketpatches]

A washing machine is going to agitate and work on the leather so You may get good results and you may get bad. Even though some may have accomplished exactly what was desired in some cases, you may end up with too much shrinking. I have let jackets just sit in a hot water tub for a few different reasons, with a little detergent and lightly agitating to get a smell out, and even just to get out some wrinkles. The end result was OK and the jacket got a little stiff and also shrunk a bit. I believe JC washes capeskin before hand to pre-shrink and achieve a better look to the hide so his technique is not relevant to what you're trying to do. I also wash most of my leather before making my patches pretty much for the same reasons as JC. It also stiffens the leather a bit and that helps the construction process for me. I'm sure you'll get a lot of response today and all will be a little different, but a hot water bath and then drying in the sun would be my first thought, lay on a soft blanket or something so you won't end up with markings from other surfaces. Flip every once in a while. Also, when damp, I've worn a jacket for a little while bending the arms and stretching here and there to sort of custom fit, it works well.

 

[Marrk]

Thanks, 'Patches.

With regard to post-wash stiffening, I was thinking some Lexol would restore the jacket. (I've noticed that, washing aside, Lexol can soften a stiff leather motorcycle track suit enough so that is stretches more easily. Not an outcome I'm after, but the jacket will need some sort of care after a wash.) What did you do about stiffening?

Also, I was thinking of washing without soap of any kind, since cleaning is not what I'm after.

Hot water? How about cold water? Might achieve some shrinkage without removing some much of whatever oils are in the leather.

 

[a2jacketpatches]

Haven't tried cold water except for hosing down the exterior with a garden hose after cleaning with one of those 49 cent chip brushes and a cup of mild detergent to remove surface dirt. No need for the soap for what you're doing, but this method works great for cleaning in the cracks of the seams etc. even just using water. I guess it came out a little stiff but not as much as the soaking did. The hot / warm water soaking penetrates quick and the end result really isn't that stiff and normal wear works it out anyway. I used Apple brand leather conditioner after the garden hose treatment and it worked great. Probably the safest way with the hose as it's only doing what any rain storm would.

 

[Marrk]

Indeed, I was thinking that the agitation of the washing-dryng machines will produce unnecessary damage to the leather . . . but the drying machine may be necessary to achieve the shrinkage(?). I suppose I could do the hand soak and air dry method first, then, if I need more shrinkage, I could go to the machines. But, again, that's two "traumas" for the jacket.

 

[John Lever]

I have been washing jackets since the 1990's. Its rather like baking a cake,you don't know how how it will turn out until it comes out of the machine. Be prepared for a disaster. If you have to do it put the jacket inside a pillow case to reduce the harmful effects of twisting and wrenching as saturated leather is heavy and can be weak. I have used pure glycerine soap but this can leave white deposits.
If shrinkage is what you are aiming for them showering the jacket with very hot water followed by air drying might work.

 

[Vcruiser]

How can anyone be confident that it would shrink uniformly all over..? What if one sleeve comes out shorter than the other..or the liner misshapen and deformed..? :?

Van

 

[Marrk]

True, Vcruiser. But the impression I got from the forum was that a lot of guys were washing jackets, especially B-3s and jackets with mouton collars.

I'm kind of aggravated with the fit of the jacket as is, so I am tempted to risk ruining it.

 

[unclegrumpy]

I have hand washed leather jackets I plan to wear in the bathtub using cold water, and then slowly dried them outside in the shade. This method works out pretty well, especially if you wear it dry for the last 20% or so of the drying time. In my experience, hot water and direct sun drying can cause excessive shrinking. Not always, but sometimes.

I think a bit of what you might want to do depends on exactly what is "aggravating" you about the current fit. If the jacket is not breaking in or shaping to your liking, it will not hurt it to soak it in cold water and then wear it. This often does amazingly good things. A jacket will also stretch if you wear a sweatshirt while it dries.

Personally, I think I would just get it totally wet and wear it dry before I tried "washing" it. You can always do it again with hotter water and a sunnier dry time, but I bet it gets better taking this first step.

 

[dmar836]

I've done only one jacket(an ELC) and it is still stiff and uncomfortable compared to the GWs I've tried. It fit me before but was like plastic. Another ELC was stuff but i never washed that one.
From what I've found, it's difficult to wash a new size, character, grain, or comfort into a jacket unless the hide was a good one to begin with.
YMMV,
Dave
P.S. please let us know how it turns out.

 

[Marrk]

Thanks, dmar836.

@unclegrumpy: Body length, sleeve length and chest are what I'd like to shrink. Maybe this is a long shot. I don't know.

 

[unclegrumpy]

Body length, sleeve length and chest are what I'd like to shrink. Maybe this is a long shot. I don't know.

It really sounds like you need a smaller sized jacket.

However, I think if you get it wet and carefully dry it, but skip wearing it dry, it might shrink by about 5% or so. The problem is, it might stretch back out once you wear it.

If you still aren't happy, and wanted to continue, I would get it wet again, and let it slowly dry again in the shade to about 80% dry. Then put it in the clothes dryer at a medium heat for the remaining 20%.

I think it is better to start slow and conservative, and see how the jacket responds. One part that will not change, is the whatever is polyester....and that would be important to factor in.

 

[Marrk]

Thanks, unclegrumpy.

As recently as two days ago, I tried on the same jacket in a smaller size. Actually, it was tagged as the same size as mine (Size M), but I knew immediately that it was smaller than mine. It just came off the production line a little different, I guess. Anyway, it was too small.

Your point about the polyester is a good one. So is your point about taking it slowly. I suppose if I got it wet and let it dry, it wouldn't be any different than if I had gotten caught in the rain with the jacket on. We'll see. Not going to do anything for a month or so. When the weather gets warmer here, the air drying process will take less time.

Thanks to all for the input. It helps me.

 

[Jaguar46]

I have shrunk a number of jackets. I usually soak them in hot water (it helps the leather soak up water faster), or just use a spray bottle to wet it, depending on how much or little I want to shrink it. Then I do a routine of 5 minutes in a dryer at the lowest setting, first inside out, then reversed. I remove it after 5 minutes and will put in on. Let it cool a bit, then another 5 minutes. I do this for about an hour, which is about the time it takes. Using this method, the leather doesn't become stiff as it does when air drying. The biggest negative I have found is that the zipper tape shrinks and becomes curley, and wavy. Which is a dead give away that the jacket was shrunk. I have taken unwearable jackets that were just too large, and made them fit like a glove. You will be surprised how much some leather shrinks. The chest measurement can shrink a good 1- 1/2 inches (or 2-3 inches in total circumferance less than before it was shrunk).

 

[Who]

I've washed around 9 leather jackets with standard detergent and warm water in a front loader (much more gentle) never had one shrink even slightly.

 

[Marrk]

I really appreciate these posts, guys.

Keep 'em coming and thanks.

 

[a2jacketpatches]

I've washed around 9 leather jackets with standard detergent and warm water in a front loader (much more gentle) never had one shrink even slightly.

I'd bet you're talking good quality stuff because we are basically talking about speeding up a natural process here. In the dead of winter a jacket can be soaked while being worn and then just hours later have the sun beating on it with hot spots warm to the touch and freezing cold on the other side. All of these methods are just a way of doing it in an controlled environment. Common sense will tell ya that the washer and dryer may be a little extreme and hosing down with a natural dry being a lighter approach. And quite a few in-betweens. I notice that the mall type jackets I cut up for patches and soak shrink quite a bit when dried in the sun, and the good quality HH and Goat that I source from a very well known jacket artist shrinks very little if any.

 

[Jaguar46]

I've washed around 9 leather jackets with standard detergent and warm water in a front loader (much more gentle) never had one shrink even slightly.

In case anyone is wondering, the jackets I have shrunk, include multiple Goodwears, an Aero Halfbelt in heavy horsehide, Gibson and Barnes goatskin. They have shrunk by up to 10%. The only jacket I have had trouble with is the Eastman A2 line of smooth leathered jackets.

 

[rikitiki]

I've washed two of my Gibson and Barnes A-2's and have learned that machine washing by itself doesn't shrink the leather: higher temperature does.

Since I wear my black goatskin A-2 everyday to work (I work at an airport, and management lets us wear aviation jackets in operations) it's machine washed twice a year on the shortest "gentle" cycle and COLD water with a tiny bit of detergent. I turn it inside-out to protect the leather from abrasion. Then I dry it by placing the wet jacket on a towel and roll it up to absorb most the water, then place it under a ceiling fan to dry in a couple days. I avoid the laundry dryer which might abrade the leather. Without heat, I have no shrinkage.

My brown horsehide was a bit large, so I machine washed it in WARM water and dried it under the ceiling fan. This shrank the leather by about one size and caused the leather grain to really pop out.

 

[Marrk]

Thanks, riki.

When they shrink, do they stay shrunk or quickly stretch out again?