Leather Parka

How should I treat and/or clean my new leather jacket?

Okay, I would NOT buy a leather jacket ordinarily. A friend at work had a like-new jacket that I bought for $50. If it matters, it is a quite nice light brown with Thinsulate Ultra and is the Wilson's Leather brand. The care tag says, when dry cleaning, take ONLY to a "leather specialist". Quite frankly, this is probably my most expensive jacket (IF I had paid new) other than my L.L. Bean parka, and I want it to last and look good. Aren't most professional dry cleaners "leather specialists"? Is that all I need to do, have it cleaned once or twice a season? Are there products I can use at home to "sharpen it up" between dry cleanings? Thanks, people.

Public Comments

1. Take care of it *before* you have to have it cleaned by a leather specialist. Get a can of leather protector to spray on the jacket. It will help prevent water or spills from damaging it.
2. You only need to get it professionally cleaned if you get a spill or a mark on it. And even for small marks you can buy leather cleaners at most Target stores. So for regular use, just wipe it down every so often with a slightly (I emphasize slightly) damp soft cloth. After wiping then dry with again a soft cloth, like those micro fiber cloths would be perfect. As for the dry cleaner, no you really do want to find a cleaner that specializes in Leather Cleaning. Don't just ask them, if they do leather they will have a sign up in the store. The reason it matters is that again you really only need to take it to them if something big gets the jacket dirty.
3. I prefer to use a leather cream. It comes in a small can like shoe polish. It will protect it in rainy/snowy weather. Just put a little on a soft cloth and rub it on. It makes the leather nice and soft.
4. I use tartar sauce. I never like dry-cleaning because it's expensive and I'm happy with the fact that water won't be used and my stuff will be `cleaned' with other people's stuff.