Leather jackets make a powerful statement, but many people avoid buying them due to their high price tags, environmental impact, and significant fashion footprint. Thrifting can solve these issues, providing an affordable, sustainable way to score a stylish leather look.
Still, thrifters question how easy leather jackets are to clean. Dry cleaning is an option, but it’s an added cost and an extra errand to handle. So, how do you clean leather jackets at home?
Learn to clean a thrifted leather jacket from a thrift store with our easy techniques, including the top ways to remove stains.
Cleaning leather garments is simple with these five steps. Grab your thrifted jacket from ThredUp, and let’s get started.
Fill a bowl or sink with warm water and add a few drops of dish soap. Choosing a mild detergent is essential—leather is delicate, and harsh soaps could discolor it or remove its protective coating.
Dip a soft, clean cloth into the mixture, saturate it, and then wring it out to remove excess liquid. Gently wipe down your leather jacket with the cloth, starting with the inside and gradually working your way to the exterior.
Next, fill a new bowl with plain, lukewarm water—no soap this time. Saturate your cloth and wipe down the jacket again, covering each surface to ensure you get every trace of soap off.
If you’re cleaning a delicate type of leather, like on suede jackets, do this step quickly, as the material shouldn’t stay wet for long.
Take a dry cloth, pat the water off, and hang up the garment to dry completely. Air drying takes longer when cleaning larger leather coats, as they’re typically bigger and bulkier than biker-style jackets.
Once your leather jacket is completely dry, apply a leather conditioner to maintain flexibility and softness. Lay your jacket flat on a clean towel. Then, add leather conditioner to a dry cloth and apply it evenly across the entire item. Be sure you follow the specific instructions on the packaging, as every conditioner works differently.
We love clothing TLC at ThredUp. Extend the life of your clothing and keep it looking brand new by regularly mending and maintaining it.
For jackets, the best maintenance depends on the type of leather. Full-grain leather only needs annual conditioning and the occasional wipe-down, but suede isn’t as hardy and requires more care. Treat suede with a special split leather conditioner and water-repellant spray at least twice a year, and use a cleaning brush every time you wear it.
Don’t let a small smudge stop you from thrifting the perfect soft leather jacket. You can be an expert at thrifting online if you keep these household staples on hand to remove stains for good.
Next time you see a dirt stain on a fine leather jacket, reach for a standard tube of toothpaste (not gel!). Apply the paste to the stain and gently rub it into the jacket in a circular motion. Don’t scrub it—toothpaste is mildly abrasive and will scour the area for you.
Let the paste sit for about 10 seconds, then wipe it gently with a clean, damp cloth. The stain should come right up with it.
Don’t worry about the ink stain on your white leather jacket—nail polish remover is for more than lifting the color off your manicure! Dab the stain with a cotton swab soaked in polish remover, and then blot the area with a clean, moist cloth to absorb the ink. Dry the spot with a dry towel when you’re done.
Pro tip: Don’t rub the area after applying nail polish remover as it could spread the stain around.
Oil causes the most frustrating stains, but there’s a quick household solution. Absorbent powders like cornstarch, baking soda, and baby powder can easily lift oil and grease from leather.
Sprinkle the powder over the oil stain and gently massage it with a damp cloth. The next part takes patience: Leave the jacket to sit overnight or about eight hours.
Then, wipe the powder off with a clean cloth. It will have absorbed the oil, and the stain will brush away with it.
Mold and mildew aren’t uncommon on leather, but you can quickly clean them off with rubbing alcohol. Mix equal parts rubbing alcohol and water, dip a soft cloth into the solution, and wipe down the mildewy area. Once you lift the mold, clean the solution off with another damp cloth.
Rubbing alcohol is an effective household stain remover and one of our favorite clothing care tips. It also works wonders for removing lipstick from fabric!
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Cleaning leather garments isn’t tricky, and knowing how to do it opens the door to endless secondhand style opportunities. By perfecting these techniques, you can contribute to sustainable fashion, keep beautiful jackets in circulation, and feel your best.
ThredUp is the ultimate place to find preloved leather jackets, skirts, shoes, and more. Our advanced Search feature helps you find your desired look using natural words and phrases. Need inspiration first? Use our Style Chat to drum up ideas and see a preview of them on a model.
At ThredUp, we’re committed to extending the life of each garment—we receive 6,000 items daily, providing you with a massive variety of new looks and keeping them out of landfills.
Try ThredUp today and start thrifting like a pro.
You can use the same steps in our guide for natural and faux leather jackets. Clean them with a mild soap and water solution, wipe the water off, and let it dry.
Just don’t condition fake leather. Only genuine leather needs conditioning because it’s organic, while most vegan leather is made of plastic.
Some thrifted jackets smell like the store they came from or a deodorizing spray. Leather can hold on to this scent for a while if you don’t take steps to remove it.
We recommend mixing one part vinegar to five parts water and wiping down the jacket’s exterior. If the smell is particularly stubborn, try placing baking soda or activated charcoal pouches into the pockets for several days.
Use the same steps we discuss in our above guide to clean your jacket’s lining:
While a leather jacket’s lining may be a different material, you must use these methods to avoid damaging the attached leather.
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