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Dry clean a leather jacket?

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alien
Joined
Apr 16, 2008
Location
on assignment
Moto(s)
Once in a while
Name
Ay Caramba
I'm sure there are better ways of cleaning a leather bike jacket but I'm wondering if I can have one dry cleaned without ruining it?
 
There are specific dry cleaner establishments who specialize in leather. Find one of those.

Suede is usually the leather that is dry cleaned.

Just curious, why do you feel the need for a dry cleaning? Is the lining all stinky and nasty, or something?

I just use any product for leather cleaning to wipe off the bug grime. Like Lexol.

Edit; Also, dry cleaning a leather garment might make it lose it's suppleness to an extent, just an FYI.
 
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I’m concerned I may have picked up bugs at a hotel where I stayed and just being cautious (maybe over cautious) before I unpack all my stuff.
 
T100 said:
There are specific dry cleaner establishments who specialize in leather. Find one of those.

Suede is usually the leather that is dry cleaned.

Just curious, why do you feel the need for a dry cleaning? Is the lining all stinky and nasty, or something?

I just use any product for leather cleaning to wipe off the bug grime. Like Lexol.

Edit; Also, dry cleaning a leather garment might make it lose it's suppleness to an extent, just an FYI.
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Yes. Exactly what I was told at Johnson's Leathers.

Lexol good. They will clean and recondition any leather garment if you want. Results will vary (their words).
 
If the liner isn’t removable, just wash it in the shower and condition the leather after it dries some.
 
David919 said:
If you are worried about bed bugs or fleas, I spent a night at a pet friendly hotel to wake up with flea bites on my feet up to my knees, try this, tested my clothes this way, put the jacket in a plastic bag and throw one of these in with it, see what your results are. Under $10. https://www.amazon.com/Ortho-Bed-Bu...argid=aud-466360936450:pla-350110448810&psc=1
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I didn't get around to it yet but my stuff is still contained in plastic bags and I was planning on throwing in some version of one of those traps.
 
Blankpage said:
I’m concerned I may have picked up bugs at a hotel where I stayed and just being cautious (maybe over cautious) before I unpack all my stuff.
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One word: permethrin. That stuff kills just about every insect imaginable; certainly everything I've tried it on. This is the variant I use:

https://sawyer.com/products/permethrin-insect-repellent-treatment/

You can get it at REI, if there's one close to you:

https://www.rei.com/product/768970/sawyer-permethrin-pump-spray-24-oz

Spray a light mist on the jacket's lining, then wait for it to dry, and you should be good. You can spray the leather itself, I guess. If you do, I'd follow up with a leather conditioner (ex: Lexol) soon afterward. If you frequently stay in crappy hotels, you can spray the bedding and around the base of the bed to prevent future problems.
 
fubar929 said:
One word: permethrin. That stuff kills just about every insect imaginable; certainly everything I've tried it on. This is the variant I use:

https://sawyer.com/products/permethrin-insect-repellent-treatment/

You can get it at REI, if there's one close to you:

https://www.rei.com/product/768970/sawyer-permethrin-pump-spray-24-oz

Spray a light mist on the jacket's lining, then wait for it to dry, and you should be good. You can spray the leather itself, I guess. If you do, I'd follow up with a leather conditioner (ex: Lexol) soon afterward. If you frequently stay in crappy hotels, you can spray the bedding and around the base of the bed to prevent future problems.
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I don't stay in motels or crappy hotels. Insects are non discriminatory, they don't care about the number of stars the in a hotel's rating.
As I mentioned I might be overdoing it but better safe than sorry. I have other helmets and jackets to use in the meantime so its not an inconvenience to quarantine some of my gear for a couple of weeks

That product looks better than raid or other such poisonous chemicals so I'll look for it or similar for future use.
 
I would stick the jacket in an airtight bag and throw into a freezer for a week. It will kill bed bugs, fleas and/or their eggs. Easy to do, no chemicals involved.
 
cal scott said:
I would stick the jacket in an airtight bag and throw into a freezer for a week. It will kill bed bugs, fleas and/or their eggs. Easy to do, no chemicals involved.
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From what I read online if trying to kill insects by freezing you would have to subject them to 0 Fahrenheit for 48 hours and my freezer doesn't go that low. Plus I had 3 jackets with me in the hotel, boots, riding pants, helmet, couple pair of gloves... too much stuff to throw in a freezer.
Better to throw a few bug traps in bags and give it a week or two.
I haven't actually seen any bugs so jumping through all these hoops might be going overboard.
Next time for ease of mind when staying in hotels I'll keep everything stored in plastic bags.
 
Bed bugs Die from 177 to 122 degrees.
Put your bags in a hot car for a afternoon. DONE..
 
buellistic said:
Bed bugs Die from 177 to 122 degrees.
Put your bags in a hot car for a afternoon. DONE..
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A simple no cost solution, brilliant.
Is there some sort of gauge that registers or records max temperature reached?


.
 
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You can try putting the jacket in a plastic bag and leave it inside your car on a hot day. I know bedbugs don't like extreme heat. Don't know if it'll mess up the leather though. (oops looks like someone suggested it already=P).

But yeah bed bugs are no joke we had an infestation in one room and if you don't do anything about them they multiply and can hide like anywhere. I got them on my bed and I would pick them up and throw them in a plastic bag but they lay eggs everywhere and hide in little cracks, ultimately I just got rid of the bed and got a new one. They are strong too bug sprays don't kill them and if you squish them blood squirts everywhere =( scourge of the planet!

Usually when i get home from a trip and I stay at a hotel that might of had some "bugs" I make sure and not bring that stuff into the house, it goes straight into the washer. But it's a leather jacket so yeah...
 
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Blankpage said:
From what I read online if trying to kill insects by freezing you would have to subject them to 0 Fahrenheit for 48 hours and my freezer doesn't go that low.
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Standard freezer is -20C (-4F)

Blankpage said:
Plus I had 3 jackets with me in the hotel, boots, riding pants, helmet, couple pair of gloves... too much stuff to throw in a freezer.
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That I can't help you with :teeth. Good luck with whatever path you decide.
 
A simple vinegar/water solution also works on most insects

As for cleaning, I have always soaked my jackets in the bathtub for 2-3 hours, with a couple capfuls of baby shampoo. Of course then you have to do another couple of soaks to rinse it. Then lay it out on the floor on top of a few towels. Apply conditioner before it dries fully.
 
black garbage bags. Leave in car in the sun for a hot afternoon. Bugs dead.

Put in drier for an hour. Bugs dead.

Put in bags in chest feezer turned all the way down for a few days. bugs probably dead.

Spray with permethrin and let dry before using. Bugs dead.

Use as excuse to justify new riding gear to your significant other- priceless
 
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