How To Soften Leather? (5 Methods)

Leather is one of the unique and adaptable fabrics on this planet. However, over time, rough use and neglectful care make leather stiff. This condition of leather is less comfortable and more prone to cracking.

No one wants the damage to their luxury leather outfits and goods. Therefore, this blog breaks down the different proven methods that help you soften your leather.

Why Leather Gets Stiff and How Softening Helps?

Lather is a natural fabric that is sourced from the chemical hide and is well-known in the industry for its smoothness and suppleness. Many people have the misconception that leather can be extracted only from cowhide, but it’s wrong.

Leather can be made from lambskin, goatskin, cowhide, ostrich, crocodile, etc. Nonetheless, lambskin is the most luxurious and sensitive leather commonly available. Numerous reasons contribute to leather stiffness with time.

Leather can easily be damaged in arid and wet environments. Therefore, the storage environment is becoming a major reason for the leather’s toughness and loss of flexibility.
Wearing tight leather outfits doesn’t fit well and expands the leather fibers. Overstressing the leather can also make it less flexible and stiffer over time.
By placing leather clothing and goods in the dryer, you contribute to making leather stiff. The high temperature of the dyers causes the leather to lose its soft feel and become dry.
Keeping your leather in good condition is mandatory, but over time, leather will become less supple.

Best Ways to Soften Leather Outfits and Goods

Leather goods and apparel are expensive, and everyone wants to save their investment from wasting. In this regard, let’s dive into the several solutions that help your to maintain the leather's softness.

Method 1: Use Leather Conditioner for Safe, Lasting Results

The most perfect and accurate way to invest in leather conditioners that are commercially available is through different retail and online stores. Furthermore, this method not only restores the leather but also strengthens it.

Whether you soften women’s or men’s leather jackets or pants, here are some essential steps that you can follow to soften your leather.

Always purchase a quality conditioner, including oils that lubricate the leather as well. A good quality conditioner doesn’t degrade the quality and longevity of the materials.
Let's pour a little portion of leather conditioner on a clean and soft cloth and apply or buff it to the leather goods’ surface.
Remember, leather products need a small amount of conditioner to restore shine and suppleness. Directly applying a pour conditioner to the leather can cause cracks and damage.
Spread the conditioners on the leather surface in circular and broad strokes, and apply evenly.
Only a single thin layer of leather conditioner is enough, so avoid using too much product.
When you apply the condition to men’s and women’s leather jackets, you must pay attention to the arms. Also, special care should be paid to areas like the toes of boots and ankles.
At least apply a conditioner on leather outfits and goods twice a year to keep them soft.

Method 2: Warm It Up Gently—The Heat Treatment Trick

Leather is a naturally sourced fabric from animal hide, so some responses are quite similar to those of human beings. As we moisturize our skin, we should do the same thing with our leather bags, wallets, and purses.

Furthermore, there are different ways to use heat as the best solution to soften the leather of men’s and women’s leather pants.

Remember, if the leather goods are new, the heat method to keep them soft is not for them. We use this method to remove the stiffness of older leather goods. There are many ways to use heat for leather softening, and some of them are mentioned below.

The most followed conventional technique for leather softness is using a hair dryer. So, turn your hair dryer on medium heat because high temperature can damage the leather.
Run the hair dryer over the cloth after applying a layer of moisturizer to the leather goods. Also, maintain a 15 cm distance between the hair dryer and the leather clothing.
Put your leather women’s and men’s leather pants and jackets in the dryer on medium for 10 to 15 minutes. Also, avoid extremely high temperatures because they can cause leather to shrink.
Leave the leather accessory in a humid and warm place because direct heat damages the leather.

Method 3: Natural Oils, Like Coconut or Olive Oil, Can Help

Natural oils soften the leather goods and women’s and men’s leather shirts. Avocado, coconut, and jojoba oil are famous for restoring the shine and combating stiffness.

Furthermore, it’s mandatory for you to expose the leather to the sun before oiling.

Choose any skin softening oil that is non-chemically hydrogenated, such as jojoba oil.
Dip your finger in the oil and slightly rub it on the leather surface to deeply penetrate it.
You can build up oil by layers to achieve better results.
Allow leather to dry after applying oil to make it softer and darker.
Carefully check the leather surface to see if the oil is applied evenly to avoid uneven hues.

Remember the pro tip: if you are unsure of the oil’s outcomes on the leather, try it on a small, hidden area. If the leather discolors, don’t use it for leather softening purposes; instead, invest in quality leather conditioners.

Method 4: Alcohol and Vaseline—A Surprising Combo That Works

In this situation, you don’t have leather conditioners and oils to soften the leather goods. You give life hard leather objects with this DIY technique. Besides, it will work best on stubborn stains on leather boots and belts; however, you can rarely use it on leather clothing.

Put an adequate amount of alcohol on a cotton pad and dab it over the entire leather surface.
Just be careful and apply a thin layer on all the leather surfaces to attain a uniform shine.
Once the shine is back, seal it by applying a thin layer of Vaseline.

You can build up the second and third layers of Vaseline if you think leather can absorb additional moisture.

Method 5: Soften Your Leather Clothing and Goods With Water

People who don’t want to use chemicals and oils for leather softening should just add some water to their leather care. Let’s see how you can use water to soften leather.

Fill a spray bottle with water or even distilled water to prevent mineral buildup on any men’s and women’s leather jackets. Despite this, you can use a wet towel if you don’t have a spray bottle.
Give your leather a gentle spritz from top to bottom until the water beads up on the surface. After a few moments, the water’s moisture begins to soften the leather’s stiffness. Now, you should wear leather outfits and women’s leather pants to adapt to your body shape.
Leather loves little water for moisture retention, but hates being drenched because it is damaged by it. Therefore, it’s best to avoid getting water that drenches them.
Take a clean and soft cloth to remove the excess water from the leather.
Let it dry in a cool and dry location, where the moisture will evaporate.
Never leave much water on the clothing because all metal components have lost their lustrous shine.
Apply a general, toxin-free leather conditioner to men’s or women’s leather pants, jackets, and other goods to keep them hydrated and prevent them from drying out.

Let’s Recap

In summary, softer leather clothing and goods are less likely to crack, tear, or cause other issues. Therefore, there are many practical leather softening methods for shoes, bags, gloves, boots, and leather outfits. Despite this, you can invest in premium quality commercial leather conditioners to soften the leather goods.

“The Urban Tannery” has a huge collection of top-grain and lab-skin women’s leather pants and bags that last longer if you care for them in a timely manner. We also have amazing sales discounts, so stay connected with us on Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook to get info.

If you buy our leather jackets, vests, shirts, skirts, pants, and bags, you must invest in good quality leather cleaners and conditioners to increase the longevity of leather products.

FAQ

Q. Does Vaseline make leather soft?

A. If you admire DIY remedies to soften leather, Vaseline is best for removing its stiffness. Also, Vaseline works better for the bags, boots, and shoes to soften them. However, our top suggestion is to use leather conditioners for leather jackets and pants.

Q. Does warm water soften leather?

A. Yes, warm water can soften the leather, but too high a temperature causes damage. So, be careful while you use warm water to soften the leather.

Q. What chemicals are used to soften leather?

A. The commonly used chemicals to soften leather are glycerin, lanolin, synthetic softeners like propylene glycol, 1, 3- propanediol and enzymes.

Q. How do you soften stiff leather?

A. Use saddle leather cleaner on your leather outerwear or bags to remove impurities. You can also apply natural oils to the leather goods and leave them for a few minutes to penetrate the oil on the surface and soften the leather.

Professionals suggested using leather conditioners on luxury products like lambskin leather jackets and pants to keep them soft. The natural oils and Vaseline also work best for leather bags and boots.

Q. What is the best oil to soften leather?

A. Jojoba oil is the best lightweight oil for softening leather. It deeply nourishes your leather without any unwanted smell.

Q. What is the best leather softener?

A. The best leather softener is a high-quality, toxin-free leather conditioner. Investing in a good-quality leather conditioner is worth every penny.

Q. What can you put on leather to soften it?

A. You may use several things to soften the leather, like natural oils, moisturizers, and leather conditioners. However, our top choice is to use the leather conditioners and softening balms designed for your leather care.