How to Clean & Condition a Leather Jacket

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Cleaning and conditioning are necessary steps to maintaining your leather items and keeping them looking great for years. In today’s two-part series, we’re deep cleaning a leather jacket with a strong cigarette odor and mildew growth. After the jacket has been thoroughly cleaned and deodorized, we’ll follow up with an oiling and conditioning treatment to restore the leather’s shine and natural oils that were stripped during the cleaning process. Let’s get started cleaning our leather jacket.

Please Note: These videos are only for leather, not suede.

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Step 1: Deep Cleaning the Leather

Materials You’ll Need:

  • Water
  • White vinegar
  • Spray bottle
  • Cloth
  • Soft-bristle brush (#122674)
  • Fiebing’s Saddle Soap (#123814)

Most of the supplies you’ll need to clean your leather jacket can be found in your kitchen pantry. First, wipe down the jacket with a damp cloth to remove loose dirt and surface mildew. Next, mix equal parts water and white vinegar in a spray bottle. This mixture will remove the mildew spores and the cigarette smell from your leather. Finally, give your leather a good scrub with Saddle Soap for a final cleaning.

Watch the video below for Corbin’s tips on thoroughly cleaning a leather jacket. This cleaning method can be used on any leather item. If you have a leather bag, leather boots or gloves that need to be cleaned, you can apply the cleaning and conditioning steps in these videos.

Step 2: Oiling & Conditioning the Leather

Materials You’ll Need:

  • Otter Wax Leather Salve (#123760)
  • Otter Wax Leather Oil (#123762)
  • Sailrite® Premium Applicator Sponge (#126524)
  • Soft-bristle brush (#122674)
  • Cloth

After cleaning your leather item, you must oil and condition it — this step cannot be skipped! Cleaning leather dries it out and strips it of its natural oils. Restoring those lost oils is just as important to the beauty and longevity of your leather item as cleaning it is. 

Watch the video below to see Corbin oil and condition his leather jacket. Again, you can apply these techniques to any leather item. 

We hope you’ve enjoyed this two-part leather cleaning and conditioning series. Sailrite stocks quality leather cleaning items from the best brands in the industry, including Fiebing’s and Otter Wax. Plus, you’ll find leather hides, tools and sewing machines in stock and ready to ship. 

If you’re interested in getting into leatherwork, check out our Beginner’s Guide to Leather Craft series. This five-part series walks you through everything you need to know to get started in leather craft. From choosing the right type of leather to learning how to dye, cut, sew and finish a leather project, you'll learn new skills in each video.

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