Do you own a leather garment or accessory that’s just not quite soft enough for your liking? Leather is prized for its strength and durability (among other things), but it can also be rough at times. As a result, some people seek to “soften” their leather so it’s supple and easier on the skin. The good news is that you can soften leather — something that we’re going to talk about in greater detail in today’s blog post.
Store in Semi-Humid Environment
One of the easiest ways to soften leather is to store it in a semi-humid environment. Because it contains thousands upon thousands of pores, leather fluctuates according to the surrounding moisture content in the air. When stored in a dry environment, leather will shrink and become stiff. But when stored in a semi-humid environment of 50-65% relative humidity, the opposite occurs: it expands and becomes softer. Consider installing a humidifier in your home to help soften your leather.
Use a Leather Conditioning Product
Of course, another easy way to make leather soft is to use a leather conditioning product, such as saddle soap for instance. Leather is unique from other fabrics and materials in the sense that it requires some regular maintenance to preserve its attractive characteristics. Failure to give your leather a little TLC will result in it becoming hard, stiff, and uncomfortable to wear.
A leather conditioning product, however, helps to protect against the natural wear and tear of leather by adding valuable moisture to it. You see, saddle soap and similar conditioning products contain moisture that seeps into the pores of leather — much like humidity — to protect against dehydration and the problems it causes. Just remember to limit your use of a leather conditioning product to no more than once every other week; otherwise, you run the risk of saturating your leather garment with an excess amount of moisture, which can lead to mold, rot and other problems.
Leatherworker
If you’ve tried the methods mentioned above and still can’t make your leather garment or accessory soft, consider taking it to a professional leatherworker. People who work in this profession have the skills and tools necessary to make leather soft and more forgiving. They may apply new chemicals to the surface of your leather in an effort to soften it, or they may rub down the surface with some type of abrasive tool.