Wrinkling is not a problem you commonly experience with leather unless it is a result of a natural aging process which gives off a unique appearance. That said, creases and wrinkles are bound to happen with some unaged leather items, even with the most unlikely ones at least once in while.
If you are experiencing this problem with some of your favorite leather pieces, follow this article to learn how to get wrinkles out of leather bags, clothes, sofas, shoes and every other leather item that you can get your hands on.
Summary
Generally, the safest way to get wrinkles out of leather is by using a solution of water and alcohol. Unlike most of the alternative methods, this approach does not expose your leather to heat, a move that can make your leather dry and brittle. Combine equal parts of water and rubbing alcohol in a spritz bottle and spray the solution lightly on your leather. Other methods to consider include using a hair dryer, a steamer, using heavy objects, hanging your leather in the shower or using an iron.
Winkles and Creases on Leather Seats.
Perhaps, the place you have seen major wrinkles and creases on leather are leather seats. In most cases, the appearance is not usually a handling mistake or marks of aging. Do not be surprised to know that creases, folds and wrinkles are actually modeled into some leather seats to achieve a given appeal.
Interestingly, design creases are just as irregular as naturally occurring wrinkles. And in essence, that’s the thing that makes them perfectly normal looking and beautiful.
If by any chance you buy a leather seat without modeled creases and folds then you notice a pattern of wrinkles develop at a certain point of owning it, you might have a hard time accepting them. But for people who see them like raw denim aficionados see creases on their jeans, these are just hallmarks that add personality and character to timeless fiber.
Creases and wrinkles tend to appear on leather seats the first few weeks after upholstering or after use, and this due to the inherent qualities of genuine leather.
Just like humans, animals have a past life that manifests through physical signs and markings throughout the body. The signs include wrinkles, scars, bites and veins. Winkles are common among all hides and they prominently occur on the sections where an animal has loose skin.
Depending on how your seat is upholstered, you might notice more prominent wrinkling on some parts than others. This is in no way a defect, but rather one of the traits to show the authenticity of your leather.
That said, additional factors such as the type and quality of leather, tanning, finishing, leather drying process and seat pattern may influence how wrinkling occurs.
Wrinkles and Creases on Leather Shoes
If you are big fan of leather shoes, you probably own several pairs and by the virtue of wearing them, you have learnt how they tend to behave as they age. A common tendency is to form wrinkle like folds or creases on the area around the forefoot.
The folds form over time as one walks or slightly bends the feet while in sitting position. Leather experts and enthusiasts refer to these creases as break. According to harween.com, break is a normal occurrence on normal leather, and how it occurs is determined by the natural characteristics of the hide used to make your shoes.
How to get Winkles out of Leather
Wrinkles on leather are a turn off and an eyesore, not to mention, a point of criticism if you wear your clothing item to a formal setting and even some informal settings. And given how delicate genuine or faux leather is, you might be finding it hard to remove unsightly wrinkles from your leather clothes because you do not know how. Below is how to get wrinkles out of leather in four ways.
Method #1: Use an Iron
You might be a little bit hesitant to iron your leather, and if I were you I would be. The reluctance is understandable, because you do not want to kill the life out of your leather with a hot iron. Excessive heat not only makes leather hard and brittle, but it can also lead to cracking and scorching.
But these challenges should not take away the possibility of using an iron box on leather ever. There is a way to do it safely, and restore life back to your leather.
To iron leather, you will need a light microfiber towel, muslin cloth or a plain brown paper. Spread your leather garment on an ironing board and cover it with the towel, muslin cloth or brown paper.
Turn your iron box to the lowest heat setting and begin to iron your leather. Work with one section at a time for best results, preferably pressing at 30 seconds intervals.
Smoothen each section repeatedly until you get satisfying results. Sometimes you might notice stubborn wrinkles that cannot be removed by dry pressing. Address the challenge by turning your garment inside out and dampening the overlay cloth.
Press the garment slowly and repeatedly until you straighten out the wrinkles completely.
Method #2: Prepare a Solution of Water and Alcohol
Heat seems like the perfect solution for removing wrinkles from anything. But do you actually know that you can remove wrinkles from leather by using a solution of water and alcohol? The logic behind this concept is similar to using a commercial wrinkle release spray for the same purpose.
The first thing that you need to do is to prepare your concoction. Combine equal portions of water and rubbing alcohol in a spritz bottle and shake well. Next, spray a bit of the solution on a small hidden part of your leather clothing to determine the safety of the solution on the entire garment.
If it is safe, hang the garment on a hanger and spray it lightly. Hang it on a well ventilated area and let it sit for a few minutes for the liquid to magically work on the wrinkles.
Method #3: Use a Steamer
You’ve got a heavily wrinkled leather jacket, handbag or pleated skirt, but finding it hard to use a steamer because we all know that steamers are only good for lightly-wrinkled garments. Well, you could be wrong on this one.
When it comes to leather, the choice between a steamer and an iron box should not be a hard nut to crack. Choose a steamer any day (My recommendation for a steamer is the Conair option). It is safer, quicker and you can use it to work the wrinkles out from anywhere.
As much as leather falls in the category of heavy fabrics, it requires tender love and care. You can confidently hold a steamer over the wrinkles, without worrying about an end result of scorched patches or melted fabric fibers.
A major advantage of steamers is how quickly you use them to get results. You can literally remove wrinkles from multiple clothing items in less than 10 minutes.
One thing to have in mind though, you won’t have crisp results. But what else would you expect? Since a steamer does not come into direct contact with your clothes, it misses small sections of your garment resulting to little bumps that an iron box does not create.
Method #4: Hang in the Shower
I can vouch for the effectiveness of hanging clothes in the shower as a wrinkle release method. It is my go to option whenever I’m in a hurry, and the best part of it is that I don’t break a sweat.
All I do is use my hanger to hang my garment somewhere in the shower, then turn on the hot shower option. By the time I’m done showering, my light clothing item is usually wrinkle free.
But a heavier item such leather takes a bit longer. In this case, I leave the shower on for some more minutes, until the appearance of my clothing item improves significantly. Sometimes I switch the shower to the hottest heat option to speed up the process.
Method #5: Use Heavy Books
Heavy books come in handy when getting wrinkles out of carpets and rugs. But do you know that you can also apply the technique to remove wrinkles from your leather jackets, dresses and skirts?
Spread your leather clothing on a flat surface nicely while ensuring that no part of the garment folds on top of the other. Arrange the first layer of books systematically on top of the clothing. Next, arrange the rest of the books on top of the first layer.
Let the books sit on the clothing for several hours or overnight.
Method #6: Use a Hair Dryer
If you are in a situation where you cannot access a steamer, iron box or even a hot shower, use a hair dryer as a quick fix for the wrinkles on your leather clothing.
Simply place the garment on a strong hanger and spray it with water lightly. Then hold the dryer a safe distance from the garment and turn it on. Blast the wrinkles with the hot air from your dryer.
Work on one section at a time until the entire clothing becomes wrinkle free.
