Leather Care & Cleaning
How to Dry Leather Without Damaging It
Yes, you can dry leather: blot it, reshape it and let it dry at room temperature, never with heat. Methods for jackets, gloves and boots, plus aftercare.
Yes, you can dry leather, but only slowly: blot off the water, give the piece its shape back, and let it dry at room temperature, never in a dryer. Heat is what does the damage. Hair dryers, baseboard heaters, radiators and fireplaces can warp and crack leather. Once it's dry, check for marks and condition it.
This guide is part of our leather care and cleaning guide.
The safe method for any wet leather
- Blot, don't rub. Press a clean, soft cloth or towel onto the wet areas right away.
- Wipe off salt and grit. Winter salt comes off with a clean, damp cloth; then let the leather dry naturally.
- Give it its shape. Hang a jacket or coat on a wide, padded hanger, stuff shoes with paper, and lay gloves flat (see the table below).
- Let room air do the work. Keep it at room temperature, away from heaters and direct sun.
- Condition once it's fully dry. Use a leather lotion on a soft cloth.
How to dry leather by item
Leather gloves usually take a few hours to dry this way. For soaked riding gear, see caring for motorcycle leathers after riding in the rain.
| Item | How to dry it | What to avoid | Facts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jacket or coat | Wide or padded hanger, room temperature, shade | Lamps, hair dryers, heaters, strong sun | – |
| Gloves | Flat on a clean towel; put them on a few times as they dry and flex them so they keep their shape | Radiators, heaters, tumble dryers, direct sun, air conditioning | – |
| Shoes and boots | Stuff with newspaper and swap in dry paper as it soaks up water (first swap within about 20 minutes), then a cool, dry spot | Blow dryers, baseboard heat, radiators, fireplaces | – |
| Riding boots | Dry naturally at room temperature | Heaters, direct sun | – |
| Faux leather | Rack or hanger, air dry | Tumble dryer | – |
Why heat damages leather
Drying leather fast with heat can discolor it, dry it out, harden it, crack it and shrink it, says glove maker Dents. The store's care instructions say to keep leather away from direct sun and heat for long periods.
Not every leather reacts the same way. The Canadian Conservation Institute says vegetable-tanned leather may shrink or stiffen after direct contact with water, and that long warm, damp conditions can darken and stiffen it. It also says fully chrome-tanned leather does not shrink even in hot water. You rarely know which tannage you have, so treat every piece the gentle way.
Thinking of the tumble dryer? Read can you put leather in the dryer first. The short answer is no.
Can you dry leather faster?
You can speed it up a little without heat:
- Change the stuffing often. With shoes and boots, swap wet newspaper for dry until it stops picking up moisture.
- Pick an airy room. Gear makers suggest a ventilated room for drying riding leather.
- Skip the hair dryer. Harley-Davidson's care guide says not to use a lamp or hair dryer on a wet jacket. The only hair-dryer use in the store's care instructions is for wet faux fur trim, on the lowest setting.
How long it takes depends on the item and how wet it got. See how long does leather take to dry.
How do you know when leather is dry?
None of the sources we read gives a simple test for "fully dry." Two signs help:
- The stuffing stays dry. When fresh paper in a shoe no longer picks up moisture, it's time to let it air dry the rest of the way.
- Marks show up. Salt lines and water marks may not appear until the leather has dried, so inspect it then.
After it dries: check, condition, store
- Water marks: wipe gently with a damp cloth and let the leather air dry again.
- Condition: use a leather lotion on a soft cloth. For shoes, one shoemaker suggests leaving the conditioner 10 to 20 minutes, then buffing. How often to repeat it is in how often to condition leather.
- Shape: put shoe trees in only once the shoes are completely dry.
- Store: never put leather away damp or in plastic. Use a breathable cover.
If the leather stayed stiff, stained or warped, see how to handle water damage on leather.
Related guides
- Damp leather left in still air can grow mold; here is how to get mold off leather safely.
Quick answers
Is it okay to put leather in a dryer?
No. Let it dry at room temperature instead. Faux leather also belongs on a rack or hanger, not in the dryer.
Is my leather bag ruined if it gets wet?
Not usually, if you blot it and let it dry slowly. Water can still leave stains or move dye, and vegetable-tanned leather may stiffen. Water marks on porous aniline leather are especially hard to remove. More in can water ruin leather.
Does leather get ruined in heat?
Long exposure to heat or direct sun should be avoided. Fast heat drying can harden, crack and shrink leather.
The full set of care instructions is on the Leather Collection site, which also says to keep stored leather on a wide hanger in a cool, dry, well-ventilated place.
hosob Editorial Team
hosob articles are researched from published sources, cited in the text, and reviewed before publication.