Leather Care & Cleaning

How to Clean and Care for Leather

Blot, wipe with a damp cloth, spot test, and keep leather out of the dryer. What never to use, how faux leather differs, and a guide for every item.

By hosob Editorial TeamJune 22, 2026

Leather care and cleaning comes down to a few safe habits: blot spills, wipe dirt with a damp cloth, test any product on a hidden spot first, and let wet leather dry at room temperature, never in a dryer. Faux leather is a plastic coating on fabric, so it follows different rules. Find your item or problem below and follow the step-by-step guide for it.

Key takeaways- Check whether the item is real or faux leather before you clean it.- Real leather: blot, wipe with a damp cloth, moisturize with a leather lotion, and keep it out of the dryer.- Skip saddle soap, mink oil, cleaning fluid and bleach on real leather.- Serious stains and full cleaning go to a leather specialist, not a normal dry cleaner.

Real leather or faux leather? Check first

Faux leather goes by many names: pleather, leatherette, vegan leather and PU leather. It is a plastic layer, usually polyurethane (PU) or PVC, on a fabric base. PU types are washable, but PVC types are not easily cleaned.

Real leather is a tanned hide, and most hides are damaged by direct contact with water. Read the care label: on covered textile clothing, it must say how to dry the item and warn against harmful methods.

Not sure which leather you have? Our partner site leatherguide.org explains leather types.

The basic routine for real leather

Blot spills with a clean cloth instead of rubbing.
Wipe dirt and salt with a clean, damp cloth, then let it dry naturally.
Spot-treat stains with a damp cloth and a little mild soap, then dry the spot right away, as the store advises for its leather pants.
Moisturize finished leather with a leather lotion on a soft cloth.
Protect with a water and stain repellent.

Do a spot test: try every cleaner and protector on a hidden area first. Step-by-step help:

What not to use on real leather

Household products each get their own page:

What not to use on real leather
Product	What the source says	Fact
Saddle soap	Store: may damage leather. Canadian Conservation Institute: alkaline and harmful to naturally acidic leather	–
Mink oil, shoe cream, cleaning fluid	Store: contain ingredients that may damage leather	–
Bleach (sodium hypochlorite)	Clorox: never use it on any leather or animal hide	–
Alcohol sprays, hand sanitizer, alcohol wipes	Furniture maker's guide: alcohol weakens the topcoat, then color transfer begins	–
Tumble dryer	Store: never put leather in the dryer	–

Faux leather and pleather

PU faux leather is washable, so it can often be cleaned with soap and water, unlike real leather. Even so, keep it out of the dryer.

Water, wet leather and drying

If leather gets wet, let it dry at room temperature. Some vegetable-tanned leather can shrink or stiffen when soaked.

Jackets, coats and pants

Normal dry cleaning strips oils from leather, which can make it crack, fade and shrink, so use a cleaner who specializes in leather.

Gloves and mittens

Motorcycle leathers and riding gear

Conditioning and softening

Moisturize finished leather with a leather lotion on a soft cloth. The store's pants care advice says to condition a few times a year.

Disinfecting leather

Clorox's leather guide says to clean first, test the sanitizer on a hidden spot, and spray until wet but not soaked. Do not use sanitizing sprays on suede, nubuck or unfinished leather.

Special leathers, colors and problems

For cracked, torn or badly faded leather, restoration is a different job; see mumiay.com.

Storing leather

For storage, hang coats and jackets on a wide wooden, plastic or padded hanger in a cool, dry, well-ventilated place. Cover them with breathable cotton, not plastic, which dries leather out. Keep leather out of direct sun and heat for long periods.

How to store leather properly

The full store checklist is in the Leather Collection leather care instructions.

Related guides

For a stale or musty item, see how to get the smell out of leather.
Found fuzzy spots or a musty smell? Start with our leather mold and odor guide.
Damage that cleaning can't fix, such as holes, tears and cracks, is covered in our leather repair guides.

Quick answers

What should you not clean leather with?

Avoid saddle soap, mink oil, shoe cream and cleaning fluid. Never use bleach on any leather or hide. Alcohol-based sprays and wipes can weaken the topcoat of finished leather.

Can you put leather in the dryer?

No. Let wet leather dry at room temperature. See can you put leather in the dryer? for what to do instead.

Can a normal dry cleaner clean leather?

Normal dry cleaning removes the leather's oils, which can cause cracking, fading and shrinking. Use a cleaner who specializes in leather, and clean matching pieces together.

hosob Editorial Team

hosob articles are researched from published sources, cited in the text, and reviewed before publication.