When winter comes around and it's time to store your leather motorcycle gear, we often neglect our jackets. Because they're so tough and rugged, we sometimes think they can survive almost anything. No piece of biker gear can survive poor storage or management.
In this post, we'll be showing you how to properly store your leather jacket in the off-season or the winter months.
Clean your Jacket
Before you hang up your jacket for the season, you should clean it first to make sure it's marginally less musty when you pick it up months later. All you need is some lukewarm water, soap, a soft cloth, and a lot of patience. Dip the cloth in some lukewarm soapy water, wring it out, and slowly clean the jacket in a circular motion. Make sure to keep your wipes light and go over spots on the leather surface as many times as you need to. When you are done, leave the jacket out to air in a wide-open area.
Hang it with wooden clothes hangers
Motorcycle leather tends to crease over time, so much so that it can be nearly impossible to get a deep crease out when it's been given enough time to set in. To prevent this, recommend storing your jacket with an appropriately sized wooden hanger. You will know that the hanger is the right size when it fills out the jacket of your shoulder entirely, leaving no room for creases to form.
Don't use wire hangers or plastic hangers. Those will only crease up your jacket and harm the leather as the weeks and months set in.
Acid-Free Paper
Stuff the insides of your jacket with acid-free papers to protect them from the elements. If you have enough acid paper, you can also cover the outer layer of the jacket with even more acid-free paper. That will serve to protect it from even more chemical transfer in the storage location of your choice. If you plan to store the jacket for months on end, you need to take as many precautions as necessary.
Make sure it is protected from Sunlight
If you have owned a leather jacket or basically any item of clothing, you know why prolonged exposure to sunlight is bad. Leather motorcycle jackets are even more sensitive than most clothing items, and exposing them to a ton of sunlight will cause the jacket to fade over the months of storage.
Consider Storing in a Storage container
A storage container is a safe and controlled space you can store your jacket during the offseason. There are different types and sizes of storage containers, and whatever product you decide to settle on is entirely up to you. However, if you are able, choose a wooden container. It is rigid, long-lasting, and, most importantly, it is properly ventilated. It will let the leather breathe and prevent the buildup of bacteria.
Climate Control
Precise Climate control is non-negotiable if you want your jacket to remain healthy and crease-free
throughout the off-season. Leather gear suffers in humid and hot environments, so you want to store it somewhere with decent relative humidity and temperature control. Typically, your bedroom or general living area is a great place to start.
You want the relative humidity to average out between 40-50% consistently. If your home averages above 60%, consider investing in a humidifier. It will scrub the excess humidity from the air and will safeguard not only your jacket but other sensitive items you might have in your home.
Air and Condition Every Few Months
In addition to storing it securely in great humidity, you also need to air out your jacket every few months or so to aid in the leather conditioning process. There is some debate whether conditioning it every 3months or 6months is safer. We advise that you condition it every 3-6 months.
Conditioning is done with leather conditioners like saddle soap, and their primary purpose is to hydrate the leather. While cleaning it of grime and dirt buildup is a nice side effect, your leather will be thoroughly moisturized during a long conditioning session and will need to dry out before you store it again.
It is also possible to over condition your jacket and cause it to bloat up and hold too much water. Cleaning more than twice every six months or so is considered excessive.
Keep it away from your other Clothes
Most of the clothes we wear contain dye, and they bleed out over time when we wash them, iron them, or even dry them. In rare cases, they can also bleed out when they are in contact with leather clothes.
You should only store leather jackets with other leather jackets and keep them far away from your most colorful clothes and accessories. Even with acid-free paper, it’s still possible for your jacket to absorb dye if it comes in contact with colorful clothes for weeks or months.
Have it Professionally Stored
High-end dry-cleaning services offer clothes storage services. You bring your sensitive clothes in, and the service stores them for a fee. You can have your leather jacket stored using this service too. They will take care of the cleaning, conditioning, humidity control, and other things you might find too difficult to maintain.
Professional dry-cleaners also have a mountain of experience handling sensitive clothing, and your jacket will probably be safer in their care than in yours. Make sure you choose a quality leather cleaner to handle your leather race suits or to clean leather motorcycle gear that you would normally not be able to clean effectively.
Conclusion
These are the tips and tricks we use to keep our wardrobe of high-quality leather jackets fresh and stylish year-round. We recommend that you try them at least once, even if you use different methods. You might find something you like and improve your process.
