There are many different opinions about whether or not you should put a leather jacket in the dryer. The general consensus is that it’s best to avoid placing any leather garment in the dryer. Some people swear by this method, but others say it ruins their garments, and they vow never to do it again. Still, there is no way to tell for sure without trying it out yourself with your own specific item of clothing.
In this post, I will provide some guidelines to keep your leather jacket as safe as possible. I will also discuss putting a leather jacket in the dryer and how wet it should be before doing so. Finally, I will share a common dryer hack that can be with a leather jacket.
Read on for more information.
Table of Contents
Can You Put a Leather Jacket in the Dryer
A leather jacket can be placed in the dryer however higher temperatures and tumble dry times over 30 minutes are not good for the leather and lead to rapid deterioration of the leather fibers.
High Setting
It’s not a good idea to attempt to dry any leather on a high heat setting. Even faux leather should not be dried on high heat. The high heat can cause the fabric to distort or crack. Hang wet leather goods to air-dry away from direct heat or sunlight.
Low Heat
Using a low heat dryer setting for a leather jacket may not dry it completely, but the likelihood of it being damaged is lessened. However, the jacket may still shrink and stiffen a bit, but that can be corrected by wearing it a few times.
Air Dry
I feel that this is the best setting for leather jackets. A minimal amount of heat is generated naturally during the tumbling process, but it’s not enough to overheat the jacket.
For air drying, it’s best to put a slightly damp jacket into the dryer.
Putting a soaking wet leather jacket into the dryer will force it to tumble for a longer time, thereby increasing the changes or ruining the jackets’ surface from the constant tumbling and spinning.
Does It Matter How Wet the Jacket is Before Putting it In the Dryer?
A soaking wet leather jacket has a higher potential of becoming distorted in the dryer. The excessive weight of the jacket causes it to hit the sides of the dryer at a greater force.
I have heard the most success come from getting the leather jacket using the towel method with constant rotations.
What Happens When You Put a Leather Jacket In the Dryer?
Putting a leather jacket into the dryer naturally dries it, but some people use this method to break in the jacket. And by break-in, I don’t mean softer. I mean, the jackets gets an “aged” look. For some leather jackets, the shine is removed, revealing a leather jacket that looks ten years older.
Will a Leather Jacket Shrink In the Dryer?
A leather jacket that loses moisture and oils at a fast rate due to high heat will shrink. Therefore putting a leather jacket on a high heat setting in the dryer for over 20 minutes will usually result in shrinkage. Some leather such as chromexcel are least likely to shrink due to the tanning methods.
Putting a Leather Jacket In the Dryer With Tennis Balls
Putting tennis balls in the dryer works well for comforters and sheets because it prevents the filling with the comforters from clumping up.
Well, some people have expanded that idea to leather jackets. If you have ever washed a leather jacket in the washing machine, you probably noticed that it tends to clump up. Several individuals online have expressed satisfaction with using this method on their leather jackets. They claim that it prevents uneven drying and provides a little fluff to the jacket.
The method works, but you should pay attention to some potential issues. According to Xtra Laundry, some people have expressed concerns with the method. I’ll briefly go through each one and the adjustments you need to make for your leather jacket.
Frequent use of tennis balls makes items smell like rubber.
This should not be a significant issue because you won’t be drying your leather jacket as much as people dry their clothes.
Newer tennis balls my transfer neon dye to some of the items in the dryer
Dye transfer is usually a result of too much heat. Set the dryer on low or air dry to avoid this issue.
The tennis balls can withstand some dryer cycles and high temperatures
Set the dryer on a low tumble and either a low heat or air dry setting.
Using tennis balls in dryer machines can be very loud.
Tennis balls in the dryer are going to be loud. The low setting causes the dry to spin at a slower rate, and the tennis balls will move around more. At a higher spin rate, the tennis balls would be held in one area due to the force of the spin. If it’s too loud, take the leather jacket out of the dryer.
So should you use the tennis ball dryer hack? I would, but I would allow the leather jacket to dry for about a day before putting it in the dryer. Once you put it in the dryer, give it about 20 -30 minutes on a low setting with three tennis balls. After 20 – 30 minutes, remove the jacket and either towel dry or hang it up.
