Leather ~ Types and Tips and How to Care For
How to Care for Your Leather Garments
Professional Leather cleaning is recommended when needed for your Sexy Skins Leather Clothing. Never use traditional dry cleaning methods to clean leather products as cleaning leather differs from fabric cleaning in several ways. Unlike fabric, leather has natural oils that protect and preserve the appearance and life of a garment. Removing these oils reduces the hide's suppleness. The chemicals used to clean leather frequently remove the natural oils as well as the undesired dirt. These oils must be restored by professional leather cleaner. The proper care and attention to your Sexy Skins garment can increase its life.
Tips to Keep Your Leather Lasting for Years
- Leather needs to breathe. As soon as you receive your LMC Leather garment, take it out of the bag it was packaged in. Leather should never be stored under a plastic bag or in an overly heated area as this may dry the skins.
- To maintain its shape, store your leather garments on a broad or padded hanger. Wipe away dust and dirt with a soft, water dampened sponge or cloth.
- If your leather becomes wet, let it dry naturally. Avoid excessive exposure to heat and humidity.
- Wrinkles usually will work themselves out during hanging but if ironing is necessary, cover the garment with heavy paper (a paper grocery bag will do) or press cloth, set your iron on its lowest setting without steam and iron. Be sure that your garment is dry before ironing and that the iron is continually moved across the surface of the garment when pressing.
- For alterations, it is recommended that you consult a leather care expert, or contact us.
- Avoid spraying hairspray or perfumes while wearing your leather garments and never apply pins or adhesive materials to the garment as this will damage the hide's finish
- In all the garments we produce, every seam after it is stitched, is hand knotted, pounded out and glued down. Do not pull those knots.
How to Care for Your Kama Braided Leather Ring
All Kama Braided Leather Rings are inspected, cleaned, polished and conditioned before they are beautifully packaged and shipped to you. To maintain the natural beauty of the leather and to keep it looking new and lasting, please take note:
- Each Kama Ring takes hours to make and the leather used goes through a pre-stretching process before braiding. If when you receive your Kama Ring it feels snug, you may safely stretch it by wetting the underside (the area that touches your finger) before wearing.
- Your Kama Ring will soften and mold to your finger as it ages.
- The leather used in the making of your Kama Ring is extremely durable and can get wet, however the kinder you are to your ring, the longer its newness will last.
- To maintain its newness, color vibrancy, and shine, avoid exposing to excessive washing, soaps and detergents, hand and body creams, harsh sprays, perfumes, oils, and chemicals.
- Dust and dirt can be easily wiped away with a soft, water dampened sponge or cloth. Mild detergent is safe to use. Please tests in an inconspicuous place first.
- In between wears, you may use the attached leather tag for polishing.
- Lighter colored leathers may darken when exposed to certain products, leather conditioners and an individual's body chemistry.
How to Care for Your Leather Accessories
Your Sexy Skins Leather Accessories are inspected, cleaned, polished and conditioned before they are beautifully packaged and shipped to you. To maintain the natural beauty of the leather and to keep your Sexy Skins Leather Accessories soft, subtle, and lasting forever, please take note:
- Always take your Sexy Skins out of the bag it was packaged in and never store in plastic or in an overly heated area as this may dry the skins.
- Wipe away dust and dirt with a soft, water dampened sponge or cloth.
- You may periodically condition your Sexy Skins Leather Accessory with a quality leather conditioner. Some conditioners may darken or change the color of your leather so please test in an inconspicuous area before applying to the entire surface, and follow the manufacturers instructions.
- If your Sexy Skins Leather Accessory becomes wet, let it dry naturally. Condition after with a quality leather conditioner as stated above.
- Avoid harsh sprays, perfumes, and oils which may darken lighter colored leather..
Make-Up Removal
A customer emailed me inquiring about how to clean the makeup off her Mayonnaise Kimani Deerskin LeatherTassel Earrings. You can read about what she did to clean them in this blog entry and or, watch the video below.
Scratched-up Leather
Are you searching for a product that is capable of conditioning, restoring, and getting rid of nasty surface scratches from your leather goodies? In the video below, I show you a product that I use in my workshop regularly on my handmade items before I ship them out. It's a very quick and impromptu demonstration featuring Obenauf's Heavy Duty Leather Preservative. Watch as I scratch up a piece of Bison and make it all better with one little dab and some light buffing. As with any leather cleaner and conditioner, test first in an inconspicuous area and follow the manufacturer's instructions.
Leather 101
Below are brief descriptions about some of the different types of leather that I use in my clothing, accessories, and jewelry designs. The information will hopefully offer you some insight that will help in the decision making process when shopping my leather goodies.
A question that often arises is, what's the difference between Lambskin and Sheepskin. I created this video to demonstrate.
Deerskin Leather is a very high quality and versatile leather. It can go from being wet to dry over and over again and it still will conform back to it's original condition. A super soft and supple leather yet it abrasion resistant and high in shear strength. It is also extremely comfy to wear in any temperature; it becomes cooler in warm weather and warmer in cold weather.
Lambskin Leather is known for its distinctive character; superior softness, beautiful colors, and rich look and feel. A garment made with Lambskin will have a more polished and sophisticated look compared to Deerskin which has a more textured surface and primitive look. Lambskin is also light in weight and easy to wear.
Mendocino Sheepskin is a gorgeous leather! It has a nicely distressed appearance giving garments made with it a bit of a primitive look however, Mendocino also shares the sophisticated character of Lambskin. A perfect combination!
Goatskin Suede is the Cadillac of all suede with its luxurious nap and super soft feel. Goatskins have a tighter fiber structure which gives them great tensile strength. Strong, soft, lightweight, and beautiful rich colors all in one.
Pigskin Suede is a super soft, silky suede. Double-buffed, light weight, yet super strong. It has a nice drape and is easy to wear.
Plonge (Cow) Leather is a blemish-free, lightweight, garment, cow-side leather. It is beautiful and strong yet has a very soft, lamb-touch feel.
Bison Leather is a work of art with its very unique appearance and soft subtle feel. Because the skins are not stretched during the tanning process, Bison leather is strong and durable ~ 40% percent stronger than cow leather. In addition, it is resistant to tearing, stretching, ripping and water as well as penetration by dust and dirt. Bison leather when cared for properly, will last for decades.
