Leather is not a waterproof material in itself.
While new leather products have a protective shiny polished coating on them and thus contact with little amount of water will shake off the water, the problem is when the leather gets entirely soaked in water. It is then that there arise the chances of the leather being damaged.
But, nowadays most of the leather gloves come with a waterproofing coating which makes them compatible with water. Here too, there is a limitation as to the amount of water and the duration of time that the leather remains in water.
Therefore,
You can definitely wear a waterproof leather glove in rain for a short period of time, but it is better to avoid the ones that are not coated with a waterproofing coat because too much exposure to water can strip the leather of essential oils and make them stiff, hard and dry or may even rot the leather.
But, if you can take good care of the leather, like regular conditioning them and coating them with waterproof products, then water won’t be a damaging factor for your leather gloves all together.
Yes, rain effects leather, stains them, makes them dry and hard, but there are ways to save your leather gloves from such effects and this article will help you find out about all such amazing ways!
Effects of rain on leather gloves
Rain can have from temporary to permanent effect on your leather gloves in the following ways:
→ Rain makes the leather wet in the first hand and when the leather remains wet for a long time, it will naturally lose its shine
→ Rain makes the leather devoid of all natural oils and renders it lifeless
→ When the natural oils from the leather are gone, the leather becomes dry and brittle
→ Dry leather lacks in shine and also becomes hard which makes them difficult to wear
→ Rain also washes off the waterproofing coating on the leather with time
→ At the least, rain leaves behind stains on the leather which are hard to get off
How to protect leather gloves from water?
I know it is impossible to save your leather gloves from coming in contact with water when you wear them for work. But thankfully there are ways to protect them from the effects of water:
1.) Protect leather gloves from water by waterproofing them with waterproofing spray:
Spraying your leather gloves with a waterproofing spray is perhaps the easiest option to waterproof them.
But waterproofing sprays leave behind a very thin coat which can easily get washed away within a few days and you might need to reapply it again and again. But it is the most time-saving and the least tiring option of waterproofing leather.
2.) Protect leather gloves from water by waterproofing them with beeswax:
If you want a waterproofing coating that will last long and be the most effecting coating for your leather gloves, then look no further and coat your leather gloves with (Nikwax Fabric and Leather Proof Waterproofing) or (Nikwax Waterproofing Wax for Leather).
Though this is a bit time-consuming process, but the waterproofing effect that a wax will provide is much more than waterproofing sprays. Also, wax coating is tough for water to break-through.
3.) Protect leather gloves from the effects of water by conditioning them:
Water leaves behind harsh effects on the leather by making them lifeless, dull and hard. Therefore, conditioning your leather gloves with (Obenauf’s Leather Conditioner) will retain the soft and supple nature of the leather and will also provide shine to dull-looking leather.
4.) Remove stains of water from the leather gloves:
If your leather gloves have developed stains from water, first clean them with soap-water solution and then use a stain remover (Stain Remover) to remove any traces of the stain from the leather.
5.) Protect leather gloves from the effect of water by not drying them under direct heat:
While water will only make the leather devoid of moisture, drying them in direct heat will make them dry and hard. Therefore, the best way to dry wet leather is under the fan.
What happens if water gets on leather gloves?
If water gets on leather gloves, it will blend with the natural oils present in the leather fibers and while drying, the water will make the natural oils to evaporate along with itself thus leaving the leather moisture-less and dry.
As a result, the leather will become hard in texture and develop cracks and water stains.
Do leather gloves get damaged by water?
Though the chances of the leather getting entirely damaged by water are less, yet prolonged exposure can stuff the leather will excess moisture thus rotting it completely.
Do you need to waterproof leather gloves?
Yes, if your job demands regular handling of water and the weather around you is rainy for most of the months of the year, it is obviously a good idea to add the waterproofing coating to the leather gloves.
Waterproofing the leather will ensure that the gloves would be less likely to get damaged by water and also it will help to increase the life of the leather.
Can you waterproof leather gloves?
Yes, you can waterproof leather gloves with either a waterproofing spray or a waterproofing sealant which is usually beeswax.
Will leather shrink if it gets wet?
Leather will not shrink when it’s wet until you dry your wet leather gloves in the dryer or under the sun because heat definitely shrinks leather.
But it cannot be denied as a whole that leather will not shrink when wet because what happens actually is that leather becomes hard after it dries and that might give you the impression that it has shrunk.
The best way to avoid the shrinkage of leather is to keep on wearing your leather gloves until they are a bit dry and then dry them completely under the fan.
And it’s a wrap!
While leather gloves cannot be saved from coming in contact with water, I hope using the ways to protect from water will help to save your problem to a great extent!
Proper care and maintenance of leather is very crucial just like your skin.
With that note, I would ask your leave from this article until we meet again in my next post!
Till then, keep smiling, keep loving and keep yourself motivated!
