We know leather jackets have to be cared for like a car and that is a challenge since we can’t wash leather! They require regular maintenance and airing out to ensure top shape. Fur lined leather jackets need extra love and care. We are here to help you retain these classic wardrobe pieces since we know they are not going out of style any time soon!

Here are 7 ways you can retain your precious fur lined leather shearling:

Lining

In a leather jacket with fur collar in mens, the fur is usually stitched on the inner lining of the jacket so it would help to make sure you know if there are any sweat marks, stains or unraveling. Lay out your jacket on the table and check for areas that need cleaning or brushing out. Once you know the kind of stain it is, you can custom treat it. One ingredient may not work for all the spots.

Sawdust

Throw in a cup of sawdust with the jacket in your drier and rotate it for a few minutes on high setting. This will separate the hair from each other – kind of detangle it just the way we string out our own hair. Sawdust will clean out any dry dust stuck in the fur.

Blow Dry it

Although the sawdust would empty out in the machine itself, blow drying it would comb off any residual sawdust from the jacket. Set the dryer to cold air and wring out dust with the help of your fingers. This process is like dry cleaning except we have to be extra careful that any oil used on the leather-side of the jacket does not warm up and soak into the fur.

Glazing

Use a serum to smoothen the fur hair, to keep it shiny and glossy. You could go for a serum specially meant for fur or just dab a little of your hair serum on a cotton wipe and slide it across the fur lining. The good part is that even if you accidentally get this serum on the leather side of the jacket, it will not spoil or stain the leather. Glazing will ensure the fur does not detangle overtime and form lumps in case of lamb wool.

Baking Soda

Dry brush the fur first and cover the stains with a layer of baking soda. Dip a facial tissue in lemon juice and press this on the stain covered in baking soda. Leave this on for a few hours. You can repeat this process if the stain is too stubborn.

Rubbing Alcohol

Dip a cotton ball in rubbing alcohol and get rid of ink stains or sweat marks from the fur. This can be very effective on lighter shades of fur – white/cream/beige colors. Though this solution should not be used too often as it could dry out the fur and make it frizzy. Fur jackets are like heirlooms passed down through generations. They cost a bomb so the after-purchase requires extra effort.

Storing

This is one aspect often overlooked once the fur weather is over. Most of us tend to fold our furs and stow them in cramped spaces. This could de-shape the flow of the fur hair. All you need to do is hang your jackets in plastic see-through coat covers easily available at home depots. This will avoid the dust settling in the fur till the next sweater weather. Make sure the cupboard or space that you hang your jackets in has no humidity through damp walls or windows nearby. As such leather forms cracks if it remains folded for too long so storing it well is crucial.