Washing and caring for leather gloves

Leather gloves, including work gloves, can be washed without issue. What matters especially is retaining their shape while drying.

Washing

Like any other leather clothing, leather gloves can be washed by hand or in the machine according to our washing instructions, using Colourlock Leather & Fur Wash Concentrate. This explicitly also applies to work and leather gloves with heavier soiling.

Lined gloves (wool, fleece or leather) can generally also be washed at the same time without issue; the lining will not be damaged by the wash concentrate.

Shape while drying is crucial

This is the most important difference from other leather clothing: gloves dry into a flat, shapeless shell unless you actively reshape them.

As soon as the gloves are still slightly damp but no longer dripping wet, put them on and repeatedly stretch and bend your fingers, pulling them back into shape. Repeat this several times throughout the drying process – approximately every 30 to 60 minutes, depending on the thickness of the leather. This retains the finger shape and fit, and prevents the leather from drying stiff or shrinking.

Care after drying

Care depends on the type of leather, just as it does for other leather clothing:

Care for pigmented smooth leather with Colourlock Care & Waterproofing Oil. Replenish open-pore smooth leather (aniline leather), nubuck or hair-on gloves with Colourlock Aniline Protector.