The patent leather is known for its shiny and sleek look. It’s a popular choice of material because it has such a luxurious sheen to it. But, does patent leather gets ruined in rain?
The answer is Yes! – While patent leather is ultra water-resistant, if you drench or soak your patent leather in water or if you don’t take care of it properly, water can definitely seep through seams, stitches, and perforations to cause some serious damage to your patent leather shoes, jacket, or other items.
Let’s delve deep into the topic of the day so as to arm you with all the necessary information to take care of your prized patent leather belongings!
What Is Patent Leather?
Before we can understand what happens to patent leather when it’s exposed to water or rain, we first have to understand what exactly is patent leather briefly.
Patent leather is a type of leather that has been created using a specific process. It goes through several layers to make it shiny and sleek looking, which is why many people like this material for their shoes or other items.
While patent leather isn’t necessarily as popular as any other type of leather out there, it does have a unique look and feel to it that some people prefer.
Can Patent Leather Get Wet?
Patent leather is a highly water-resistant material, but it’s not completely waterproof. This means that you can get your patent leather wet when you submerge it in water for an extended period of time.
As mentioned before, patent leather is made up of several different layers of plastic coating which keeps the surface of the patent leather smooth and shiny.
While the patent leather is water-resistant, it’s not completely waterproof. This is because, underneath all the layers of plastic, there is still some natural leather.
This means that if you get your patent leather wet enough for a long period of time, it will eventually seep through and cause serious damage.
Water can seep through seams, perforations, and the underside of your patent leather to get them wet.
This does mean that exposure to rain or other types of weather could have an impact on your patent leather item whether shoes or jacket as well.
Once the water seeps through all these layers and reaches the leather, it can cause some damage. The water might not be able to penetrate through the surface as easily.
What Happens When Patent Leather Gets Wet?
Now that we know what patent leather is, let’s move on to discuss how this patent leather can get ruined when exposed to water or rain specifically.
As mentioned before, the patent leather goes through several layers in the process to make it the shiny and sleek-looking material that we all know.
The problem is, when water or rain gets in between these layers of patent leather, it can cause problems with the material because this makes it absorb more liquid than usual.
This is because underneath the shiny gloss of patent leather are natural leather fibers and that is extremely absorbent.
Below are some of the ways patent leather could get ruined in the rain;
Patent Leather May Lose Its Gloss
One of the main things that can happen when you allow your patent leather to get drenched in water is that it will start to lose its gloss.
All of those layers of plastic that we talked about earlier? They’re what gives your patent leather its shiny appearance. And, once they start to wear off, you’ll begin to see a duller-looking surface on your patent leather item.
This isn’t something that can be fixed easily, and it might require you to take the item to a professional.
Patent Leather Will Dry Out And Crack Easily
When water seeps through to the fibers of the leather, it can dry out and crack. As mentioned before, although patent leather has a high gloss plastic surface, it is still made up of leather fibers.
These leather fibers will become dry and brittle when they get wet, thus creating cracks along the surface of your patent leather item.
Water Can Cause Stains
The next thing that can happen when you get your patent leather wet is that it might start to show some water stains.
It’s something that will depend on how long the patent leather gets exposed for and how much water is seeping through.
But, generally speaking, if you get your patent leather wet and then don’t dry it off quickly enough, you might start to see some unsightly blotchy water stains on the surface.
Smell Bad
When your patent leather gets wet, you might also notice that it starts to smell bad.
This is a common problem in shoes and jackets that have been exposed to moisture for too long of a period of time.
It can cause the texture and appearance of your patent leather item to change drastically over time due to the constant exposure.
Mold and Mildew Might Grow
If you don’t dry your patent leather off properly, you might also start to see some mold and mildew growth.
This is a common issue in wet environments, and it can quickly cause serious damage to your patent leather item. The longer the mold and mildew persist, the worse it will get.
Discoloration
Lastly, if you leave your patent leather wet for a long period of time, it can start to discolor and degrade.
This means that the color might fade or the material itself might become brittle and crumble over time.
It’s definitely not something that you want happening to your prized patent leather item, so be sure to avoid getting it wet as much as possible.
What To Do When Your Patent Leather Gets Wet
So now that we know how patent leather gets ruined in rain specifically, what can you do when your patent leather gets wet?
- First of all, you need to figure out what material your patent leather item is made from.
- You need to know whether your patent leather item is real leather or if it is faux patent leather.
- If it is real leather, then you need to take extra precautions when drying it off so that you don’t cause any of the previously mentioned damages.
- You can do this by patting your item down with a paper towel or cloth and allowing it to air dry away from direct sunlight or heat.
- If it is faux patent leather, then you can just wipe it down with a cloth and allow it to air dry.
- No matter what type of patent leather item you have, be sure not to force the water out by wringing or rubbing your item harshly as this might cause even more damage.
How To Prevent Patent Leather From Getting Ruined In The Rain
- First and foremost, try to avoid exposing your patent leather item to too much rain in the first place.
- Avoid drenching them and try to keep them as dry as possible.
- If you know that it is going to rain, or if there is a chance of rain, make sure to bring your patent leather item inside with you.
- Another thing that you can do to help prevent your patent leather from getting ruined in the rain is to waterproof it.
- If it starts raining while you’re out, make sure not to get it soaking wet – that is make sure to take immediate steps to protect your patent leather from getting wet.
- Lastly, if you have to walk through puddles of water, try to avoid doing so with your patent leather item – it’s better to be safe than sorry.
Final Thoughts
All these reasons are why you should be very careful about getting your patent leather wet and not allowing water to seep through for an extended period of time.
Allowing this type of damage can have serious consequences. The bottom line is that patent leather made from real leather, just like any real leather item, should not be worn in the heavy rain – and if it does get wet, needs to be dried off as quickly as possible.