My mother had a pair of special leather gloves that she had used for years, but when she put them on one day, we noticed they were loose and didn’t fit right. Nevertheless, I soon discovered I could restore these fashion pieces to their former glory with a few simple techniques.
Leather gloves are great fashion accessories that easily complement any outfit. Besides their comfort, leather gloves make folks look sleek and classy. However, you may find leather gloves becoming loose after extended use and may start to slip off your hands constantly.
Not to worry, I have compiled some efficient techniques about “how to shrink leather gloves.” These helpful tips helped me tighten loose leather gloves and restore them to their snug fit. Are you wondering how to shrink leather motorcycle gloves or your favorite work gloves? Read on to learn more.
Shrinking Leather Gloves in Two Easy Methods
While you may find different ways to shrink leather gloves on Reddit and other online forums, it is essential to follow the proper techniques. Shrinking leather gloves can easily take a turn for the worse if you don’t do it correctly, and you might find your favorite pair permanently ruined.
The most popular and best ways to shrink leather gloves include water soaking and dry method and the water-alcohol solution method. Both the methods are easy enough to do it yourself and effective to go for.
One essential thing is to know what leather type you are dealing with; this way, you avoid damaging any gloves you wish to shrink. Here are the safest methods to make leather gloves fit better.
Method 1 – Shrinking Leather Gloves with Water
By now, you should know that when leather gets wet, the moisture molecules combine with the natural oils in the leather and cause them to evaporate as the leather dries. Therefore, you can use water to shrink your leather gloves.
So, here’s how this technique works.
Supplies Needed
- A sizeable bowl or bucket
- Warm water
- A clean towel
- Leather conditioner
Steps to Follow
- Start by cleaning the leather gloves, ensuring you get as much dirt as possible from tough spots and nooks on the glove.
- Now, pour warm water into the bowl; kindly ensure that there is enough water to submerge the gloves completely.
- Put the gloves into the bowl – dip every part of the glove below the water surface. Leave the gloves submerged for about 5-10 minutes. Many gloves have more compact fibers than others and may need to remain submerged for 15-20 minutes before the material is fully saturated.
- Take the gloves out of the water and squeeze as much water as possible. Hold each glove with both hands and apply gentle pressure while moving your hands across its length. Also, use the towel to mop up as much moisture as possible. But do not wring, twist or crumple the material while squeezing out the excess moisture. This way, you avoid leaving wrinkles after the leather gloves are dried.
- Once the glove is no longer soggy wet but damp, lay it on a clean, flat surface to dry. Do not hang the gloves while drying them. Hanging wet gloves will stretch the leather gloves instead of shrinking them.
- Leave the gloves to air dry in this position. Also, turn the sides of the gloves at regular intervals to ensure that they dry out evenly. Depending on the type of leather and the thickness of the gloves, the drying stage could take a few minutes or some hours before the gloves are completely dry.
However, do not dry the leather gloves under direct sunlight. Instead, leave them to dry overnight at room temperature. If you are using a hair dryer to speed up the drying process, hold it about four inches away from the gloves and never hold the drier in the same position for more than ten seconds at a time.
Warm water will quickly shrink leather gloves, but boiling water could affect the gloves’ color. Only use boiling water if you want to shrink cotton gloves.
Method 2 – Shrinking Leather Gloves with Rubbing Alcohol
If you need a more effective way out, consider shrinking your leather gloves with rubbing alcohol. This method allows water to penetrate through this material better and yields better results. Rubbing alcohol works well for shrinking leather pants and belts.
Supplies Needed
- A handheld spray bottle
- Warm water
- Rubbing alcohol
- Liquid dish soap
- A clean towel
- A sizeable bowl
- Leather conditioner
Steps to Follow
- Start by cleaning the surface of the gloves thoroughly to get rid of dirt and stains off the leather using appropriate solutions.
- Next, lay the towel on a flat surface like a tabletop or any other platform. Then lay out the gloves neatly on top of the clean towel.
- Mix one part of warm water with one part of alcohol inside the bowl. You can ensure the proper mix ratio by pouring in the rubbing alcohol until the bowl is one-quarter full. Next, add water to the bowl until it’s half-filled – stir the mixture thoroughly.
- Next, pour the mix into the spray bottle. Add 2-3 drops of the liquid dish soap, depending on the quantity of the mix you have. Seal the bottle and shake it very well.
- Now, spray the gloves thoroughly with the solution. Ensure you turn the glove over and cover both surfaces till the glove is saturated.
- Use the towel to dab the gloves and remove any excess moisture gently. Do not squeeze or crumple the gloves while doing this.
- Wear the gloves until they are dry. This way, the glove molds around the shape of your hand as it dries. You can put on a pair of latex gloves before wearing the wet leather gloves to reduce the discomfort.
- Finally, treat the shrunken gloves with a suitable leather conditioner to restore their luster.
Alternatively, you could hold up the leather gloves with your hands while spraying them or even submerge them in the mixture. However, ensure you use the proper mix ratio of water and rubbing alcohol to avoid ruining the gloves’ color. Also, avoid drying the gloves under the sun or with a hair dryer.
Key Takeaways for Shrinking Leather Gloves
- Only shrink-leather gloves that are made of genuine leather. Do not attempt to shrink gloves made of faux leather or other synthetic materials, as this could damage them.
- Do not use heat to shrink leather gloves. This could damage the leather.
- Do not over-shrink the gloves. If you shrink them too much, they could become too tight to wear.
- In order to use the hot water method, it is necessary to boil the water beforehand and then wait for it to cool.
- When your leather gloves start feeling rigid, give them a boost of hydration by applying a leather conditioner such as leather honey.
- Ensure that you have liquid dish soap nearby when utilizing the rubbing alcohol technique.
- If the gloves are still too big after shrinking, you can repeat any of the methods or take them to a professional leatherworker to have them resized.
Frequently Asked Questions – FAQs
Are my leather gloves too big?
If you are wearing the right size of leather gloves, here’s how you can tell. A leather glove should securely hug your hands and fingers without irritating your skin or limiting your motion. It should be like a second skin fitting securely around your wrists without slipping off occasionally—anything short of this, and you probably need to wear the right size of gloves.
How do you shrink leather gloves to fit?
There are several techniques on how to fix gloves that are too big. These methods work by stripping leather of its natural protective properties. This way, leather is forced to change its size and become smaller.
Using alcohol and heat are two proven techniques for shrinking leather items. However, you must take utmost care to avoid ruining the leather gloves while using such solutions to prevent likely damage.
How can I make my gloves fit better?
The best way to make your gloves fit better is by shrinking them. Most leather gloves come with zippers and straps that you can easily adjust to make them more fitting. However, these provisions only work if the leather gloves’ fingers are too long. However, shrinking leather will make it fit more snuggly and improve its appearance.
What happens if gloves are too big?
There is so much that could happen if gloves are too big. Gloves that are too big will frequently slip off your hands as you go about your day. This is because they do not fit securely around your hands and fingers.
Also, the trapped air between your hands and loose gloves will grow warm and make your fingers clammy. Big leather gloves will also limit your hand motion and weaken your grip.
Is it better to get tighter or looser gloves?
It is better to have tighter gloves, as they will gradually loosen up as they absorb the moisture from your skin. Real leather is like skin and contains natural moisturizing properties that keep it supple and flexible.
Wearing leather gloves will bring it into frequent contact with the sweat and oil from your hands. These substances will cause the gloves to stretch and loosen up. If you have looser gloves, they will overstretch and become too uncomfortable. Nevertheless, buying small gloves is never a good idea; your gloves should fit snugly.
How do you tighten loose gloves?
The best way to tighten loose gloves and make them more fitting is by shrinking them. Shrinking leather gloves drains them of excess moisture and lubrication and makes them more compact. Tightening loose leather gloves with straps and buckles makes them more secure around your wrists and gives you temporary relief.
But these provisions are only sometimes adequate, especially if the glove fingers are too long. Alternatively, you could tighten leather gloves by adjusting the seams. However, this method might damage the gloves’ appearance without adequate care.
Should you size up or down leather gloves?
Leather gloves will stretch and become loose as you continue to wear them. Therefore, getting the exact size of leather gloves will soon leave you with gloves that are too big for your hands.
However, you should only get a half-inch size smaller than your actual size. Although gloves eventually loosen up, there is a limit to which leather gloves will stretch. Therefore, you might find yourself stuck with gloves that are too tight for comfort and cause serious injuries.
Do gloves shrink in the dryer?
Gloves shrink in the dryer – the heat from the dryer causes the oils and moisture in the leather to evaporate. This loss causes the leather to shrink. However, we do not recommend using excessive heat to shrink leather gloves.
Exposing leather gloves to extreme heat could cause them to become brittle and even crack. Extreme heat could also char the leather gloves permanently. Besides the obvious danger that extreme heat poses to leather gloves, you could also get severe burns with this method. However, using a dryer is ideal if you want to shrink polyester gloves.
Do leather gloves break in?
Like other leather accessories, leather gloves break in—the moisture and warmth from your skin cause the leather to soften and stretch beyond its original size. The breaking-in process allows the leather to adjust to the shape of your hands and fingers as you continue to wear them.
The breaking-in process is usually gradual and could take weeks to months to complete. Depending on the type of leather and how you maintain the gloves, the breaking process could eventually make leather gloves too loose-fitting. However, you can correct this occurrence by shrinking the leather gloves.
Final Words
Leather gloves must be compact around your hands and fingers, allowing you to move your digits without any restrictions. Loose leather gloves cause many problems and could make your hands feel clammy and sweaty most of the time.
Therefore, you should shrink your favorite gloves and get them in shape. This guide explains how to shrink leather gloves and holds effective techniques to help fix loose gloves.
