National Clothesline

Ever wish you could steam the wrinkles out of a suede or leather? Well, you can and I will tell you how if you read on!

You will remember in my explanation of the use of the hand iron for pressing suede and leather, I stated that the pressing of suede and leather garments is almost exactly like pressing cloth garments.

In the case of the steam air form finisher, we use all the same techniques used in form finishing cloth garments like coats and jackets. This includes the use of the steam part of the cycle on most suede and leather garments.

That's right! You can use live steam on most suede and leather garments. But, you may ask, “Why is it that you stated previously that you do not ever let live steam contact the suede or leather skin on a press?” The answer is simple. A form finisher is not a press. So the “never use live steam” rule does not apply in most cases on a form finisher.

On a press, you have a head that comes down and applies pressure to the article being pressed after it has been placed on the buck of the press. With the head closed down, steam is usually applied to the article being pressed, while it is locked in the press and under pressure.

Most skins will usually draw up when they are wet with steam and have too much heat applied to them as occurs in a drycleaning press. The exception is if the steam pressure can be dropped to no more than 40 psi. Then the “wet” steam can be used to safely press most suedes or naked leathers on a press.

These conditions do not exist with a form finisher. Yes, steam is applied to the skin but it is not locked in and under heat and pressure against a hot press head. Therefore, the steam applied to most suedes and leathers on a form finisher will not harm them. Instead, it will steam out the wrinkles and then the drying air will maintain pressure against the garment to hold it taut while the moisture is removed just as is done on cloth items.

You may have noticed that I keep saying you can use the steam air form finisher on most suede and leather garments just like you use it on cloth garments. That means that there are some suedes and leathers that you don't want to form finish like you do cloth garments.

Never try to form finish a fur or a shearling or a shammy suede on the regular cycle of a steam air form finisher as they will invariably shrivel up and become a claim. The same can happen to any soft, thin delicate lambskin suede or leather. Also, be wary of applying much steam to soft, painted leather as the steam will be trapped by the impervious lacquer leather paint on the surface of the skin and sufficient heat can build up and cause the skin to draw up. The same is true of delicate snake skins, fish skins and bird skins.

Of course, the length of the steam cycle can be adjusted to suit the type of skin you are dealing with. You might also use just a shot of steam on delicate skins, while on thicker and tougher skins such as cowhide and pigskin, which can tolerate more steam, you can increase the duration of a steam cycle up to as much as that normally used for cloth coats. In addition, a steam regulator can be installed to regulate the steam pressure down to 40 psi, which is safe to use on most suedes and leathers.

Suede and leather coats are placed on the form finisher exactly like cloth coats. Use the front and back clamps as needed. Use vent clamps as necessary. Use sleeve expanders as always, but instead of just standing idly by as the form finisher goes through its preset steam air cycle, you will brush up the suede nap of a suede coat with a suede mitt while the steam air cycle is running. In this way, the suede nap can be fully bushed up by the end of the cycle. The only parts of the coat left to be brushed up are the areas covered by clamps during the cycle.

Of course smooth leather coats have no nap so they do not have to be brushed. However, for optimum results leathers should be pressed all over or at least the collars, lapels, pocket flaps, etc., could be hand ironed as described earlier.

Many suedes can be completely finished on the steam air form finisher. Others may have to be touched up with the hand iron, as described previously. Collars, lapels, pocket flaps, belts and hoods might have to be hand ironed or pressed.