How to clean and store a python leather jacket

If you own a genuine python jacket, knowing how to clean python leather properly keeps the scales flat, the color clear and the skin supple. Python needs a lighter touch than cowhide or lambskin, and the direction you wipe matters as much as what you wipe with.

Why Python Leather Needs Different Care

Python skin is covered in overlapping scales, each with a fine edge. Wipe or brush against those edges and they can catch, lift and start to peel. The skin used for garments is also thin compared with cowhide, so it reacts quickly to too much water, harsh chemicals or heat. To understand the material itself, see our guide to genuine python leather.

Before you clean anything, find the scale direction. Run a fingertip lightly across a panel: one way feels smooth, the other way catches slightly. The smooth way is the direction of the scales, the way they ran from head to tail on the original skin. Panels on a jacket can be cut in different orientations, so check each one separately.

What You'll Need

• Two soft microfiber cloths
• A soft-bristled brush, such as a clean horsehair brush
• Distilled water
• Cotton swabs
• A cleaner and a conditioner made for reptile or exotic leather
• A wide, shaped hanger and a breathable garment bag

How to Clean Python Leather, Step by Step

1. Prepare the jacket. Empty the pockets, hang it on a wide hanger and work in good light so you can see the scale edges.
2. Dust it. Wipe each panel with a dry microfiber cloth or a soft brush, always moving in the direction of the scales. Light pressure is enough.
3. Spot clean marks. Dampen a corner of the cloth with distilled water, wring it until it's barely damp, and wipe the mark gently with the scales. Never pour water on the skin or scrub back and forth.
4. Clean the edges. Run a barely damp cotton swab along seams, around the zip and under the collar, again following the scale direction.
5. Test any product first. Before using a reptile leather cleaner, try it on a hidden spot such as under the collar and wait overnight to check for darkening or color change.
6. Apply cleaner sparingly. Put a small amount on the cloth, not on the jacket, and work it in with the scales. Buff away any residue with a clean, dry cloth.
7. Air dry. Leave the jacket on its hanger at room temperature, away from radiators, heaters, hair dryers and direct sunlight, until it's completely dry.

What Not to Use on Python Leather

• Alcohol, solvents and degreasers. They strip natural oils and can break down the skin.
• Household cleaners and wipes. Many contain alcohol, detergents or other harsh ingredients.
• Saddle soap and kitchen oils. They can darken the skin and build up between the scales.
• Soaking or machine washing. Python absorbs moisture unevenly and can stain or distort.
• Heat to speed up drying. Fast heat pulls moisture from the skin, hardens the scales and can lead to cracking.
• Glue on lifting scales. It can stain and stiffen the skin. Leave repairs to a specialist.

Go easy on perfume, body lotion and hand sanitizer as well. They can mark exotic skins where your hands, wrists and neck touch the jacket most.

Each of these three jackets is handmade to order from genuine python leather, in black, white and brown.

How to Condition Python Leather Without Lifting the Scales

Python needs conditioning less often, and in smaller amounts, than cowhide. Too little and the skin dries out; too much leaves residue under the scale edges that attracts dirt and can change the texture.

• Use a conditioner made for reptile or exotic leather. Products meant for regular smooth leather aren't always suitable for scales.
• Apply a small amount to a cloth and work with the scales in light strokes.
• Buff with a dry cloth after a few minutes.
• For a jacket you wear regularly, every three to six months is plenty, and less often if it spends most of its time in the closet.

If you notice scales starting to curl, stop and read our guide to python leather scales lifting before doing anything else.

Caring for White and Light Python

Pale skins show marks sooner, so a little extra attention goes a long way:

• Dust more often so dirt doesn't settle between the scales.
• Watch for color transfer from dark, freshly dyed denim and bag straps.
• Spot clean marks as soon as you notice them, while they're still on the surface.
• Test every product on a hidden area, since some can darken or warm the tone of pale skin.
• Store the jacket covered in a breathable bag, out of the light.

For outfit ideas, see our white python jacket outfits.

Drying and Storing a Python Jacket

Humidity, heat and sunlight do the most harm in storage. Keep the jacket on a wide, shaped hanger in a cool, dry closet, inside a breathable cotton garment bag. Never store it in plastic, which traps moisture. Don't fold it or squeeze it between heavy coats, since crushing can bend and mark the scales. If it gets caught in rain, blot it gently with a soft cloth, wiping with the scales, and let it air dry naturally.

How to Store a Python Leather Jacket

Much of how long a python jacket stays beautiful depends on where it spends the weeks and months you are not wearing it. A cowhide jacket is thick and forgiving, and can shrug off a few months on an ordinary hanger in a crowded closet. Python has less margin for error, for three reasons:

• The skin is thin. It loses moisture faster, creases more easily and takes on the shape of whatever it rests against.
• The scales overlap. Each scale has a free edge, and those edges are the first part to dry, curl and lift. They can also catch on rough fabric, zipper teeth, hook-and-loop tabs or jewelry.
• The surface is often finished. Many python garments are dyed or sealed on top, and that finish can crack along a fold if the skin underneath dries out.

Most of the advice in our general guide to storing a leather jacket still applies; the details below matter more for python.

Before it goes away for the season

1. Clean it. Dust and spot clean as described above. Body oils, perfume and food spots attract mildew and dust in storage, so do not skip this step.
2. Let it dry completely. If you wore it in a shower, hang it at room temperature for a day or two, well away from radiators and hair dryers.
3. Condition lightly. Test a conditioner made for reptile or other fine leathers on a hidden spot such as an inside facing, then apply a thin layer along the scales and buff off any excess. Skip heavy oils, cooking oils and greasy all-purpose balms, which can darken the skin, collect under scale edges and attract dust.
4. Empty the pockets and close the front. Keys and phones leave dents, and a fastened front hangs straighter.

Hang it, don't fold it

A wide, padded or shaped hanger that matches your shoulder width spreads the weight of the jacket and keeps the shoulders rounded. Thin wire hangers and narrow plastic hangers leave dents and peaks in the shoulders that are hard to remove from thin skin. A fold across the scales bends every scale edge along that line, which can crease the finish or start the edges lifting. If you have to fold for a short time, for example when moving house, fold loosely along the side seams, pad each fold with a rolled cotton cloth or acid-free tissue and hang the jacket again as soon as you can.

Long coats need a tall space. The hem should hang freely and never rest on the closet floor or bunch against shoes and boxes. If your closet is short, use a taller section or a covered garment rack.

Choosing a cover

Choose a breathable cotton or linen garment bag that is long enough to cover the whole jacket; if your jacket came with a fabric dust bag, use it. Avoid plastic dry-cleaning bags, vinyl covers and sealed storage bins, which trap moisture against the skin and invite mold; in warm rooms some plastics can stick to a finished surface. Vacuum compression bags are worse still, because they press creases into every scale.

Humidity and temperature

Python does best in moderate, steady conditions, the kind most people find comfortable indoors.

• Too dry: the skin and scale edges become brittle and start to curl. Winter heating, attics and closets next to radiators are the usual causes.
• Too damp: mold and a musty smell can appear, and the skin may lose its shape. Basements, closets on cold outside walls and rooms next to a steamy bathroom are common problem spots.

A small hygrometer from a hardware store takes the guesswork out of it. Somewhere around the middle of the range, roughly 40 to 60 percent relative humidity, is a sensible target. If a room runs damp, use a dehumidifier or moisture absorber in the room rather than packing it inside the bag. If it runs very dry in winter, a room humidifier helps more than adding extra conditioner. Keep the closet cool and dark: direct sunlight can fade dyed python and dull white skins, and heat swings in attics, garages and car trunks dry the skin quickly.

Give it space

Leave a few inches on each side so the scales are not pressed against other coats, and keep it away from studs, buckles and exposed zips that can catch the scale edges. Never hang bags, belts or a second coat over its shoulders, and do not stack anything on top of a folded python piece.

Check it every month or two

Look along the scale edges for curling or lifting, check the shoulders for hanger marks and smell the lining for any mustiness. Let it air in the room for an hour before you put it back. If you spot white or greenish spots, follow our steps on how to remove mold from a leather jacket and move the jacket somewhere drier. Lifting scales in storage almost always point to dryness, a fold or pressure from a crowded rail; a light application of reptile conditioner along the scales, followed by gentle smoothing with a clean cloth, often settles minor lifting. Only condition again if the skin looks or feels dry.

Packing a python jacket for travel

Wear it or carry it over your arm if you can. If it must go in a suitcase, lay it on top, fold loosely along the side seams with soft padding at the folds, and hang it on arrival so any creases relax. Our guide to traveling with an exotic leather jacket also covers carrying your paperwork across borders.

When to See a Specialist

Take the jacket to a leather specialist with exotic-skin experience for deep stains, scales that are lifting or flaking, noticeable color loss or any tears. Home fixes on these problems often make a professional repair harder.

Ordering a Genuine Python Jacket

Genuine python jackets are made to order, and genuine exotic pieces ship with CITES export documents. CITES is an international agreement between governments that aims to make sure international trade in wild animals and plants doesn't threaten their survival. Rules on exotic leather still differ by country and by US state, so check your local rules or contact us before ordering. Our guide to CITES documents for exotic jackets explains the paperwork, and if you're unsure what you're looking at, compare real python vs embossed leather.

Genuine exotic pieces are final sale and can't be returned. Standard sizes in our regular leathers can be returned within 30 days of delivery if they're unworn and unused with all tags attached. Made-to-measure and personalized exotic pieces are final sale and can't be returned.

FAQ

Can you use water on python leather?

Only a little. A cloth barely dampened with distilled water is fine for spot cleaning, wiped in the direction of the scales. Never soak the skin or let water pool on it.

Can I use a regular leather cleaner on a python jacket?

It's better not to. Choose a cleaner and conditioner made for reptile or exotic leather, and test it on a hidden spot first. Products made for smooth leather can be too heavy for scales.

Why do python scales lift?

Common causes are dryness, too much moisture or heat, and rubbing against the scale direction. Gentle cleaning with the scales, light conditioning and cool, dry storage help keep them flat.

Can a python jacket be dry cleaned?

Not by a standard cleaner. Look for a leather specialist with exotic-skin experience, and ask how they handle python before you hand the jacket over.

Can I store a python jacket in a vacuum bag?

No. Compression presses creases across the scales, bends the edges and traps any moisture against the skin. A breathable cotton garment bag on a wide hanger is the better choice.

How often should I condition a python jacket in storage?

Condition it lightly before it goes away and again only if it looks or feels dry at one of your checks. For most stored jackets that means once or twice a year. Too much product is as unhelpful as too little.

Can I use cedar or mothballs near python?

Skip mothballs, because the smell is hard to remove from leather. Cedar blocks hung in the closet are fine as long as they do not touch the skin.

Knowing how to clean python leather comes down to gentle, scale-direction care, light conditioning and smart storage. When you're ready to add one to your wardrobe, browse our python and snakeskin jackets.