How to store a leather jacket (and a shearling jacket): between wears, for summer and long term
Short answer: to store a leather jacket, clean it, let it dry fully, hang it on a wide padded hanger with the zip or buttons done up, and cover it with a breathable cotton garment bag, never plastic. Keep it in a cool, dark closet against an inside wall, ideally at 45–55% relative humidity and 18–20°C (64–68°F). A shearling jacket needs the same, plus protection from clothes moths.
Most damage to a stored jacket happens quietly: damp air grows mold, a wire hanger dents the shoulders, sunlight fades one sleeve, and moth larvae eat the wool on a shearling collar. All of it is preventable with a few minutes of preparation. Below: storage between wears, storage for summer or for years, what’s different for shearling, how to deal with moths without mothballs, and how to pack a leather jacket for travel or a move.
The ideal conditions for storing leather, in one table
Museum conservators store leather in conditions that ordinary homes can get close to. The figures below are from the Canadian Conservation Institute (CCI), a Government of Canada conservation agency.
| Factor | Aim for | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Relative humidity (RH) | 45–55%, stable | Above 65% RH mold can grow; below 30% leather loses flexibility |
| Temperature | 18–20°C (64–68°F), or cooler | CCI notes that a room 5°C (9°F) cooler roughly halves the rate of chemical ageing |
| Light | Dark, out of direct sun | Dyed leather is very light-sensitive and fades unevenly |
| Air | Some circulation, about 10 cm (4 in) between garments | Still, damp air in packed closets is where mold starts |
| Heat sources | Away from radiators, heating pipes and hot lights | Local heat dries and cracks leather |
Temperature and humidity are linked: CCI points out that a 3°C change in temperature shifts RH by about 10%. That’s why a closet on a cold outside wall, or a car boot or garage that swings between hot and cold, is riskier than its average numbers suggest. A cheap digital hygrometer (humidity meter) in the closet for a week tells you more than any rule of thumb.
How to store a leather jacket between wears
During the season you’re wearing it, storage is simple:
- Let it air before you put it away. After a wet or sweaty day, hang it in the open at room temperature until it’s fully dry. Never on a radiator or with a hair dryer; see our rain guide.
- Use a wide, shaped hanger, wooden or padded, that fills the shoulders. Not a wire hanger.
- Close the main zip or the top button so the front panels hang straight.
- Empty the pockets. Keys and phones stretch leather pockets permanently.
- Don’t hang it on a hook or the back of a chair for more than a day or two. A single point of pressure stretches the collar and leaves a bump.
- Give it space in the closet. A jacket crushed between other coats creases and can’t dry out.
How to store a leather jacket for summer (or for several years)
When the season ends, in spring in the Northern Hemisphere, or from about September to November in Australia and New Zealand, prepare the jacket before it goes away for months.
Step 1: Clean it first
Dirt, skin oils and food or drink spills are what attract pests and feed mold. Wipe the jacket with a dry cloth, then a barely damp one, and treat any stains as described in how to clean and condition a leather jacket. Never machine wash it (here’s why). Check the lining and cuffs too: wipe the collar and cuff lining, where sweat collects, with a barely damp cloth.
Step 2: Dry it completely
Leave it on a hanger at room temperature for 24–48 hours after any damp cleaning. Storing a jacket that is even slightly damp is the most common cause of mold.
Step 3: Condition lightly, or not at all
If the leather feels dry or stiff, apply a thin coat of conditioner a few days before storage and buff off the excess, so nothing sticky sits on the surface for months. If the leather still feels supple, skip it. Too much conditioner can come back to the surface as a waxy white “spew”, and CCI cautions that oils oxidise over time. Never condition suede.
Step 4: Hang it properly
- A wide padded hanger that supports the whole shoulder line. CCI’s guidance for hanging garments warns against lightweight wire hangers because they don’t support the weight, and recommends padding the hanger so the weight spreads across the shoulders.
- Sleeves: for long storage, a loose roll of acid-free, unbuffered tissue paper inside each sleeve stops creases. Don’t stuff them tight.
- Done up: close the zip or buttons, fold the collar the way it’s worn.
Folding is only for very heavy or fragile jackets whose shoulder seams are weak: lay them flat in a large box, with tissue in every fold, and never put anything heavy on top.
Step 5: Cover it with cotton, not plastic
Use a breathable cotton garment bag (or a clean old cotton sheet or pillowcase over the shoulders). Cotton keeps dust and light off and absorbs small changes in humidity. Avoid the thin plastic bag from the dry cleaner: CCI warns that moisture can condense inside a plastic bag when the temperature drops, and a sealed bag is exactly where mold grows. Vacuum-seal bags are worse still: they crush the leather and padding into permanent creases.
Step 6: Pick the right place
| Place | Verdict |
|---|---|
| Bedroom closet on an inside wall | Best: stable, dark, close to living-room conditions |
| Closet on an outside wall | OK if it doesn’t feel cold or damp; check with a hygrometer |
| Under the bed (flat, in a cotton-lined box) | OK for folded storage if the room is dry |
| Attic or loft | Avoid: too hot in summer, cold and damp in winter |
| Basement or cellar | Avoid: usually damp; clothes moths like dark, undisturbed rooms |
| Garage, car, shed | Avoid: big temperature and humidity swings |
| Self-storage unit | Only if climate-controlled |
Step 7: Check it every few months
CCI advises inspecting stored collections every three months for mold and insects. For a jacket, that means taking it out, looking at the seams, collar and lining, giving it a shake and a few minutes of air, and putting it back. It’s also the cheapest way to break the cycle of moths, which hate being disturbed.
Damp climates and humid summers
If you live somewhere humid, or your closet smells musty, humidity control matters more than anything else on this page. Mold can grow anywhere from 65% RH upwards; CCI’s figures are roughly 2 days at 90–100% RH, 10 days at 80% and 100 days at 70%.
- Measure first. A hygrometer shows whether you actually have a problem.
- Run a dehumidifier in the room if it sits above about 60% for long periods.
- Silica gel only works well in a near-airtight box, not an open closet, and needs re-drying when it’s saturated. CCI’s bulletin on silica gel also warns that without monitoring you can end up at the wrong humidity.
- Don’t over-dry. Below about 30% RH leather can stiffen and crack, so don’t park it next to a heater to “keep it dry”.
Some summers make this unavoidable. In Brisbane, for example, Australian Bureau of Meteorology averages put 9am humidity at 63–66% from January to March. In climates like that, check jackets monthly in summer. If you ever find white spots, read how to remove mold from a leather jacket before you touch them; it may be harmless spew.
Storing a shearling jacket: protect the wool from moths
Shearling is sheepskin with the wool still attached (what is shearling?), so it needs everything above plus protection from wool-eating insects.
What eats it: the larvae of clothes moths, mainly the webbing clothes moth (Tineola bisselliella) and the case-bearing clothes moth (Tinea pellionella), and carpet beetles. They feed on keratin, the protein in wool, fur and hair. NC State Extension notes they can occasionally damage leather too, but the wool side of a shearling jacket, or a wool lining or shearling collar on a leather jacket, is the real target.
What attracts them: darkness, being left undisturbed, and fabric soiled with sweat, food or skin oils. That’s why the collar and cuffs are usually hit first.
How to protect a shearling jacket in storage:
- Clean it before storing. Brush the wool, spot-clean the collar and cuffs, and have heavily soiled shearling cleaned by a specialist. Clean wool is far less attractive to larvae.
- Store it dry, covered and in a closet you open regularly. English Heritage’s moth guidance says regular vacuuming of the closet does more to stop a build-up of moths than anything else.
- Look for warning signs at every check: small holes or bald patches in the wool, silky tubes or webbing, tiny cases, or sandy droppings.
- If you find moths, freeze it. CCI recommends −20°C (−4°F) for one week; English Heritage advises −18°C (0°F) for at least two weeks to be sure. Seal the jacket in a polyethylene bag, squeeze out most of the air, freeze it, then let it warm up to room temperature still in the bag for at least a day so condensation forms on the outside, not on the leather. Low temperatures don’t harm leather, fur or textiles. Clean the closet before it goes back.
Cedar and lavender: they help less than people think. UC IPM, the University of California’s pest programme, calls the effectiveness of cedar chests “debatable”, NC State says cedar’s moth-repelling value disappears after about two years, and English Heritage gives lavender and cedar products a useful life of about three months.
Mothballs: skip them. The University of Florida’s IFAS extension notes that naphthalene is linked to haemolytic anaemia and that one mothball can seriously harm a child who eats it; the product labels only allow use in airtight containers, and the smell soaks into wool. A clean jacket, a clean closet and regular checks do the job without chemicals.
How to pack a leather jacket for travel or a move
- Wear it on the plane if you can. It’s the best protection, and it saves space.
- If it goes in a suitcase: empty the pockets, close the zip, lay it face down, fold the sleeves across the back, then fold it once loosely at the waist, with a soft T-shirt or tissue in the fold. Put it on top, not under shoes.
- On arrival, hang it on a wide hanger straight away. Light creases relax in a day or two at room temperature, faster in a steamy bathroom (not under running water).
- For a move, use a wardrobe box with a hanging rail rather than a sealed plastic tub, and unpack it first, especially after a long journey in a hot truck or container.
- Never leave a jacket in a parked car in summer: heat dries and stiffens leather quickly.
What not to do
- Don’t store it dirty, damp or sweaty.
- Don’t use wire hangers, hooks or vacuum bags.
- Don’t seal it in plastic for months.
- Don’t store it in an attic, basement, garage or car.
- Don’t hang it in sunlight or next to a radiator or heating pipe.
- Don’t pile other coats on top of it.
- Don’t use mothballs or heavy perfumes.
Checklist
- Cleaned, including collar and cuff lining; pockets empty
- Fully dry (24–48 hours after any damp cleaning)
- Conditioned lightly only if the leather felt dry; suede left alone
- Wide padded hanger; zip or top button closed; tissue in the sleeves
- Breathable cotton cover, not plastic
- Dark closet on an inside wall, 45–55% RH, 18–20°C (64–68°F), space around it
- Shearling: brushed and clean; closet vacuumed; check for moths
- Calendar reminder to check it every three months
Frequently asked questions
How should you store a leather jacket?
Clean and dry it, hang it on a wide padded hanger with the zip closed, and cover it with a breathable cotton garment bag. Keep it in a dark closet on an inside wall, away from heat and sun, ideally at 45–55% relative humidity and around 18–20°C (64–68°F).
Should leather jackets be hung or folded?
Hung, on a wide padded or shaped wooden hanger that supports the shoulders. Fold only very heavy or fragile jackets, flat in a box with tissue paper in the folds, and never with weight on top.
Can you store a leather jacket in a plastic bag?
Not for long. Plastic traps moisture, which can condense inside when the temperature drops and lets mold grow. Use a cotton garment bag instead. A sealed plastic bag is only for short jobs such as freezing a shearling jacket to kill moths.
Should I condition my leather jacket before storing it?
Only if the leather feels dry. Apply a thin coat a few days before storage and buff off the excess. Too much conditioner can resurface as a waxy white bloom, and leftover oils can feed mold in damp weather.
Do moths eat leather jackets?
Clothes moth larvae feed on keratin in wool, fur and hair, so they mostly attack shearling, wool linings and fur or shearling collars. Plain leather is rarely eaten. Store shearling clean, check it every few months and freeze it if you find larvae.
Can I store a leather jacket in a vacuum bag?
No. Vacuum bags crush leather and padding into creases that may never relax, and they trap any moisture inside. Hang it in a cotton cover instead.
Sources checked October 2026: Canadian Conservation Institute (CCI): “Caring for leather, skin and fur” (December 2018), CCI Note 8/2 “Care of Alum, Vegetable and Mineral-tanned Leather” (modified February 2019), CCI Note 8/1 on removing mould from leather (revised 2016), CCI Note 13/5 “Hanging Storage for Costumes” (modified February 2019), CCI Note 3/3 “Controlling Insect Pests with Low Temperature” (modified February 2019) and Technical Bulletin 33 on silica gel (modified February 2024); University of California IPM Pest Notes: Clothes Moths (Publication 7435); NC State Extension, “Clothes Moths and Carpet Beetles” (AG-377, June 2021); English Heritage, clothes moth prevention and control guideline; UF/IFAS Extension, “The Facts about Mothballs” (PI289); Australian Bureau of Meteorology climate averages for Brisbane; Leather Dictionary, “Storage of leather”.