Leather Care - How to Take Care of Your Leather Belt
Everyone has a favourite belt, and most of us probably have two or three in circulation in different hues to suit all occasions, both casual and formal. There aren’t too many resources out there that explain how to properly care for a leather belt, despite the fact we use them every day and they aren’t always cheap either. As premium leather designers, we have mastered our belt making techniques and put together a guide to caring for your leather belts so that you get the best of them for many, many years to come.
Choose the appropriate belt size and hole
No one wants to admit when it’s time to move up a belt hole, and some of us don’t want to go down one either. With that being said, if we let vanity get in the way of this action then you are going to have a belt with stretched holes that ultimately take away the true form of the belt, and it won’t be much use to you if it can’t do what it’s supposed to. It can be quite unsightly to see a belt with the holes stretched into a larger shape or even beginning to tear through the beautiful leather. To avoid this, ensure you are choosing the right size belt from the outset.
If you’re unsure what your true belt size is, then remember this important rule of thumb. A good quality belt will have 5 belt holes, and you should be aiming to comfortably fit the metal pin into the third belt hole, which is right in the middle. Your belt should feel secure in our hardy Australian leather belts, but not too firm so try a few sizes until the middle hole is perfectly positioned and achieving the purpose of a belt. If you want to be sure, have a walk around in these different sizes and see if you find yourself pulling your trousers up, or find the belt is cutting in.
Treat the leather
Leather is the best material to cut a belt from, so if you’re comparing faux leather vs real leather, you don’t need to look any further as all of our Harrisson Australia belts are handcrafted from real leather and is relatively easy to care for. That being said, you should still be actively taking care of your belt by using leather conditioner on it at least once a year, and polishing the hardware with the right solution and a microfibre cloth. It’s also a good idea to spray your belt with a water-resistant protection spray, applied from about 30cm from the belt and left to dry before storing away. There are a great number of leather care products out there on the market, but always test a small patch on the inside of your belt to ensure that there is no reaction before applying it to your entire belt.
If your belt accidentally goes through the washing machine or gets wet for whatever reason, lay it out flat and use a soft cloth to pat dry the belt and absorb any excess moisture, and then leave it out for a couple of days to dry. Given that leather is skin, we are fortunate that it’s more durable than other synthetic materials and can bounce back very easily, but let’s not try and put this to the test too many times! If your belt gets a mark or stain on it, use the leather conditioner to treat the area, using circular motions but not using too much cream that it can’t soak in naturally.
Storing your leather belt
When you order a leather belt from Harrisson Australia, you’ll be delighted with the beautiful presentation and packaging in which your belt arrives in. This belt box hasn’t only been chosen for the look and feel, but it’s actually the perfect dimensions in which to store your leather belt. Due to time pressures and conveniences, most of us will discard our trousers with our belt still in the loops, or if we do remove it, it will find its way onto the floor or shoved into a cupboard. By getting into the habit of rolling your belt and returning it to the belt box, you are actually keeping the shape of your belt, eliminating the chance of sun exposure and discolouration, and you’re also practising good leather care habits that will reduce the chance of you having to replace the belt in the not too distant future.
If you already have a couple of belts and no longer have the belt box, hanging your belt is also a good way to store your belt, provided they can hang flush and do not have any kinks where they hang from. You also want to ensure that your hardware isn’t put through any distress in the location and nature of where you choose to hang it, as the last thing you want is for your belt buckle to fail on you when you are out and about.
If you have any more questions about the correct way to wear, care for and store your belt, contact Harrisson Australia with your enquiry. Alternatively, you can check out our FAQs and see if your question has already been asked by our customer base.