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Did you know that high humidity can ruin your favorite leather jacket, leather bag, or even your leather sofas? According to the Hindustan Times, “leather bags’ arch-nemesis is humidity.”

Humidity and heat make for the worst combination for leather items. Since leather is highly hygroscopic in nature, it tends to absorb moisture from the surrounding air.

So, how do you make your leather goods last longer in a humid environment? Let’s talk about it.

But First, How Does Moisture Affect The Quality Of Leather Goods?

Leather goods need to be stored in ventilated areas that maintain a temperature of 15–20 ° C and 50–70% relative humidity.

Although leather is a tough material and is frequently used for hard-wear applications, it also has softness and elasticity properties in relation to moisture content. Therefore, constant fluctuations in humidity and temperature can promote the aging of leather.

Extremely low humidity leads to leather becoming harder and brittle over time. Additionally, it’s important to not store leather in direct sunlight to prevent it from fading.

Here are some other negative impacts that moisture can have on leather:

Leather’s Tensile Strength May Be Affected

Changes in humidity conditions can affect leather’s tensile strength, making it either tougher or easier to break. An old study quantified the changes in chrome-tanned and vegetable leather’s tensile strength at different humidity and temperature conditions.

The study showed that leather’s tensile strength at a relative humidity of near 0 was 4,630 psi, while the same leather showed a tensile strength of 5,290 psi at 83.8 relative humidity. The nearly 12.5% difference in tensile strength was staggering!

Bacteria and Mold Growth

Insufficient ventilation and exposure to high humidity risks the formation of mold and bacteria, rotting leather material over time.

Similarly, leather should never be kept in airtight bags because they risk condensation, again, leading to mold growth and stains.

How to Protect Leather from Low/High Humidity

The first step when preserving your stored leather goods is cleaning them (drying the moisture particles) every 10–15 days. If your leather items are in use, keep them under the ceiling fan for a few hours to ensure they’re dry before storing them again.

However, the best method for protecting stored leather items from moisture is using silica gel as a moisture absorber.

Keep a few sachets of silica gel in your handbag or leather jacket. Silica gel absorbs up to 40% of its weight in moisture and works until fully absorbed. It prevents water molecules in the air from ruining your leather items.

Make sure to replace the packets every couple of weeks.

As an ISO 9001:2015 certified desiccant manufacturer and sole authorized distributor of absorbents and desiccants, Sorbead India offers state-of-the-art moisture-free packaging solutions, including silica gel moisture absorbers and food-grade oxygen absorbers that help retain the freshness and integrity of food products.

Sorbead India serves a wide range of industries ranging from Food and Beverages to the Shipping and Chemical industry and everything in between!

Call +91-756-768-8877 or send us an inquiry for more details about our products.