How to Wash Leather Chaps

Providing that you are washing splits or the rough out (suede) side of top grain leather, it’s easy to wash them, and safe too. As long as the chaps are made of good quality leather. Washing can be done to keep chaps clean or as a necessary step to dyeing them.

Fill the washer with hot sudsy water using any kind of detergent. (hot water is best to get them clean). Throw in the chaps and let them agitate for a minute or two. Pull them out and apply Spray ‘N Wash or Zout to the insides of the legs where dirt and sweat from the horse accumulate. Using a fingernail brush or a soft suede brush, lightly scrub those areas. Put the chaps back in the washer and let them go through the entire cycle. Use the "regular" or "normal" wash cycle. (Wash timer should be set for 8 to 10 minutes.)

When the chaps are in the final rinse, some people add a quart of PINK fabric softener (blue fabric softener turn light colors green) to make chaps soft. Some people feel that the fabric softener leaves a slight residue that attracts dirt. Take your pick.

DO NOT put the chaps in an automatic dryer. The intense heat will shrink them badly. Instead, hang them outside in the shade. Hanging them in the sun will cause them to fade and possibly shrink a bit as well.

When the chaps are bone dry, put them in the dryer and let them tumble in the fluff cycle (with no heat) for about 10 minutes. This will make the chaps even softer.

After tumbling, take hold of the chaps and pull in all directions. If they did shrink a little, this stretches them. If chaps do shrink a bit it is usually in the width of the thigh area and not leg length, so really pull to stretch the thighs. A blow dryer with no heat is good to help raise the nap. Some people let their chaps get about half dry and then wear them until they finish drying.

How to Dye Leather Chaps

Dyeing your leather chaps is easy providing that you are dyeing splits or the rough out (suede) side of top grain leather (or the unfinished top grain leather such as moccasin leather). You CAN NOT dye the finished side of top grain leather using this method.

Wash the chaps you intend to dye first. Washing and rinsing are a necessary step prior to dyeing. It is not necessary to use fabric softener after washing since you will need to rinse them again after they have been dyed.

Use Rit liquid dyes (or other quality brand) because they are easier to use than the powdered kind. You can completely change the color of your chaps, or you can simply freshen up a color that has faded or gotten dull over time. Changing some colors is easy, like grey to black. But for some color changes it may be best to strip the old color first.

If this is your first time dyeing chaps, do something simple at first. Try freshening up a faded color, or take an old pair of chaps that are a light color, such as tan, and dyeing them a darker color like brown or black.

When you are ready to dye the chaps, fill the washer with the hottest water possible. Thoroughly shake the bottles of dye and pour them in. How much dye should you use? If you are changing color, use 4 to 6 bottles, depending on how deep you want the color. If just freshening up a faded color, only use a couple of bottles. Mix the dye in the water thoroughly, then dip in a strip of old white sheet to check color. This is especially important if you are dyeing the chaps to match a hat or shirt, etc… Keep playing with the amount of dye used until you have reached the desired intensity of color, then put the chaps in.

If you are dying them a pastel color, let them agitate just a minute or two. Then pull them out and check the color. If it’s not quite right, let them agitate for another minute or two and check them again.

Dyeing for dark colors is easier. After placing the chaps in the dye, let them agitate for several minutes and then soak for several minutes longer. If you are dyeing the chaps black, you might even let them soak overnight. As soon as the color is right, put the chaps in an empty tub or bucket while you drain the washer. Immediately refill the washer with rinse water and put the chaps back in. when you are dyeing to a dark color remember to rinse the chaps very thoroughly to prevent color rubbing off on your clothing or saddle.

Rinse and dry the chaps as previously instructed. And don’t forget to run the washing machine with just water and bleach to clean it.