How to Stretch Leather Gloves

Soaking the Gloves

Spray down your gloves with a hose. Remove your gloves and hold them in one hand. With your free hand, thoroughly soak both of your gloves with the hose until they’re dripping wet. Keep in mind that the hose water will probably be cold, or below 85 °F (29 °C). If you don’t have access to a hose, consider using a running faucet instead. If you’re trying to stretch antique gloves, treat them with leather conditioner instead of water.

Wring out the gloves to remove any extra water. Use both hands to squeeze out any excess water from the gloves. If you’re having some difficulty, try forming a fist with both hands over the finger portion of the gloves. Continue this process until the material is damp, but not wet. Be sure to do this outside or over a sink.

Slide the gloves onto your hands while they’re damp. Keep the gloves on as you go about your day, whether you’re on a bike ride or staying at home. Even if your hands feel damp and a little gross, wait several hours until the leather dries completely. At this point, check to see how the leather fits around your fingers and palms. If the gloves are still tight, try soaking and wearing the gloves again. You can also try stuffing them with damp newspaper. To keep the gloves in good condition, consider treating them with leather conditioner after you soak them.

Stuffing with Newspaper

Wet your leather gloves with a little bit of water. Moisten your gloves from the outside by running them under a low-pressure stream of running water. Since you’ll be filling your gloves with wet newspaper momentarily, don’t worry about soaking them all the way through. If you don’t want to pour water onto your gloves directly, try dabbing them with a wet paper towel. To prevent burns, try and use lukewarm water, or water that’s between 80 to 105 °F (27 to 41 °C).

Soak 3-4 sheets of newspaper in water for 10 minutes. Fill a bowl with lukewarm water and place a few sheets of newspaper in it. Wait 10 minutes for the sheets to fully absorb the water before removing them. Once you’ve taken them out, squeeze out any excess water over a sink. If necessary, feel free to soak additional sheets of newspaper.

Push sections of newspaper into the fingers until they’re stuffed. Cut or rip the soaked newspaper into smaller strips that will fit in each finger slot. Before pushing the newspaper strips into the glove, roll them into long, narrow coils that will fit into and stretch out each finger. Follow the same process when filling the palm of the glove, using rows of newspaper coils as filling. Check that the gloves are not dripping wet after you stuff them with newspaper.

Remove the newspaper after drying the gloves for 1-2 days. Place your stuffed gloves in a bin or box, then place the container in a cool, dry place for at least 1 day. Feel the leather periodically to see if it’s dry. Once the gloves are no longer damp, remove the newspaper pieces and try them on. Avoid using a blow dryer to speed up the process, as this can damage the leather. Don’t keep the newspaper in the gloves for more than 2-3 days. Since the newspaper will still be damp, it will eventually get moldy. If the gloves still don’t fit properly, try moistening and re-stuffing them with newspaper. You can also try soaking the material with water and wearing the gloves, or treating the leather with rubbing alcohol or leather conditioner. Once the gloves dry, consider treating them with leather conditioner to keep the material in great condition. EXPERT TIP Mallika Sharma Mallika Sharma Certified Leather Care Technician Mallika Sharma is a Certified Leather Care Technician and the Founder of The Leather Laundry, a niche spa service for luxury leather gear in India. Mallika specializes in leather cleaning, coloring, repairing, and restoring for shoes, handbags, jackets, wallets, belts, and sofas. She holds a Master’s degree in Finance and Investment from the University of Edinburgh Business School. Mallika is a certified Professional Leather Care Technician and trained with the globally reputed leather care company, LTT in the United Kingdom. Mallika Sharma Mallika Sharma Certified Leather Care Technician Leather has an elastic nature that allows it to be gently stretched out. To increase the size of a leather item by up to half an inch, hold the base firmly with one hand while using your other hand to slowly pull the material in all directions. Just be very careful not to tear or damage the leather by aggressively overstretching it.

Softening the Material

Blot the outside of your gloves with rubbing alcohol. Pour a coin-sized amount of rubbing alcohol onto a rag or paper towel. Use this to dab alcohol onto the outside of your leather gloves. If needed, pour a little more rubbing alcohol onto the rag or paper towel to finish softening the gloves. Rubbing alcohol works well to soften and break in leather given its harsher qualities. Give your gloves a few minutes to air out before putting them on.

Use leather conditioner instead of rubbing alcohol if you’d like your gloves to last longer. Dip a rag into the conditioning product and rub it all over the outside of your leather gloves. Continue rubbing down the gloves until they’re completely covered. Before you put your gloves back on, read the instructions for your leather conditioner and see if the product needs time to soak into the leather. This will make the gloves softer, which will make the material more flexible to the shape of your hand. If you don’t have leather conditioner on hand, try using saddle soap instead.

Repeat this process twice a year to keep your gloves in good condition. Blot alcohol or rub conditioner into the leather to keep them soft and comfortable, which will make the gloves easier to stretch and fit. Depending on how often you use the gloves, try to treat them at least two times each year.