How To Dry a Leather Wallet

by Albert Varkki updated 10-29-2024

A wet leather wallet can cause you a great deal of worry, but there are steps you can take to try and reverse or limit the damage if your wallet has come into contact with too much water.

Act quickly

Take action as soon as you discover that your wallet needs to try out.
Take it out of the water source or laundry machine immediately.
The longer your wallet remains wet, the bigger the risk of permanent damage.
The contents could be damaged, as well as the wallet.

Take the contents out

Empty the wallet as quickly as possible.
Take out cards, cash, receipts and anything else and lay them on a dry surface to stop them from being exposed to more moisture.
This also enables you to dry each item independently.

Pat dry the wallet with a towel

Pat the exterior of the wallet gently using a clean, absorbent towel.
Don’t rub too vigorously, as this could cause further damage.
Try to soak up as much of the moisture as you can.

Use rice or silica gel packs

Put your damp leather wallet in a ziplock bag or a container filled with silica gel packs or uncooked rice.
Close the container or bag.
The silica gel or rice should absorb the water from the wallet's interior.
Keep the wallet inside the bag or container for 24-48 hours.

Air dry

Once you’ve removed the wallet from the silica gel or rice, let it air dry in a well-ventilated area.
Don’t use artificial heat sources like hairdryers because these can warp or damage the leather.

Condition your wallet

If your wallet has been in a washing machine, the natural oil may have been leached from your wallet due to the harsh chemicals.
Use a high-quality conditioning balm that’s been designed specifically for leather (we recommend this Premium Leather Cream).
Massage the balm into the leather.
Leave the oil to enrich the material.
Your wallet might require two to three treatments before the leather regains its smooth texture.

Put everything back together

Once the wallet is completely dry, put the contents back inside it.
Check your cards and cash to see if they have been damaged.
Get your cards replaced if they have sustained too much damage and you can’t use them or experience difficulty doing so.
If the wallet has shrunk, then it may be more difficult to fit the old cards back in (but this should ease over time).

If your wallet is still not ok, then consider buying a new leather wallet from Von Baer, all handmade from the highest quality full-grain Italian leather, like the Classic Bifold wallet below:

Can money survive after being machine-washed?

Most retailers will still accept your damaged cash if it’s only a little wrinkled and you aren’t using much of it.

However, detergent and heat can destroy its security features, which means it’s likely to be recycled once it reaches a bank.

If you try to pay with too much-damaged cash, it may not clear security checks and could be rejected.

Will credit and debit cards survive a washing machine?

As credit and debit cards are manufactured from plastic cards, you could presume that they won’t be impacted by going through a washing machine.

Unfortunately, they can become damaged due to detergent, heat, and tumbling.

These can make the processing chip inside your card unusable.

The card could also start peeling. If it’s been folded, started peeling, or bent, it won't work. Contact your issuer for a new card as soon as you can.

If your card appears fine, try it at a local store. Take another form of payment with you so you’re covered if it doesn’t work.

Can a driver’s license survive machine-washing?

Paper licenses are very unlikely to survive machine-washing. Chances are you’ll need to order a replacement if your license has gone through a washing machine.

However, plastic driver’s licenses do tend to survive this process. If your plastic license has been machine-washed, dry it with a soft cloth.

You should be able to carry on using the license if the plastic hasn’t started to separate.

Can gift cards survive a washing machine?

Some gift cards can survive the machine-washing process. However, there’s a chance that the magnetic strip could have been damaged by heat or detergent leaving the card unswipable.

Thankfully, many gift cards still have numbers that you can enter manually when shopping with the retailers in question. This means you can still make purchases even if your gift card has been damaged.

What to do if my leather wallet has been through a dryer?

If your wallet has been through both the washer and the dryer, it could be damaged beyond repair.

The extreme heat from a dryer can cause the leather to wrinkle and crack.

You could try to clean and condition it, but you will likely need to replace it once it has been through a dryer.

If it's damaged beyond repair, shop a new wallet at the links below:

Final Thoughts: Dry and Condition

The best course of action is to not get your wallet wet, and keep it out of the washing machine, but we all know mistakes do happen!

By acting quickly and re-conditioning the leather, you can do your best to save your favorite leather wallet.

If you have any questions, feel free to leave them in the comments, or contact info@vonbaer.com.

You can read our related wallet articles by following the links below:

Author: Albert Varkki

Albert Varkki is the co-founder of Von Baer. He understands leather products as a consumer, supplier, and a manufacturer, helping you with the inside knowledge you need, to choose the perfect leather product for you.

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