Dye bleed on deerskin gloves

Pulling off a fresh pair of gloves to find blackened hands is troubling — it's happened to most of us more than once.

Why it happens

In hot or humid riding conditions, nearly all leather gloves are susceptible to bleeding. Some are worse than others; our deerskin usually isn't bad, but it's not immune.

The bio-chemistry of salt and oils in your sweat actually draws dye out of the leather fibers and transfers it to your skin. Everyone's chemistry is a little different, which is why two riders can wear the same gloves and one stains and one doesn't.

How to fix it

Deerskin can be hand-washed and air-dried. Wash the gloves in warm water with a gentle detergent like Woolite — you don't need much. Gently work the leather while they're soaking. Rinse thoroughly, squeezing the water out without twisting (twisting over-stresses the stitching).

Repeat the wash if needed — sometimes it takes two or three rounds. Then let them air dry. Don't use a clothes dryer.

Once dry, they should be back to behaving themselves.