The Best Way to Clean a Designer Bag
When you’ve invested a lot of money in a handbag, making sure it’s a forever item is a must. But taking care of leather goods can be tricky. Ideally, the place to start is with prevention. Proper protection can prevent staining, grease penetration and can prevent all manner of issues later on.
We’ve included our top tips for keeping your leather handbags in the very best condition below:
Keep your bag stuffed while you’re not using it to help keep its shape better.
Never use water on grease stains these should simply wipe off leather surfaces.
For really stubborn stains, try matching a shoe polish to the colour of your bag and buffing a small amount over the affected area.
Use a professional leather cleaning agent on tougher dirt, these creams don’t need to be rinsed out which can damage your bag further. They might cost more, but the result will be so much more effective.
Wipe your bag once a week with warm, soapy water, mix a small amount of mild liquid soap to warm water and use a soft damp cloth to wipe away any dirt from the outside of your handbag. And always wipe with the grain of the handbag to avoid ruining the leather.
Never use baby wipes or any other home remedy for cleaning or stain removal. Many of these products have chemicals in them that can cause damage to the colour, dry the leather out and create a build up of grease in the leather.
The key to removing ink marks is to treat them straight away, your first and best bet is to take your bag to see a professional as soon as possible. If you’re unable to, try a special ink removing product for leather and follow the care instructions, making sure to condition the area afterwards and leave to dry properly. If the ink stains are old, don’t try to remove these yourself. They will likely be too stubborn and will need professional care.
And obviously, avoid holding your handbag if you’ve just applied hand cream.
If it came with a dust bag, use it. These aren’t just for pretty packaging, they are intended to keep your bags dust-free when they’re not being used. If you don’t have a dust bag an old pillowcase will do!
Never leave your handbag in direct sunlight, it can cause the colour to fade and damage the leather
To banish ever-lingering smells. Put an open container of baking powder carefully inside your bag. Place your bag into a dustbag or pillow case and leave for 24 hours. The baking powder should absorb any unwanted odours.
