How to Care for Your Leather Bags to Ensure its Durability

Fashion accessories are usually deemed incomplete without leather bags. Usually, most leather bags showcase high-quality feel, texture, and enchanting appearance. These bags are not reserved for regular use only but also considered suitable for making a style statement.

Meticulous care and maintenance are what you need to take into account to enhance your leather bag’s lifespan. The present article guides you on impactful tips you can follow for your leather bags to ensure their durability.

Significance of Caring Your Leather Bag

The below points justify why it is imperative to look after your leather bag:

• Dedicate enough effort and time in cleaning your leather bag on a daily basis. Withholding the integrity of a leather bag decreases the need for recurrent replacements.

• A properly cared leather bag would continue representing its natural sheen and also ensure you comfort during transportation.

• Cracking is the common phenomenon found if the leather dries out. The cracks severely affect the whole look of a leather bag and deform its structural integrity as well. Thus, routinely undertaking the maintenance of leather bags is indispensible.

• Humidity, grime, and other environmental dynamics can impair a leather bag. So, appropriate conditioning and cleaning reduce the risks of damage.

How to Care for Your Leather Bag?

Employing any or all of these tips can prolong the total lifespan of a leather bag.

1. Regularly eliminate grime and debris:  To ensure your leather bag upkeeps its natural beauty for a long, you must regularly remove debris and dirt. Begin by taking a microfiber, soft cloth, or a leather brush to effectively rub out dust or dirt accumulated on the bag’s surface.

This approach helps avoid dirt from amassing within the pores of the leather. If the dirt amasses into the pores, the discoloration can deteriorate the leather bag over time.

2. Wipe out spills promptly: It is vital to instantly wipe spills on your leather bag otherwise it would create more damage. You may not avoid spills but you can certainly wipe them off effectively. Through a damp cloth, you need to mildly blotch the spill. 

Remember not to scrub the spills else it could let the liquid penetrate inside and form stain(s). Promptly smearing out the spills can cut down the possibilities of enduring deterioration of the bag.

3. Conduct a colorfastness test: Applying cleaning products certainly helps you in effective care. But before applying, make sure to conduct a test for colorfastness. You can take a damp cloth and gently wipe it off on a tiny portion of your leather bag. 

Now check whether any color transfers to the fabric or not. If yes, then you need to approach professional leather cleaner to prevent further damage to the bag.

4. Remove the stains: 

It is the stains that can greatly deteriorate the beautiful appearance of any leather bags. Nevertheless, employing the proven tricks can help you discard such stains. Here are a few pointers aiding you to remove any kind of stains impinged on your leather bag.

• Oil/grease stains: Immediately blemish the stain using a clean cloth to absorb the oil content. Don’t’ scour oil/grease stains as they can extent further and worsen the look of the bag. Moreover, you can scatter talcum powder or cornstarch (in tiny quantity only) on the stained part.Then, let it stay there overnight to soak in the residual oil. On the following day, you can mildly wipe off the powder via a soft cloth.

• Ink stains: Drop acetone-free nail polish remover/antiseptic alcohol (in tiny quantity) on a soft cloth (or cotton swab). Make sure to gently wipe off the stained portion in a rotational movement until the ink is removed completely. Remember to test this solution on some interior portions of the bag to first ensure that it doesn’t create discoloration.

• Water stains: Water stains are common, and you can wipe them using a damp, clean cloth. Make sure your leather bag dries uniformly to avoid water spots. But if the stains don’t disappear, you can contact an expert customer service team for assistance.

5. Avoid cracking: 

Leather bags may develop cracking over time due to external factors. The following tips help you protect your leather bag against cracking.

• Since leather is susceptible to temperature variations, keep your leather bag far from direct sunlight, radiators, heaters, and any other heat source. If kept near the heat source, the bag can develop cracks. Besides, avoid keeping the bag in a freezing cold environment.

• Develop a habit of routinely using a leather conditioner to avoid drying issues. After completing the conditioning and cleaning, caring a leather bag is possible by letting the bag dry out completely. Now, store it in a safe place.

6. Polish the bag: 

Durability is easy to maintain if you retain the appearance of a leather bag. Try out some polishing tricks to refurbish its sheen for a long period. You can incorporate the below steps for polishing.

• Select a leather conditioner or polish whose color matches that of your bag. Don’t use shoe polishes or conditioners made of silicon because they can damage the bag.

• Gently apply the polish on the bag using a sponge or a soft cloth. Apply using circular motions. Make sure to properly apply the polish on the portions that are susceptible to wear and tear (like handles).

• Give a few minutes to let the polish absorb within the bag. Consequently, it will help the bag regain its natural sheen.

• Take a dry, clean cloth to gently wipe the affected portions in rotational motions to eliminate any excess polish.

7. Get professional cleaning assistance (if required): If not cared for regularly, a leather bag may be prone to excessive damage. Under such a case, you may need deep cleaning or repair from a professional cleaning service. The professional leather cleaners are experts at safely cleaning and restoring the sheen of your leather bag.

They can address minor repairs like hardware replacement and stitching. It is also essential to properly store your leather bag to ensure its long lifespan. Here are the corresponding tips:

Storage Tips for a Leather Bag

• Store your leather bag properly while not in use to maintain its shape. Don’t hang it for several days, as it can cause distortion or stretching. It is better to lay it flat or pack it with tissue paper to maintain its shape as it is.

• Avoid packing up a leather bag inside a plastic bag. Typically, plastic bags attract dampness and thus enable the growth of damaging factors like mold and mildew. One of the finest tricks is to pack a leather bag inside a fabric dust bag (with high breathability) to evade grime or dirt amassing on the bag’s surface. Besides, this trick also enables adequate air circulation.

Leather Cleaning Supplies You Can Use

If you develop a habit of using leather cleaning supplies, your leather bag can last a long time and retain its natural sheen for years.

• Leather Cleaner: Consider using mild leather cleaner to clean your leather bag regularly. This solution is uniquely formulated to remove dirt and stains without affecting the leather's natural sheen.

• Gentle-Bristled Brush: This kind of brush perfectly wipes off dust and dirt from a leather bag. Over and above eradicating debris, it even evades scratches and eventually protracts the lifespan of a leather bag.

• Leather Protectant: Damaging elements like stains, spills, etc. are commonly accumulated on a leather bag. To evade any such issues, you can put a leather protectant spray on your bag. Applying it will form a barrier that deters water and defends the bag against detrimental elements. Hence, it contributes to maintaining the durability and appearance of your leather bag.

•  Distilled water: You may have used a leather cleaner or soap to clean your leather bag. However, some cleaner still resides on the surface of the bag. You can use distilled water to rinse the bag after cleaning. It will help discard any residual soap bubbles or cleaner accumulated. The high purity of distilled water ensures that your leather bag appears new even after long-term usage.

Common Mistakes to Evade while Caring a Leather Bag

While caring a leather bag, make sure not to commit these common mistakes:

• Stay away from using harsh cleaners otherwise they can wane the leather and amend its natural texture as well. The excessive use of leather care supplies can be a sign of risk to your leather bag. If used excessively, they can make residue accumulation and hamper the breathability of your bag.

• Ignoring regular care is another common mistake. Specifically, high-quality leather bags need regular cleaning to upkeep their quality. Overlooking routine care can cause cracking, discoloration, drying, and other unanticipated concerns.

• Keep your leather bag far off from a place that is directly exposed to sunlight/ intense heat sources.

Conclusion:

Employing the discussed tricks contribute in retaining the durability of your leather bag that eventually makes your leather bag last long. At the first glimpse, it may look as if it is challenging to care a leather bag. Nevertheless, through the assistance of appropriate cleaning solutions and tricks, your leather bag would certainly last long.

Choosing suitable cleaning supplies, regular cleaning and conditioning, and following preventive measures will significantly help.