Bags and other leather products
Everyday Care
Looking after your leather goods starts with day-to-day care. By following just a few simple rules, you can avoid unnecessary wear and tear and extend the life of your accessories for years:
- Leather is a skin, and it can stretch. Avoid overfilling your handbag, purse or wallet to maintain its original silhouette
- Take extra care with leather items you use often. Take the time each week to wipe away dust and spots with a soft cloth or brush
- Scratches can detract from a flawlessly crafted piece. Take care to avoid contact with heavily embellished clothes, sharp surfaces, or chunky jewellery when you are out and about.
- Wet leather requires extra care, so if rain is forecast, remember to take an umbrella
Storage
You may be asking yourself how should I store my handbags? Storing your leather appropriately is one of the easiest ways you can prevent damage and maintain a high-quality finish:
- Store leather away from direct sunlight as this can cause fading
- Store handbags in a dust bag to avoid scratches
- Avoid using plastic bags, they prevent good ventilation
- Store leather away from artificial sources of heat, e.g. radiators can cause leather to dry and crack
Specific Products
Everyday care and thoughtful storage will go a long way in maintaining the life of your favourite leather accessories, however specific products may require different care techniques.
Handbags
Although it’s tempting to leave our handbags packed with our daily essentials ready for the next day, instead take the time to empty them completely to avoid warping. Once empty, you can maintain the handbag’s silhouette by gently filling it with plain, acid-free tissue paper.
If you are planning to leave your bag in storage for an extended period – until next season, for example – you might also like to take the time to wrap hardware such as zips and clasps in tissue paper to avoid them creating any unwanted imprints on your leather.
The next stage is to cover your bag, preferably in the dust bag in which it arrived with – these are cut to the right size to avoid squashing and warping. If you no longer have the original dust bag, a white cotton pillowcase can be an ideal substitute – avoid using a coloured fabric to avoid the colour transferring.
Once covered, place your covered handbag away from direct sunlight and artificial sources of heat. Be sure to stand it on its base rather than hanging it up, as this can stretch the handles. Additionally, take care to choose a spot that is tall enough to allow the handles to stand up unimpeded. Doing otherwise can cause them to become bent or misshapen.
When you have taken such care with your handbag at home, it is important to extend the consideration to other environments. Invest in a handbag hook to keep your bags safe and away from dirty, rough floors and surfaces.
How to Clean and Maintain Your Leather Goods
Dos and Don’ts
- Do regularly clean leather with a soft brush or cloth
- Do regularly air out leather
- Do blot away water or moisture as soon as possible
- Do dry wet leather naturally, away from artificial heat
- Do keep leather supple with a specialised leather conditioner every 3-6 months
- Do clean spots and stains with a mixture of soap flakes and warm water
- Do use a steam cleaner to disinfect and remove buildup from regular use
- Do test any conditioners, cleaners, polishes or wax in a hidden spot beforehand
- Don’t machine wash leather
- Don’t get leather wet wherever possible
- Don’t dry wet leather next to a radiator or with a hairdryer
- Don’t tumble dry leather
- Don’t iron leather
- Don’t immerse leather in water to clean
Maintenance
Leather is loved for its visual nuances; varying textures, delicate shifts in tone, slowly developing patinas and subtle signs of a life well-loved. When working with such a versatile and multi-faceted material, the maintenance choices you make can shape the appearance of your leather goods for years to come; allowing you to truly tailor them to your individual style.
Polishing leather, for instance, maintains its original shine. This process is ideal for high gloss, formal or eveningwear accessories which you would like to keep in pristine condition. You may prefer, however, to allow more casual, functional pieces such as duffel bags or hobo bags to weather and develop their own unique characteristics. In this case, regular dusting and a simple wipe with a damp cloth from time to time will certainly suffice.
Smooth, fine and patent leathers will benefit from a soft leather cream to nourish, hydrate and preserve their supple qualities. Gentle creams and conditioners may also be used to remove light scratches. Where bright colours are concerned, polish can be used to spot buff scratches and scuffs, while specialist colour restoring balms are ideal for a full rejuvenation.
Cleaning Different Types of Leather
Each leather is different and must be cleaned and cared for according to their individual qualities.
Black/Ebony
Black and ebony leather is forgiving in that the dark colour can hide a multitude of sins. However, it is still important to clean and care for your black leather goods. Regular soft brushing and semi-regular cleaning with a damp cloth will keep your accessories in good shape.
Cream/Ivory
Leather in lighter tones is more susceptible to noticeable wear and tear. A white bag worn with indigo jeans, for instance, may be subject to colour transfer, so cleaning is essential to maintain a pristine finish.
Before cleaning, be sure to wipe away any dust with a soft cloth. Subtle marks may be buffed away with a solution of soap flakes and warm water but tougher stains will need a little more work. Methylated spirits or rubbing alcohol will work to remove ink stains, while absorbent powders such as corn starch or baking powder can be utilised to tackle oil and grease. Once your bag is clean, it is wise to apply a protective spray to safeguard against further marks or stains.
Deep shine/patent
Scuffs can interrupt the luxurious appeal of a patent or high shine accessory; however, they can be removed with little effort. If your patent bag, purse or accessory is looking a little dull, a wipe with a damp cloth may be all you need to remove dust and build up and restore the original shine.
If there are more concentrated scuffs to tackle, specially formulated patent leather cleaners are available. Alternatively, simple household items can also be very effective: Apply petroleum jelly or olive oil to the affected area with a soft cloth, leave for a few minutes then gently buff away.
Saffiano
Created with a stamping method, Saffiano leather has a signature textured finish. This cross-hatch texture coupled with the wax treatment makes it incredibly durable and stain resistant. To avoid damaging the specialised finish, only clean your Saffiano leather products with a soft damp cloth or a specific leather cleaning solution.
Smooth
Special care should be taken to preserve the finish of smooth leather. As such, it is important to avoid using abrasive cleaning methods.
Begin by brushing with a soft bristle brush and wipe away any excess dust or debris with a cotton or micro-fibre cloth. Next, nourish the surface with a gentle leather conditioner, taking care to test it on an inconspicuous spot beforehand.
Textured leather
When cleaning textured leathers such as lizard, pebble, and silk print, always be sure to work with the grain.
While standard cleaning methods such as soap and water and specialized leather cleaning solutions can be applied, it is important to thoroughly remove any product build up from grooves and crevices after cleaning. This can be achieved by gently buffing your products with a soft brush.
How to Clean Specialist Materials
Exotic and delicate leathers and materials must be cleaned with extra care to uphold their sumptuous nature.
Buffalo hide and snakeskin
Buffalo hide and snakeskin are coveted for their exquisite textures and should be carefully cleaned accordingly. Continuous friction may cause fur and scales to wear away, so take care to treat the surfaces gently with a non-abrasive cloth and work with the grain of the texture.
A damp cloth will remove dust and debris from snakeskin. However, do not oversaturate the skin with water and ensure you allow it to dry naturally, away from artificial heat.
Buffalo hide will require soft brushing in the direction of the fur to loosen any build-up of dirt. Once clean, store your buffalo and snakeskin accessories away from direct sources of heat.
Suede and nubuck
Water and oil can stain suede and nubuck, so dry cleaning methods are advisable.
Begin by using a suede brush to lift away any dust and dirt and, if a little extra help is required, apply a short burst of steam.
Light oily or greasy marks can be lifted out by applying cornflour overnight and gently brushing away the excess afterwards, while for tougher stains, it’s advisable to use a dedicated suede or nubuck cleaning solution.
Printed leather can be treated much like any other; dusted with a soft brush or cleaned with a damp cloth.
However, colour based balms and polishes should be avoided as they may alter the appearance of the print, and any conditioners or protective sprays should first be tested on an inconspicuous area such as a corner or under a pocket flap.
Velvet
Velvet is a sumptuous and luxurious fabric and should be treated with the utmost care.
Wet conditions should be avoided and water should not be used during the cleaning process, accidental spills can be blotted away with a clean, dry cloth. You may smooth the pile with a soft brush or the palm of your hand but ensure you do not vigorously rub the surface.
For stains and more thorough cleaning, we recommend using a professional dry-cleaning service.
How to Remove Deep Scratches
While faint scratches can be taken care of with a little polishing, deep scratches require further attention.
First, it’s important to carefully clean the area with a damp cloth and allow the surface to dry. Next, assess the surface. If the colour is scratched but the surface remains intact, buff the scratch with a soft dry cloth and slowly apply thin layers of a matching colour balm. Blot any excess and protect from further scratches with a leather protector.
When a scratch has compromised the surface, a leather filler should be used to restore the even finish before buffing and applying a colour balm. For particularly deep scratches that require filler, we recommend consulting leather repair specialist.