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A Comprehensive Guide to Care for Your Leather Bags

Genuine leather is a luxurious material highly coveted the world over, especially in the case of handbags. The beautiful products we see and fall in love with are often the result of a laborious process involving deep skill at each step. That’s the reason leather purchases are sometimes referred to as investments. And as all investments, they need to be well looked after. Leather’s organic roots further underscore the importance of a dedicated maintenance ritual, which is at the heart of the rest of this post.

Common Causes of Leather Damage:

    Water is a major culprit. A general rule of thumb is to keep your leather miles away from water – ok, that’s to convey that leather and water do not go well together. It’s true for any organic matter; moisture can cause it to rot. In fact, leather can be affected by either dry or wet rot. As Ehow defines, “Dry rotting results when the oils of the leather evaporate, causing the fibers to dry out and pull apart from one another. The evaporation of oil causes the leather to become weak and possibly crack or break as a result.”
    Wet rot, on the other hand is when the “leather possesses too much moisture As a result, fungus, mold, and mildew infest the leather and cause it to actively deteriorate. It occurs as a result of improper storage in wet or humid environments” as German-Helmets puts it aptly.
    Prevention:
      Dry Rot: Conditioning your leather regularly would keep dry rot in check. This helps to maintain lubrication amongst its fibres.

      Wet Rot: In humid weather conditions, you could use dehumidifiers or moisture-absorbent pouches. In rains, in addition to the moisture, the sulphur content present in the air can cause further abrasion. Hence, it is best to save your leather bags for sunny days or if you must take them out, ensure you waterproof them with a suitable product.

Leather Rot
Leather Rot
    Heat could sometimes induce dry rot. It also has the effect of fading the leather out. In fact, ultraviolet rays from direct sunlight can cause permanent chemical damage. Remember to keep your bags in a cool place without moisture and intense light.

    Dust can cause minor abrasions on the surface. The bottom is most susceptible to this. Hence, metal feet are ideal to protect bags from the bottom.

Cleaning:

    Maxwell Scott says, “To be honest, really good leather bags rarely need cleaning. With the best leather, minor scratches and scrapes can be buffed out with good old spit and polish!”

    Ensure to check with the store when you buy, about any specific cleaning process. They are usually the best commenters about the upkeep of the bag. However, general cleaning guidelines are common to all types of leather.

    Ehow explains the three main types of leather very beautifully – “Leather is comprised of two layers. The bottom layer of leather is called the split layer, and the upper layer is called the top grain. The top grain layer of leather previously contained the epidermis and hair follicles of the animal. Full grain leather has not had the top grain removed, as opposed to top grain or corrected leather, which has been sanded and buffed to appear smooth and without imperfections.”

    • Any spills are to be immediately attended to by using a soft damp cloth to absorb the liquid away and by using a dry soft cloth to buff away any dry remains.

    • A plethora of cleaning materials is available such as Astonish Leather Cleaner & Polish from Snapdeal.com.

    • Always let leather dry naturally. Don’t get creative here by trying to use hair dryers! 🙂

    • Most leading leather bag manufacturers have professional cleaning services for a small fee. Go for them when unsure or if you do not have the time for elaborate care.

Clean with soft, dry cloth
Clean with soft, dry cloth

Storage:

    • You’d do your precious pieces a world of good by never storing them in plastic bags. Plastic is a fertile ground for mildew formation.

    • Leather bags most often come with their dust bags and they are the most ideal for storage.

    • Filling it up with butter paper is another best practice as it helps the bag to retain its shape and not crinkle at the corners. Usage of newspapers to stuff is discouraged as there is a slight risk the newsprint might smear the inner lining. You can the ones available at StationeryShop.in.

    • Do not ignore the metal fittings – protect them from rubbing against each other and also against the leather by wrapping it in tissue paper.

Leather Cleaners
Leather Cleaners

Image Source: Myntra, Jabong

Conditioning:

    • Condition your leather at least twice a year to keep it supple. The idea is to ensure there is lubrication among its fibres and prevent dry rot from setting in. You can condition more frequently to keep its lustre intact.

    • Again, you’d find plenty of variety, for example the Woly products available at Myntra.

    • Beeswax creams are the best for conditioning as well as waterproofing.

    • Conditioners should only be applied after the leather is completely dry (after the cleaning step).

General Tips:

    • This is something we can easily overlook, but Kate from handbags.lovetoknow.com has an important point: “Store makeup in a separate pouch: Because leather is prone to staining, it’s smart to keep potentially damaging items isolated in your bag. Invest in a cosmetic pouch to carry your essential makeup, as well as a pencil case for writing implements that could leak.” Simple, yet making complete sense! She also cautions to keep your leather bag at a safe distance in parlours where styling products are often sprayed, sending them in all directions.

    • Kate has another good observation: “Don’t overstuff your bag: It’s always tempting to add one more item to your handbag, but routinely overstuffing your leather bag can permanently alter its shape. Limit yourself to the essentials to help preserve your handbag’s lovely contours. Additionally, avoid carrying too many heavy objects, since strain on the handles of your back can eventually lead to stretching or tearing of the leather.” I think most of us can relate to this one – over a period of time, all sorts of needless things get piled up in the bag, putting a strain not only on the leather but also on our shoulders, neck and back!

    • Minor scratches can be set right with a leather cleaner. Kristine explains the correct way to do it, “Pour a little bit of the leather care onto the cloth and gently buff it into the leather, moving in the direction of the scratch. Essentially, you are trying to get the roughed-up layers of leather to lay down again, so make sure to move over the scratch in the right direction.”

Bear in mind to exercise utmost caution when cleaning leather, using only manufacturer-approved products and testing the product in a small corner to check for any adverse reaction.

All images are linked back appropriately to their owners.
Featured Image courtesy: Livingstone Design

About the author

Vidya Gupta

Mother to three lovely boys and wife of a banking professional, I am extremely passionate about a host of topics, bags being one of them. For the record, the others are - makeup, travel, photography, in no particular order. Here I share my perspective on the Indian as well as the international bag-scene. As a youngster I would spend most of my money on bags and carry one according to my outfit. It is this love that I express through this blog. Needless to say, any suggestions for improvement, even healthy criticisms, are highly encouraged. Hope you enjoy your stay here and find something useful to help you on your next bag purchase!

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