Leather Care Project: How do we take care of our bags?

Official cover photo of Leather Care Project

I buy a bag when there is something major to celebrate, which usually brings out the feeling of empowerment. In terms of frequency, I buy once a year only, so I do not end up with a lot of bags that I would not be able to use after a while.  I love bags.  They bring me joy, but owning too many bags at once is borderline clutter. 

I make an inventory of my bags twice a year.  This was also the time I would bring a bag to a bag spa for deep cleaning - one bag after the other.  After several years, I opened my own bag spa business - Leather Care Project. I never thought that my love for bags could become the start of an entrepreneurial journey - but this is one story all together.  

Again, bags.  I don't baby my bags.  I use them, and I use them well.  They are exposed to elements, including harmful germs.  Keep it a habit to clean and disinfect your bags the right way - this prolongs the useful life of your bags.  You and the people around you (especially at home) benefit from the practice of keeping harmful germs away from your precious bags.  

For bag collectors, or people who oftentimes receive bags as gift, bag rotation can be a challenge. The longer you keep the bags in storage, the more vulnerable they are to the unpleasant effects of humidity; molds and mildew included.  We live in a tropical country where humidity is almost always high. If the bags are stored, to the point they are not readily visible to you, you tend to forget about them until the next spring cleaning.  Post-spring cleaning, you just hope the defects you discovered can be fixed at a reasonable fee.  Here is a big realization for a bag hag like me: there comes a time when I need to let go of a bag.  Letting go means handing it over to my niece, or selling it in the pre-loved handbag market.  It is like giving the bag a second chance to become a source of joy, or you giving joy to another bag lover. When you let go of a bag or two, it also means making space for a new one.  Our choice of bag styles also changes over time. 

In simple terms, how do we take care of our bags?  

1.  Use your bags.  Use them well.  They will age well. 

2.  Air your bags regularly, but do not expose it to direct sunlight.  This is ideally done once a week, but our busy lives could probably allow once a month.    Good ventilation is healthy for your handbag.  

3.  Wipe your handbag clean with a soft cotton cloth.  An old cotton t-shirt can do the trick.  For suede, use a suede brush or soft-bristled toothbrush.   For fabric, a soft-bristled toothbrush or horse hairbrush can prevent dust from settling into the fibers.  

Leather Care Project uses all-natural horse hairbrush from Germany.

4.  Make sure that your bag is dry before you keep it in a dust bag.  This is to avoid (excessive) moisture build up while in storage.  Excessive moisture is a breeding place for molds or mildew.  Brush the lining using a soft brush to shake off dirt or dust.  

From Leather Care Project's file:  A fabric bag with (unwanted) mildew.  Mildew can be prevented.  Once mildew starts to spread on your bag, consult a handbag cleaning and restoration expert. 

From Leather Care Project's file:  The clean and disinfected version.  No more mildew and stains after deep cleaning. 

5.  Store your bag in a dust bag.  One bag is to one dust bag.  No dust bag, no problem.  A soft pillow case can work as an alternative. Avoid storing leather bags in plastic.  Leather is skin.  Skin must be able to breathe. 

Storage tip for hardware:  Wrap detachable hardware separately.  In case the hardware tarnishes overtime, its dark color will not transfer to the adjacent fabric or leather. 

6.  To maintain the shape of your bag, use a stuffer when storing.  DIY stuffer:  bundle clean, white bond papers; wrap in white Japanese paper. Tape the ends to hold the paper bundle in place.

7.  Avoid spilling solvent on your bag.  Solvent may cause the bag's color to bleed. 

8.  When leather becomes sticky, refer to Tip #2, and then store your bag in a cooler room.  Do not place it right next to other bags to avoid color transfer.  Observe. If stickiness persists, consult a handbag cleaning expert.  

9.  If you must purchase a cleaning or polishing product, it has to be intended for the type of materials of your bag (example:  smooth leather / patent (shiny layer) / suede or nubuck / fabric).  Read the label before purchasing.  

10.  If you must apply any product to your bag, do a spot test in a hidden section of the bag.  Check the material's reaction to the product before applying it to the entire bag. 

For more information about handbag cleaning and restoration, visit our Leather Care Project page in Facebook and Instagram (@leathercareproject).  

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Leather Care Project offers professional cleaning and restoration services for your handbags and shoes.  We have thriving online presence through Facebook and Instagram, and our studio is located south of Manila.    We provide free online assessment through our Facebook page.  Handbag pick-up and delivery processes are done through 3rd party courier, or scheduled appointment in Makati, BGC, and MOA central business districts.  

Leather care project: Bally patent handbag and patent leather 101

A patent leather handbag is a lovely thing.  If you happen to own one, your patent handbag is your go-to bag for the rainy season.  It's fabulous, glossy exterior seems to repel rain without much effort.  However, during prolonged season of high humidity, especially if you live in the tropics, the patent develops an undesirable, sticky feel.  Patent leather does not hold an excellent track record when dealing with heat and humidity. 

By the way, patent also goes by the term 'vernis'.  

A highly humid environment can make the patent glue melt, resulting to overall stickiness of the leather.  Yes, this thing happens.  When it does, your precious handbag becomes  more susceptible to color transfer from other bags or fabrics; or you may also find the patent bag staining other bags in your closet.  In a scenario like this, prevention is far better than cure.  

Here are some basic tips on how to take care of your patent handbags; also applicable to patent shoes:

1.  Air your patent bag regularly.  Don't just lock it in your closet for months.  Chances are, if you have so many bags, there is a tendency that you will forget about the bags that are silently aging in your closet.

2.  Wipe your handbag clean with a soft cotton cloth.  An old cotton t-shirt can also do the trick.  Make sure your bag is dry before you keep it in the dust bag.

3.  Store your bag in a dust bag. No dust bag? A soft pillow case may also double as a dust bag.

4.  To retain the shape of your bag, use a stuffer when storing your bag. 

5.  Avoid spilling any form of solvent on your bag.  Solvent may cause the color to bleed. 

6.  When the patent becomes sticky, refer to Tip # 2, and then store your bag in a cool, dry place, and observe if the stickiness will disappear.  

7.  If you must apply a leather cleaner on your patent handbag; cleaner must be intended for patent or vernis.  DO test it first on a hidden portion of your bag, before you apply it to the entire bag. 

Here is one of my recently completed leather care projects, featuring a Bally patent handbag. 

BEFORE:  very sticky patent; discoloration - from white to yellow, ink stains and color transfer.  After cleaning the bag, the discoloration and most of the stains were deemed permanent.  

PROCESS:  clean, disinfect, recolor

OUTPUT:  patent with deep red hue

For more before-and-after photos, visit our Facebook and Instagram pages @leathercareproject.  

Leather care project: Tory Burch patent sneakers

You found a perfect pair of sneakers for an overcast kind of weather. The purchase was justified.  It was not a splurge, but a good buy because its style is versatile.  You can even wear it to complete your smart casual ensembles. It's a pair of Tory Burch patent sneakers. ❤😍👌

➤  Soft patent leather that wicks away water (good for drizzles, but not for torrential rain)
➤  White rubber sole - a crowd favorite for a few (fashion) seasons now
➤  Made for walking; won't hurt your feet - a quality that Tory Burch shoes are known for 

A few weeks later, you found out that... 

➤  Its white sole already turned grey because of dust and dirt.  No matter how you tried cleaning it at home, the stain won't disappear.  You couldn't wash it clean and tumble dry, because the shoes are partly made of leather.  😲😨😢

➤  So you brought the pair to two of the bigger handbag/shoe cleaning chains in the city.  They won't accept your shoes for cleaning - they just told you, "the materials tend to get filthy just like that.  There's nothing we can do about it." 

Then you just asked yourself: 1) why?; 2) what now?  

The solution... 

This is not a close-ended article.  In fact, we want to share there is hope for this type of shoes - we can clean and disinfect both leather and rubber to (help) add more mileage to this posh pair.  Here are the "before-and-after" photos straight out of our leather care project studio. ❤😍👌

BEFORE:  Leather is still in good condition, but the rubber sole showed dirt and deep stains.

WORK-IN-PROGRESS:  Clean and disinfect shoes by part.  Rubber and leather must be cleaned separately. 

AFTER:  More mileage ahead!  

For more information, visit us at Facebook - Leather Care Project, or at Instagram: @leathercareproject

Leather care project: make this ALDO pair great again!

Just like any other quality products, genuine leather shoes are meant to stand seasons of use (and abuse) given the right care.  It's rather common that the leather remains intact, while the rest of the shoes start to show some wear-and-tear.  We simply love wearing a pair of soft leather shoes, because they are so comfy and classically stylish.

The thing with soft leather is that, it tends to be sensitive.  It easily absorbs dirt and water.  It is also prone to scratching - but we still love it anyway because of its versatility and usefulness. There is no stopping that wear-and-tear process, but we can extend its useful life through proper cleaning and use of care products.  

Here is a pair of (very) soft leather Aldo shoes, originally in cognac.  This is the type that you would love bringing or wearing while traveling - and you could only wish to extend its 'useful life'. In hindsight, it might even make you think about buying two pairs next time you see something very close to it, if not better.  

Leather care project's objective:  make this Aldo pair great again!  😊

Before: stained, faded, dry leather.  It won't help you achieve that over-all polished look you've always wanted.

Process:  

1.  Clean using the right products and applicator for this type of leather - interior and exterior.

2.  Disinfect

3.  Condition

4.  Waterproof

5.  Shine 

6.  Store properly 

Tips: 

➤  Air your shoes before storing it, to keep molds and odor-causing germs at bay.  

➤ Think twice before applying dye or paint on sensitive leather.  This could be the fastest way to achieve your goal, but it may cause the leather to crack sooner.  

After:  objective achieved!  😊❤👍

For more information, visit us on Facebook - Leather Care Project.