How To Disinfect A Used Purse

Knowing how to make clean a leather handbag *without ruining it* is a useful #lifehack that will serve you lot well for years to come. Whether you lot've invested in a designer piece or yous've picked up a steal on the high street, leather bags are designed to stand the examination of time. And we're all for looking later on our honey way items and extending their life. Let'southward face up it, nosotros can't all have unlimited funds for shopping sprees like the Kardashian/Jenner clan.

Then, we're here to provide you with *all* the info on how to clean your purse in detail. From step-by-footstep explainers of how to remove liquid stains and odours, to the best tips for protecting and storing your piece to keep it in tip-tiptop condition, who better to ask about leather care than the experts at The Handbag Dispensary?

Specialising in designer pocketbook care and restoration, here, they interruption downwardly the most valuable advice on caring for your leather purse - including what to do, and common mistakes to avoid.

How to clean your leather purse

While you might honey the idea of taking your bag to a specialist to be pampered and cleaned every month, for many of usa, that's non very realistic. Only in that location are many steps you can have at home to keep your pride and joy in tip-elevation shape between specialist appointments. Here, Charlotte Staerck, the Retail Director and Co-founder of The Handbag Clinic shows us how to give your purse a quick refresh with their Leather Care Kit. (Information technology's a lot cheaper than a monthly clean, trust.)

Start by cleaning the bag inside and outside, creating a cream with the cleaning solution, and massaging it into the bag.
Leave to dry out for a couple of minutes before applying the protection cream. Take actress care with the handles, corners, and ofttimes touched areas. You then exit this to dry out for 10 minutes before buffing off whatsoever backlog.
This process takes no more than than xv minutes and could save you a fortune on restoration treatment in the future - information technology volition also keep the value in your bag, getting the most out of your purchase.
If yous have a light-coloured handbag or if it's a very absorbent leather, you may want to repeat the protection process a couple of times to actually look later those easily stained leathers.
If y'all don't accept time to do the full purse, focus on the main areas such equally the handles. Giving them a quick wipe downwardly will keep them looking fresh for longer.

"Having the right cleaning and protective products on paw at dwelling is essential for optimum maintenance," Charlotte says. "Our intendance kits come with everything you lot need including sponges, cloths, and a castor in the suede kit and then yous have all the tools required to continue your numberless looking not bad."

The Handbag Clinic

Leather Care Kit, £19.95

The Bag Clinic handbagclinic.co.united kingdom of great britain and northern ireland

How to remove liquid stains from a leather bag

"The most common issue nosotros see at The Handbag Clinic is a liquid stain on a bag," explains Charlotte. "Well-nigh items in luxury fashion are fabricated from lightly treated leathers for their luxurious butter-soft feel. Nonetheless, this means they are very absorptive. As bags are used outside and inside, they are prone to coming into contact with common liquids such as rainwater, beverages, perfume leaks and, believe it or not, pilus dyes."

"Always protect your handbag when taking it to the salon as dye splashes are i of the most common liquid stains we treat. As always, prevention is amend than a cure, and upfront protection is the best way to avert a spillage/accidental marking becoming an actual stain."

Charlotte continues: "Obviously, accidents do happen though, so if you accidentally stain your bag there are some steps you tin follow to reduce the staining and ensure this causes as little impairment as possible."

Note: Exercise not utilize water or any cleaning products you may have to paw - you will but make the staining worse.

Start by blotting the stained area as soon as possible with a clean, dry cloth or tissue. Yous want to absorb every bit much of the liquid as possible.
Once you lot have removed the backlog liquid, you should then blot the stained surface area with a damp cloth or tissue using warm water only.
Start at the outside of the stain and work inwards. This will stop the stain from spreading outwards. If you take ane of our Handbag Intendance Kits, you should clean the stained area with the cleaner in the kit.
As before, you lot should then keep to dab the stained area with a dry material or tissue to absorb any left-over water or cleaner. Never rub the stained expanse as this can cause the stain to spread.
Your handbag is best left to dry in a warm room. Do not apply heat directly to the stained surface area as this can set the stain.

If whatever staining remains once dried, you tin contact The Handbag Dispensary for a quote. Their stain removal services starting time at simply £50.

Things to remember when cleaning your leather handbag

Tiptop tips from the pros:

Stick to a proper cleaner

Never use baby wipes, vinegar, or whatsoever other 'home remedy' for cleaning or stain removal. Many of these products have chemicals and substances in them that can crusade harm to the colour, dry the leather out, create a build-upward of grease, and whatsoever number of other problems.

E'er spot-test a cleaning method before using information technology

Preferably somewhere on the inside of the bag that tin't be seen by prying eyes.

The cardinal to removing ink marks is to care for them straight away

Your beginning and best bet is to take your bag to see a professional as soon as possible. If yous're unable to, try a special ink removing production for leather and follow the intendance instructions, making certain to status the area later on and leave information technology to dry properly.

If the ink stains are former...

Don't try to remove these yourself. They will probable be as well stubborn and will need professional care.

How to remove odours from a leather bag

"Removing bacteria is the get-go step to removing stubborn odours, so the bag needs to be cleaned inside and exterior," says Charlotte. "Many people retrieve that they only demand to expect at the inside of their bag, but both demand to be thoroughly cleaned to remove odour." She explains how you lot tin can do this yourself:

Check the materials used on your lining and exterior and ensure y'all have the right products for all materials used on your item.
If yous accept a lining that easily pulls out of the handbag, take it out and give it a really thorough make clean.
Go into all pockets to clear out the bacteria that volition exist causing the odor.
Focus on the handles and places oils may have been absorbed - these can exist a cause of odours.
Once cleaned, finish with protection cream on the bag (our version is actually scented with a rich leather smell to help reduce any unwanted odours). On fabrics, a textile freshening spray will help. Nevertheless, do not saturate the cloth or y'all may gamble warping the bag or damaging whatever leather or metalwork.

What not to practice when cleaning a leather bag

Height tips from the pros:

Never use water on grease stains

These should simply wipe off leather surfaces.

Do non utilise saddle lather

Information technology'll most probable be besides strong for the leather on your pocketbook and could cause discolouring.

Don't go out your handbag in direct sunlight

It can crusade the colour to fade and damage the leather.

Avoid holding your purse if you've just applied handcream

Or you're just Request for grease stains.

Exercise you lot need to protect your leather handbag?

"Prevention is the place to start when thinking well-nigh a bag's condition", says Charlotte. In fact, she says this pace is the virtually important affair you tin can do for your bag.

"Clean and protect it regularly. Leather is a skin and needs its own kind of skincare regime too! We recommend that yous protect your bag from mean solar day ane."

She continues: "You will then need to keep on peak of information technology - keeping a bag looking peachy is well-nigh regular maintenance rather than a quick set up."

"Using helpful tools and tricks to avoid signs of wear will also keep your handbag looking new for as long as possible. Bag pillows are as well a great manner to go on your numberless structured while existence stored, and a bag claw will allow you to avoid placing your pocketbook on floors - the claw folds out to fit on most tables and bar areas."

What you need to protect your leather handbag

"At its nearly bones level, the must-have for every handbag is a brand-upwardly purse and a pen lid. Throwing makeup brushes, a smashed powder, lipstick that loses its lid, or an open pen causes the bag to become heavily stained on the interior. Makeup and ink are some of the hardest stains to remove from material due to the high oil content. This means the interior of your bag needs protecting but as much as the exterior."

Charlotte advises buying Stain Cover simply in case your bag gets messy: "At the Bag Clinic y'all can insure up to 15 handbags against stains for a small fee per month."

How oftentimes y'all should clean your leather pocketbook?

Perchance not surprisingly, the regularity with which you need to clean your bag depends on how often y'all use it.

"If you utilise the bag every twenty-four hours you lot should do this every 2 to three months. If it is more of a weekend bag or when you are heading out for special occasions, every six to nine months volition be plenty to keep your detail protected."

Tin can you prevent or fix whatsoever scratches on the hardware?

We might sound like your Grandma, but it'due south truthful - prevention is much better than a cure. Hardware harm on a bag can be due to also much stress on the strap/southward or details (due east.chiliad. overfilling your purse, or using information technology to deport heavy items).

"Whilst we all feel we need to acquit a lot around with us in our handbags, nosotros demand to recall that they are a fashion accessory and not designed to carry a huge load," explains Charlotte.

"If you have a turn-lock or whatsoever closure that requires some course of press or turning action and you lot struggle to close it because you lot have too much in your handbag, information technology'southward likely that you volition be putting too much pressure on it. This causes friction, scratching and potentially risks the metalwork breaking. The same applies if you lot overload a handbag with a chain handle or strap. The more pressure on the chain, the quicker it will become worn or broken."

"You tin can continue metalwork looking fresh with a uncomplicated metal smooth just yous demand to avoid this coming into contact with the remainder of the bag.

Information technology'southward particularly important to look after any designer logo hardware because once these custom plates and details are damaged, they're a lot harder to replace.

We can source or supplant a vast range of broken metalwork merely... we are unable to source branded pieces, and so y'all demand to be extra conscientious with any branded metalwork elements," adds Charlotte.

"For worn or scuffed metalwork, re-plating is a great selection every bit information technology comprises the required composition of metals. Some branded metalwork is just thinly plated, which means it tin be difficult to become loftier enough levels of conduction to re-plate it."