The leather handbags are an iconic luxury item. They usually cost a lot, but you’ll be able to get your money’s worth. Leather is known to be both durable and beautiful at the same time. A leather handbag can even last decades with proper use and care. Leather is known to be durable, but just like every other material, it’s also vulnerable to damage. This is why it’s crucial to treat any leather handbag that you receive with care. If you’re looking into a long-term investment in a handbags, such as the Bidinis bags, here are the things that could help you maintain them:
Keep Your Hands Clean
Leather is known to be great with absorbing oils. Unless you want to darken and cause stained spots to your leather handbag, keep your hands clean especially when you’re touching your bag. When in contact with oil, it can attract dirt, ruining the quality of the leather and the appearance of the handbag itself.
If you accidentally touched your leather handbag with oil, wipe the surface with a damp white cotton cloth immediately. Make sure that you don’t put too much water as water takes a long to dry up and might cause further damage.
Moisturize Your Bag
Not only that your skin needs its daily moisturizing, your leather handbags require it, too. You can use a leather conditioner to keep your leather soft and avoid dryness and cracks. You should moisturize your bag once or twice a year depending on its status to keep it fresh. The number of moisturization varies on the condition the bag is exposed to. Moisturize as necessary.
Don’t Overstuff
As much as you need to bring so much stuff in your bag, don’t overstuff it – especially when it’s made of leather. When you overstuff your bag, it can lose its shape, thus ruining the appearance of the bag. Not only that you’ll be losing the contours, but you’ll also be putting a lot of pressure on the handles that might cause breakage especially with long-time use.
Provide Separate Pouch
No matter how tiring it can be, it’s always best practice to store your makeup in a separate pouch. This will help your bag to be in the best condition inside and out.
As we all know, makeup accidents happen. It’s when a lipstick case, powder, or even liquid foundation breaks into your bag. With a separate pouch, you’ll be able to save the insides of your bag from any damage – plus you get to save other stuff sitting in your bag. It’s also a great way to organize your stuff rather than having them spread out and have to dig into the end of your bag just to find your lipstick.
Aside from makeup products, you should also provide a separate case for your writing materials such as pens just in case of any issues of spillage of ink.
Keep Bag Away from Hair Products
When you’re getting your hair done, oftentimes your hairdresser will use hairspray or gel to keep hold of your hair. When this happens, keep your bag away from you so that your hairdresser won’t accidentally get any product on the leather.
Also, try to avoid sitting your bag in a salon chair as there might be a bit of hair formula left, which might cause irreplaceable damage to your leather bag.
Aside from hair products, lotions, alcohol, perfume, and spray deodorant don’t work well near leather as well.
Go for Protective Spray
If you just know that you’re a little bit clumsy and might cause harm to your leather handbags someday, consider getting a protective spray to protect your handbags from any unwanted spills. But before using them, make sure that you try them out first on a smaller piece of leather since they might change the color and texture of your handbag.
Clean Stains Immediately
When you see the first sign of stain, treat the spot immediately as it might cause more damage the longer you wait. In most cases, white chalk powder has helped remove food stains and blood from leather. All you have you do is to crush white chalk into a powder then let it sit on the stain overnight, then brush it off the next morning.
Use Leather Cleaner
Aside from keeping your handbags moisturized, you should keep them sparkly clean as well. You can purchase a leather cleaner that helps to keep your bags clean all the time. The cleaner is applied to the leather in a circular motion and allow it to sit for some time and is to be wiped off carefully with a slightly damp cloth.
Never use any products that contain alcohol or mineral oil as they are not made for leather and might cause damage instead.
Stuff the Bag Before Storing
If you ever need to put your bag in storage, you should stuff the bag with bubble wrap or tissue paper. You just need to make sure that you do enough stuffing that is not over or under stuffing. This will help in keeping your bags to retain its shape, allowing it to be in perfect condition for longer periods.
Store It Where It Can Breathe
When storing your bags, it’s highly recommended that you store it in a place it can breathe. Don’t store it in an enclosed box as it can trap moisture and thus damage the leather. Instead, cover the bag with a protective paper and store it on an open shelf for display or in a box with enough holes to breathe.
Conclusion
Caring for your leather handbag can truly be a handful. But, with proper care and maintenance, this handbag can turn to be a great investment in the long run. Always do preventive measures to keep your leather handbag in the best condition as long as possible. Moisturize and clean them once or twice a year to help retain its appearance. Along with this, avoid letting your handbag be in touch with prohibited liquids such as oils and alcohols.
Not only that the care guide mentioned above is applicable for handbags, they can also work well with any kind of bag, including leather backpacks.
When you purchase leather bags, you should prepare yourself with the care it needs. It can be a piece of work but it would be worth it for its timeless beauty that goes well with any occasion and any time of the day.
