Cleaning a handmade leather bag is a simple task that, if not done properly, can damage your accessory.
Some of the tips you read on how to clean a leather bag suggest putting it in the washing machine with chemical products, or scrubbing it with a sponge, water and detergent.
Let me tell you something...
If you want to risk ruining your leather bag, those are the right methods!
Want to know why?
Prolonged contact with water during a machine wash or with a sponge could damage the leather and create halos and stains, while detergents are too aggressive and could dry out the leather too much.
How to clean a leather bag?
- First of all, you need to remove dust and surface dirt by gently wiping with a cotton cloth, without rubbing.
- Once you have gone over the whole bag, take a wax or nourishing cream made for leather and pour it into a small container.
Using these products gives you a better result without the risk of doing damage.
- Wrap the cloth around a finger and lightly soak it with the wax, passing it gently over the whole bag with circular movements, taking care not to linger too long on one spot so you do not create halos.
If there are scratches or small marks on the leather, you can go over them several times.
- After applying the wax over the whole bag, all you have to do is wait about 10 minutes for the wax to be absorbed.
Warning!
Drying must happen naturally, avoiding exposure to direct heat sources such as sunlight, a hairdryer or radiators. The risk would be creating small marks and halos on the bag.
- Once the 10 minutes have passed, we can move on to the final stage, which is polishing.
- Go over the whole bag again with the clean cotton cloth to increase its shine.
This way, you will not only have removed surface dirt, but also nourished and hydrated the leather, protecting it from aging and the weather.
For convenience, I made a video showing you how to clean a leather bag!
Before you close the page, there are a few important things I need to tell you!
One of the most underrated things when buying a handmade leather product is maintenance.
People think that once they buy a leather bag or another accessory, it will need no care until the dirt becomes obvious.
Let me explain something...
A handmade leather creation can last a lifetime, or it can start to crack after a few years because it is not cared for and hydrated enough.
It all comes down to small things you can do in a few minutes.
What should you do to make a leather bag last a lifetime?
There are two things to do:
- Wipe it with a cotton cloth every time you use the bag, or as often as you can;
- Nourish and hydrate the leather with dedicated products such as a wax or cream, at least once a month.
This is the wax I use for my handmade pieces: nourishing leather wax.
If instead you are doing the seasonal wardrobe change and have already cleaned the bag, I have written an article with 5 tips on how to store it in the wardrobe.
If you have any doubts or want more information, feel free to leave a comment below!
P.S. If you found this article on how to clean a leather bag in 15 minutes useful, I would be really happy if you shared it on social media!
