Store in silk bag out of direct sunlight. This will preserve the leather and artwork from sun damage.
LUXURY LEATHER HANDBAGS AND SHOES UPKEEP
Even if your bag is free of spots, monthly cleaning will keep it looking crisp and new.
When it comes to leather bags, we all have a preference — buttery and soft, shiny and solid — but it’s important to remember that your leather bag care will vary depending on the type of leather. “Grained, textured, pebbled and saffiano leathers are the hardiest leather types around. These tactile leathers typically hold their shape, easily hide imperfections such as scratches and scuffs and can be spot-cleaned using a dry cloth when needed.
Also note that the smoother the leather, the more susceptible to damage it will be. “Smooth and patent leathers look beautiful, but tend to scratch easily,” says Prager. “A quick bump walking on the street or a long fingernail can cause immediate damage. Using a soft, dry cloth to attempt to hand-buff these scratches out is your best bet. But before getting to that point, I recommend wearing your smooth leather bag or patent leather bag sporadically, and not every day.”
Source RealStyle
TIPS FOR CLEANING LEATHER PURSES
- Never use a stiff brush or harsh cleaning products on leather, including bacterial wipes, baby wipes, ammonia, or alcohol-based cleaners.
- To prevent staining, keep makeup in a zipped waterproof bag and pens in another pouch.
- Cleaning a patent-leather purse is easy because it’s real leather finished with lacquer for a glossy, reflective surface. Clean the purse with a damp cloth to remove dust and soil. For scuff marks, use a pink artist eraser to lightly rub away the scuff. Finish by polishing with a dry cloth.
TIPS FOR CLEANING SUEDE AND LEATHER SHOES
A typical home cleaning routine for your leather footwear can include:
- CLEANING
Use a leather cleaning product to lift off dirt from your leather shoes.
How often: A once a week total clean, or a spot clean as needed
- CONDITIONING
Next, apply a leather conditioner, to replenish any lost oils.
How often: Can be once or twice a month
- POLISHING
Then, polish your shoes to revive them – get back that color and shine, and seal out dirt at the same time.
- WATERPROOFING/ WEATHERPROOFING
And the final touch – waterproofing/weatherproofing your leather shoes. This can protect them from all the bad stuff – heat or moisture, even stains. There’s nothing like finishing off a nice cleaning job with this last step to get that deep sense of satisfaction for a job well done.
How often: Once a year, or depending on your environment or lifestyle
TOOLS AND PRODUCTS FOR LEATHER CARE
Cleaning – cleaning cloth, a shoe brush and a custom leather cleaner
Conditioning – cleaning cloth and a leather conditioner
Polishing – cleaning cloth, leather conditioner and a shoe brush
Weatherproofing – weatherproofing shoe sprays
TIPS FOR CLEANING INSIDE OF LEATHER SHOES
- take out the insole, if it’s detachable, and do a surface clean with a microfibre cloth
- place your insole on top of a newspaper and apply mild detergent, or facial cleanser on the leather to lift away stubborn stains and odor (use a damp cloth moistened with lukewarm or cold water)
- don’t rinse out and pat dry with a soft cloth
- use an anti-bacterial spray to mist a thin layer to cover all the insides of your leather shoe (this will kill and prevent mildew and odor-causing bacteria from spreading)
- wrap the newly cleaned insoles in a towel or newspaper, and do an overnight dry (avoid sunlight or heat)
- moisturize the next day with a pea-sized amount of leather conditioner
If you can’t take out the insole, do as much of the above steps as you can while cleaning the inside of your leather shoes.
TIPS FOR STORING LEATHER SHOES
Storing your shoes correctly also plays a prominent part in how long they last. If they get wet, stuff them with newspaper overnight and let them dry naturally — but also invest in some gear to keep them looking new. Leather shoes should also be kept in shoe bags – which help shade the shoes from potentially damaging dust and sunlight.
Suede shoes should be stored in open air, but away from sunlight.
SOURCE : Olivercabel and The Gentleman’s Journal
TIPS FOR CLEANING METAL HARWARE
Do not use alcohol to clean metal parts. To polish simply use baby wipes to remove dirt and debris from plated metal hardware. However, similarly to patent leather, you will want to work in small sections and quickly dry them with a soft cloth before moving on to the next area. This will prevent streaking on shiny metal surfaces.