Having a leather bag shows the elegance of your choice. Leather is a timeless material, enhancing its appearance over time, unlike any other material that fades out with time.
The luxurious feel of leather and specialized craftsmanship set the price bar on the higher end for genuine leather products around the globe making them a precious style status symbol.
Despite its inherent sturdiness, leather is not an indestructible material, so you should know how to care for it properly to keep your leather bag's grace and charm alive.
This is a comprehensive guideline for keeping your leather bag in great shape for years.
Frequency of Cleaning Your Leather Bag
How many times you should clean your leather bag depends upon the usage, i.e., you use it daily or once a month for formal occasions like meetings or weekend parties.
Anyhow as a rule of thumb, you should religiously follow the cleaning regimen of your favorite leather tote bag or leather backpack once a month in any case
How to Clean Your Leather Bag at Home: A DIY Guide
Below is the step-by-step guide on cleaning your leather bag, which is equally valid for your handy leather purse to bulky leather duffle bag.
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Empty your leather bag upside down
Before starting to clean your leather bag, you should entirely empty your bag. Remove all your belongings such as wallets, notebooks, etc. Open each pocket and pay special attention to corners for any trash like tissue or paper debris. Shaking your bag upside down is a great idea to ensure it is free from tiny debris.
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Detailed interior cleaning of your leather bag
After emptying your bag, the next step in cleaning any type of leather bag is detailed interior cleaning before proceeding to the outside. It is recommended to use a lint roller to clean the interior of the bag thoroughly for tiny debris that is left even after the first phase of interior cleaning.
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Exterior surface cleaning
Now here comes the main step. Be sure to be gentle and do not use aggressive chemicals or harsh strokes for cleaning as it may damage the leather. Lukewarm water taken in equal proportion to white vinegar will serve the purpose well.
Use a soft cloth soaked in the water-vinegar solution and wipe down the leather gently. Million-dollar advice is always to use a white cloth to avoid any color spots on your favorite leather bag.
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Dry out leather with soft cloth
After wiping the leather with vinegar water solution now it's time to wipe out the leather with a clean and dry white cloth. Be gentle and dry out the leather completely.
Here you will notice the magic of simplicity by observing the shiner leather surface than before cleaning.
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Do not forget the Hardware of your leather bag
You have achieved your goal to give your leather bag a visible sparkling glow. But metal hardware typically of brass also needs your attention. Olive oil can be used as a natural polish for metal hardware.
Dip white cloth or cotton in olive oil and gently rub the hardware in a circular motion and get a mesmerizing polished surface.
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Soften up leather with a leather conditioner
Cleaning your leather bag with water-based natural solution can dry the leather surface and that can cause cracks on the leather surface. To soften up the leather you should use a leather conditioner.
Olive oil and caster oil are the two excellent leather conditioning candidates available at home.
Apply a few drops of natural olive oil or caster oil on a dry white cloth and rub the surface of the leather gently unless it absorbs on the surface. Be sure to buff the surface with a dry cloth for excess oil.
