How to Clean a Designer Leather Purse

Learning how to clean a designer leather purse is the first step in caring for your purse and helping it to last a lifetime of use. If you invested in a designer leather purse, then learn to care for it to keep it looking as good as the day you bought it.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Designer Leather ruse
• Leather Soap
• Leather Lotion
• Leather Purse Bag
• Clean White Cloth

1. Read the tags inside of your designer leather purse. Make sure you can use leather soaps and lotions on that particular leather.

2. Lay the designer purse out on a flat and clean work surface. Mix the leather soap with the amount of water specified on the bottle.

3. Dip a clean soft white rag into the soap mixture. Spot clean the designer leather purse as needed. Use as little water as possible. Let the leather purse dry.

4. Apply the leather lotion to the surface of your leather purse. Use a clean soft white cloth to do this. Gentle rub a small dime sized dot of lotion into the leather, buff, and wipe away.

5. Store your designer leather purse in the suede storage bag it came with. This will keep dust and grime off of the leather purse while in storage.

Tips & Warnings

• When buying your designer leather purse always consult with the sales people about how to clean the leather. They know their product and are there to answer these types of questions.
• Buy the leather soaps and leather lotions from the designer company you buy the purse from. They know which products will work best on their leather materials.
• Do not set your designer leather purse on the floor. The floor is the fastest way to add dirt and grim to the bottom of your investment.
• Wash your hands before carrying your purse. Grime and oils from you hand will stain and darken the handle on the leather purse.
• Spot clean as needed to keep your leather purse looking new. Spot cleaning small problems is much easier than cleaning a whole handbag to tote made from leather.
• Pebble leather designer purses often can not have leather soap or lotion applied to them. In this case consult your sales team as to how to clean the leather purse.

[cjwarner01]

on 9/18/2008 I have a Kathy Van Zeeland purse that is trimmed in silver leather. The silver is turning a pinkesh color. Is there a way to clean the leather to restore it to it's original silver color?

[lovinmybags]

on 2/2/2008 Hi,
Please do not use saddle soap on handbag leather! It is too alkaline (over 10 on the pH scale - leather is 4.5)for soft leathers and will cause pH damage which basically causes the leather to become spongy and loose its strength - which causes it to rip very easily.

Also, no oils please - no lanolin or mink oils. This makes restoration very difficult. The leather absorbs more oil than it needs and causes the finish to peel off.

Most manufacturers know nothing about leather care - they buy the leather and create the beautiful bags - but really have no knowledge of leather aftercare. Even most tanneries don't know how to restore leather once it leaves the tannery.

If you have any questions about leather care for your handbags, please feel free to ask Barbara at [e-mail]
I am here to save your bags!:-)