How to Clean the Peeling Interior of a Louis Vuitton Handbag

Louis Vuitton started selling high-end leather goods in 1854. The company began to gain popularity in the United States in the 1970s. For years, Vuitton used a special patented interior material known as Vuittonite but newer handbag versions have cotton or canvas-type linings. The Vuittonite lining, touted as a washable lining, is prone to peeling, cracking and an overall stickiness from the deterioration of the vinyl-like material. There are ways to clean the lining but a severely peeling handbag should be taken to your local Louis Vuitton store for repair or lining replacement.

Things You'll Need

• Vacuum cleaner with wand attachment
• Soft cotton cleaning cloth
• Water-based leather-care conditioner
• Alcohol-free hand wipes
• Alcohol
• Cotton swabs
• Paper towel

Instructions

1. Remove the contents of the handbag. Use a vacuum cleaner with a wand attachment to thoroughly vacuum out all dust and debris.

2. Wipe the interior lining with an alcohol-free hand wipe to remove the surface layer of dirt .

3. Apply a dime-sized amount of a water-based leather-care conditioner to a soft cotton cleaning cloth.

4. Hold the handbag open with one hand and clean the interior lining with the cloth using gentle rubbing motions, following a circular pattern. Begin with the bottom of the handbag, which frequently collects the most debris.

5. Continue cleaning the interior sides of the handbag, applying more leather-care conditioner to the cleaning cloth as needed.

6. Remove small ink dots or spots by applying alcohol to the end of a cotton swab. Gently rub the ink stain with the saturated cotton swab. Dry the spot thoroughly with a paper towel.

7. Apply leather-care conditioner to a cleaning cloth and rub the area where you used alcohol to remove the ink. It's important to keep the alcohol from drying out the Vuittonite lining.

8. Allow the leather cleaner to absorb and dry before returning your belongings to the Louis Vuitton handbag.

References

• Fashionphile: Louis Vuitton History

Resources

• Louis Vuitton: Repair Information