How to clean your leather bag: Tips & Tricks to take care of it

“I love cleaning, weird but true. It really relaxes me.” - Jessie J

 Hello People!

How many of us clean our daily stuff regularly? (I don't see many hands up! LOL)

Agreed, it's a pain in the behind to clean your bags, shoes, closets, clothes, etc.

I know what you'll say – that you'll do it later. But you know what? Procrastination is not really a good habit. As they say, “Procrastination is like a credit card: it's a lot of fun until you get the bill. ”

Now come on! Who on earth would like to see your dirty, muddy shoes when you come to the office. Or see a shabby, unkempt version of you and your house? And don't get me started when those shoes leave a dirty imprint on the floor tiles of the house; you feel like turning into a green hulk behemoth and vent out your angry feelings towards the recipient.

This is exactly what happened to me when one of my cousins and her 12-year-old son Vivaan came to stay with us for a few days. Well, what's so special about Vivaan, you may ask? Let's just say he was a little monster who ravaged our place in an instant! From jumping up and down on the sofa to try his best to dismantle things that can't be dismantled, he was an incorrigible menace (Sorry Vivaan, I love you. You're cute but that's the truth, my dear!).

Funnily enough now, I realized the importance of care and cleaning. While we all do regular dusting and cleaning of our house and clothes, what about regular maintenance of let's say a washing machine (yes, even your machine needs to be cleaned periodically) or your air-conditioner (have you washed that clogged air filter recently?)

Similarly, if you have leather-made goods in the house, such as a sofa or a couch, handbags, jackets, journals, etc., you need to take care of them as well.

At Rustic Town Collection, we work hard on making our customers happy with our leather bags and accessories. We make sure all Rustic Town Collection leather bags remain in good condition. A coating on all leather bags is done with at least two layers of sunflower oil that makes them water-resistant. This also ensures that the leather remains smooth.

But sometimes things don't go according to your plan; the bag may smell foul, become rusty or wet due to unforeseen circumstances.

So I thought of compiling some guidelines to keep your leather bags in the best possible state. Hope it helps:

Tips to Clean Lather Bags

Leather bags are stylish and elegant, but during the course of time, their texture can be dampened by dirt. Regular cleaning of leather bags will help it look new and will also extend their life. Follow these simple steps to clean your bag:

• Take out all contents of your leather bag, unzip all pockets, turn the bag upside down to shake off all dirt and torn paper pieces.
• Gently wipe the interiors of the bag with a soft dry cloth.
• Mix a few drops of liquid soap with about a cup of distilled water.
• Dip the cloth into that soapy solution and wrench it so that it's hardly wet.
• Wipe the exterior leather surface with the damp cloth.
• Dry thoroughly using a towel, buffing the surface repeatedly.
• Treat the surface with a leather conditioner (mentioned later in the blog) as per instructions written on the bottle.

 Managing Odor 

Many customers, who buy leather bags for the first time, complain about an overwhelming sense of smell that comes from the bag. Relax, your bag isn't the only one! Most new leather bags smell a bit initially.

All you need to do is...USE! Yes, use the bag more often. The quicker you use the bag out in the open, the faster its smell will fade away. Within weeks of its usage, the smell will disappear completely.

And you shall heave a breath of fresh air once again, LOL!

If you can't wait that long and want the smell to go away quickly, try using odor eliminators from the market. There's Febreze fabric classic odor eliminator that works well with all kinds of bags. Just spray it inside the bag and the smell will fade away within minutes.

Better still, for those who love a home remedy tip, you don't need to go outside at all. Just apply some baking powder inside the bag and leave it overnight. The powder will absorb any moisture, thereby reducing the foul smell. However, this may leave some temporary marks inside the bag as some traces of white powder might be present.

One of our dear customers, Elsa Riverdale, who was facing the same problem, sent us another awesome tip to ward off any unpleasant odor. She pointed out that if you have any fragrance oil like lemon, jasmine, or lavender in your house, you can take few drops of it, apply it on a soft piece of cloth or tissue paper and mildly rub it on all sections of the bag. This masks the bad odor and brings out a fresh, lovely fragrance from the bag.

Handling Wet Leather Bag

It's tough to predict how much dirt, grime and grease your bag has to endure when it goes out in the open; you never know when it may become wet or dirty. 

In case your bag is wet, make sure it is totally dried up before you start using it the next time. For better results, you can leave it out under the sun and let it dry. If you think that the bag has become a bit out of the shape, then you can stuff crumpled newspapers into the bag and pockets so that the bag dries faster while regaining the original shape.  

Restoring a Dry Leather Bag 

There are many times when your leather bag feels a bit rough and dry. This could be a sign of erosion of oils due to the changes in the humidity levels.

If that happens, gently spread vegetable, baby, rapeseed, or sunflower oil on your bag and leave it in a warm and airy place for a day.

As a precautionary measure, you can also treat your bag using leather care products, such as Renaupur Hi-Shine and Lincoln Lanolised Conditioning Soap available in the market.

Checking Leather Scratches

While a bit of a scratch adds to their classy vintage look, too much of it may seem like an eyesore to you. If that happens, you can again apply some sunflower, baby, vegetable, or rapeseed oil on the affected area using cotton wool.

And now you have become an expert on how to clean and care for your leather bag!

I hope you find these tips useful for cleaning your leather products. In case you have any other queries, feel free to comment below. I'll be more than glad to help you.

In case you haven't found a leather bag that's worth your attention, check out Rustic Town Collection and indulge in some festive Christmas shopping asap!

We are also giving away a flat 15% discount on all of our Rustic Town products till 31^st June 2018. Use promo code – 'RusticTown10' to avail the offer right now!

Love, Cheers

XOXO