Handbag Care

Simple regular treatments will prevent finger and handling marks from building up into unsightly stained areas.

Grain leather handbags should be regularly dusted or brushed with a soft brush, or wiped clean with a slightly damp cloth. Regular treatment with proprietary cleaners or polishers should be carried out sticking strictly to the manufacturers' instructions. Never use excessive quantities - the less the better.

Once or twice a year the handbag should be wiped with a cloth dampened with white spirit to thoroughly cleanse the leather surface from old and discoloured waxes, etc. It should then be given a very light treatment with a proprietary polish, and finally rubbed up with a soft clean cloth.

Patent leather bags may be cleaned with a damp cloth, plus a little neutral detergent if required.

Pigskin leathers should be treated with a silicone preparation to protect them. Minor contamination on all grain leathers can frequently be removed by gentle rubbing with a soft India rubber eraser.

Suede leather handbags should be regularly brushed with a soft suede brush or rubbed gently with a plastic foam block. Minor stains and marks may be removed with a hard rubber eraser, or by touching up the surface with a fine emery paper. The leather should retain its colour and appearance if it is regularly treated with a fluorocarbon aerosol spray product. These preparations make the leather water repellent, and in particular, impart grease and dust repellence.

There is a wide range of proprietary suede cleaning and colouring products on the market, and these will give excellent results - provided that the product manufacturers’ recommendations are strictly observed.

In store care

Leather handbags in store, awaiting display and sale, should be kept in a cool, dry, well ventilated stockroom and be protected from direct sunlight. They should be wrapped in acid free tissue paper and kept in their boxes.

The storage of leather handbags in plastic containers should be avoided because this can lead to discolouration of the leather. Where time permits, high quality grain leather bags such as crocodile, lizard and pigskin bags should be given a light coating of silicone wax and polished with a soft dry cloth in order to protect them whilst being stored and during initial use.

When on display, bags should be protected from heat and direct sunlight because both may cause colour changes. The use of ultra-violet light absorbents on windows will help protect the leather from these harmful influences, particularly in coastal areas.