How to clean a leather bag

Video: How to Clean Dirty Leather Hand Bag at Home | Easy Trick

Content

Method 2 of 5: Cleaning patent leather
Method 3 of 5: Cleaning suede
Method 4 of 5: Cleaning the interior decoration
Method 5 of 5: Cleaning Specific Stains
Tips
Warnings
What do you need
Leather cleaning
Patent leather cleaning
Cleaning suede
Interior decoration cleaning

1 Wipe off the stain with a clean, damp cloth. Continue rubbing until the entire area of the stain is wet, but do not let the moisture soak into the material.

2 Apply the cleaner to a soft cloth. You can buy a skin cleaner, which is most often sold as a kit. You can also make your own by mixing a few drops of liquid soap (such as unscented dish soap or baby soap) with distilled water.

3 Rub the area of the stain again with a soft cloth until it disappears completely. Try to do this with a stroking motion along the texture of the skin. This will help protect the skin.

4 Use a dry, clean cloth to wipe off any soap residue or excess moisture. Don't worry about further drying your bag.

5 Let the bag dry on its own for 30 minutes. Do not use a hair dryer to speed up this process. If you are pressed for time, you can dry the bag with a fan. Cold air is less damaging to the skin than hot air.

6 After the bag is dry, you should apply a leather product cream to it. Apply with a soft cloth. Rub in the cream in a circular motion. A moisturizer will help keep your skin soft and supple. Do not use regular hand lotion, which can only ruin the leather item.

7 Buff the leather lightly with a soft cloth. This will help restore texture and shine to the bag.

Method 2 of 5: Cleaning patent leather

1 Try using plain water to get started. Occasionally, a little water will be enough to remove small fingerprints and skin scuffs. Simply dampen a paper towel, cotton ball, or cotton swab in a little water and wipe off the stain.
2 For more serious stains, use a glass cleaner. If the water doesn't work, you can use the glass cleaner that comes in a spray bottle. Simply spray the stain onto the stain and then wipe off with a paper towel or soft cloth.
3 Try applying petroleum jelly to stains and faded areas. Apply petroleum jelly to a paper towel or soft cloth and rub it into the stain in a circular motion. This method will work effectively on discolored areas.
4 For stubborn stains and discolored areas, use rubbing alcohol. Soak a cotton ball or cotton swab in rubbing alcohol and rub the stain in a circular motion. If the stain persists, try using nail polish remover instead of rubbing alcohol. Be sure to then rinse the nail polish remover off the surface of the bag. Keep in mind that nail polish remover is much more aggressive and can damage the varnish.
5 Try sticking tape over the stain. In this way, you can remove the surface stain. Take a piece of duct tape, stick it on the stain, and then pull off the duct tape with a quick motion. This is a great way to remove stains from paste, lipstick, or mascara.

Method 3 of 5: Cleaning suede

1 Find a soft bristled brush. The best option is a special brush, which is sold in suede grooming kits. You can also use a clean toothbrush or manicure brush.
- The used toothbrush or manicure brush should only be used for cleaning suede. Do not use it for any other purpose.
2 Lightly brush around the affected area. Use short, light strokes to gently brush away the stain. Always do it in one direction and do not move back and forth. This will loosen the fibers and loosen dirt.
3 Brush over the stain again. This time, you can rub the stain well with back and forth strokes. Don't worry if your bag starts to crumble. This removes dirt from the suede fibers.
- To avoid getting your work surface dirty, you can cover the table or your knees with a towel.
4 Rub the area with the stain with a magic eraser. You can find it in the detergent section of your grocery store. Gently work back and forth with the eraser until the dirt is completely gone.
5 Consider steam cleaning your bag. You can try to remove small dirt on the purse with steam. The easiest way is to hang the bag in the bathroom right after you take a hot shower. The damp air will soften the stain, but not so much that the dirt is absorbed into the bag material. After steam cleaning, let your bag dry and then scrub the stain with a soft brush.
6 Remove stubborn stains with vinegar or rubbing alcohol. Soak a washcloth in white vinegar or rubbing alcohol, and then gently scrub the stain. Allow the stained area to dry and then scrub again with a soft brush. Unlike water, white vinegar and rubbing alcohol will not stain suede.
- Don't worry about the vinegar smell; it will fade after a while.
- Some tough stains may require a suede cleaner.
7 Trim or cut off any protruding threads. After cleaning your bag thoroughly, you may notice that some fibers are longer than others. You can cut them with scissors or walk on the surface with an electric razor.

Method 4 of 5: Cleaning the interior decoration

1 Empty your bag. Remove all contents from it and set aside. At the same time, you can go through all the open ballpoint pens and get rid of unnecessary ones.
2 Turn your bag upside down and shake out all the contents. This will help you get rid of dust and all debris. This is best done over a trash can.
3 Clean the inside of your bag with a sticky roller. Lay the bag on its side and remove the lining. Roll the roller over the lining, turn the bag over to the other side and do the same. If your bag is large enough, then you may not even turn the lining inside out, but simply walk the roller along the inside of it.
- For lack of a sticky roller, you can use a piece of tape to collect all the debris.
4 You can vacuum the lining of your bag. Place your bag on the floor. Attach the brush attachment or the upholstery attachment to the vacuum cleaner. Insert the nozzle inside the bag and vacuum it. Use a low suction setting to avoid damaging the lining.
5 Wipe the lining with a mixture of vinegar and water. In a bowl, combine 1 part white vinegar and 1 part hot water. Soak a clean cloth in this mixture, squeeze out excess moisture, and wipe the inside of the bag.
6 Remove odors with baking soda. Open the box of baking soda and place it upright inside the bag. Leave it on overnight and take it out the next morning. The baking soda will absorb most of the bad odors.
- The soda box should be inside the bag, below its clasp. If the bag is too small, then you should put the baking soda in a small dish or cup.

Method 5 of 5: Cleaning Specific Stains

1 Try using tartar and lemon juice on dark spots. To obtain the desired paste, mix equal proportions of tartar and lemon juice. Apply the paste to the stain and wait 10 minutes, then wipe it off with a soft cloth. Dry the damp area with a clean cloth.
- To remove the remaining paste, stir a few drops of liquid soap in warm water and soak a towel with it. Use this towel to rinse off any remaining paste.
- It is an effective method for treating food and blood stains.
2 Fight water stains on suede with even more water. Dampen a soft brush with water and then gently scrub the stain. Blot this area with a paper towel and leave to dry overnight. The spots should be gone the next morning.
- You can use a fan, hair dryer, or sunlight to speed up the drying process.
- Water stains can be very stubborn, especially on untreated leather, but a professional master tanner can help you fix it.
3 Use cornstarch on greasy or oily stains. Try to blot a fresh stain with a paper towel, but be careful not to apply too much pressure, or the stain may sink further into the fabric. Then sprinkle a lot of starch over the stain and rub in lightly. Leave it overnight so that the starch can absorb all the fat. The next morning, gently scrub the bag of starch with a soft brush.
- You can use cornmeal if you are having trouble finding cornstarch.
- Some people think that cornstarch will absorb oil better if the bag is placed under an incandescent lamp.
- When working with suede, you may need to steam it to remove excess starch.
4 Remove dirt very carefully. Wipe off any dirt found on your leather or lacquered bag immediately. You need to dry the dirt on the suede bag first, and then gently remove it with a soft brush.
5 Freeze wax or resin. A bag with wax or resin contamination should be placed in the freezer for several hours. The wax or resin will harden. Then remove the bag from the freezer and remove the wax / tar. You may need to pick off any remaining dirt with your fingernail.
6 Use hydrogen peroxide to remove blood stains. Simply soak a paper towel or cotton swab in hydrogen peroxide and scrub the stain. The end result will be complete disappearance of the stain. This method is most effective for suede products.
7 Begin removing the ink stain as soon as possible. The more this type of contaminant eats into the material, the more difficult it will be to get rid of it. Try to remove the ink stain with a cotton swab soaked in alcohol. When working with suede, you may need to polish the contaminated area with a nail file.
- Do not use alcohol on the surface of a bag made from treated leather. Use a magic eraser instead. Treated leather bags do not darken with water.

Tips

Use a protectant and moisturizer on your bag to keep it free from dirt and dust stains.
Get professional help to clean very dirty bags and remove old stains.
For long-term storage of the bag, all its internal space should be filled with paper napkins from the inside. This will help keep the bag in shape.
Store your bag in a bag or white pillowcase. Use the bag that came with the bag when you bought it. This will help prevent dust build-up during long-term storage.
Try not to carry light-colored bags with dark clothes. Dye from your clothes can transfer to the bag.
If you carry the bag daily, wipe the surface with a soft cloth dampened with soapy water once a week. Don't do this with a suede bag.
If you are worried about damage to the skin during the chosen method of cleaning, then you should first test this method on an inconspicuous area of the bag, for example, on the inside of it.
If the stain cannot be removed, try using an appropriate color of shoe polish to apply a concealer over the stain.
Never leave open ballpoint pens inside the bag. They can not only leave marks on the lining, but also create a real mess if they suddenly break or leak.
Store your cosmetics in a separate small cosmetic bag. This will help protect the lining from stains.

Warnings

Not all skin cleansers are created equal. What works for one type of skin is completely unsuitable for another. When choosing a leather cleaner, you should carefully read the label and make sure that it is designed for the type of leather your bag is made of, such as nubuck, suede, varnish and similar materials.
Do not use glass cleaner, petroleum jelly, or nail polish remover on regular leather or suede. These products are only good for patent leather.The only safe exception for suede is alcohol.
Avoid the above cleaning methods if the bag manufacturer has clear instructions on how to care for the item. The manufacturer always knows best the correct ways to clean and care for their product. Follow the manufacturer's advice to avoid damaging your skin.
Do not use saddle soap on leather bags. It is usually too harsh for all types of leather used in the manufacture of bags.
Try not to rub too hard. Excessive exertion can damage the skin, and the blemishes will penetrate deeper into the skin and be difficult to remove.
Do not use water on greasy stains.
* Do not use baby wipes, hand creams, or lanolin-based creams / lotions on untreated skin. These products can stain the surface. Untreated leather tends to darken when wet.