Tips on Bag Cleaning and Maintenance

[Kora]

I have a question.

I got an eyeliner mark on my jelly bag, is there any possible way to get that off?

I'm not sure if you tried it, but you should be able to remove the eyeliner mark with just a wipe/damp cloth

 

[waukon73]

^ I did. The spot is really stubborn.

 

[hellooholly]

don't panic =) i got pen mark on my seafoam once, and nothing got it off except this:
- spray hairspray onto a cotton bud/Q tip
- use this to "erase" the mark..

now this is a bit abrasive, so only use it right on the mark, not all around it..

This will lighten the colour slightly.. but on my twiggy there are so many slight variations in the leather colour and texture, and it's in an inconspicuous area, so it's unnoticeable...

--
For some people, saliva on their finger has helped =) didn't work for me tho.

There also are leather cleaners you can buy, that you gently wipe over the area then wipe off again..

And in future, protect your bag.. I use a Dubbin wax.

HTH!

 

[Kora]

don't panic =) i got pen mark on my seafoam once, and nothing got it off except this:
- spray hairspray onto a cotton bud/Q tip
- use this to "erase" the mark..

now this is a bit abrasive, so only use it right on the mark, not all around it..

This will lighten the colour slightly.. but on my twiggy there are so many slight variations in the leather colour and texture, and it's in an inconspicuous area, so it's unnoticeable...

--
For some people, saliva on their finger has helped =) didn't work for me tho.

There also are leather cleaners you can buy, that you gently wipe over the area then wipe off again..

And in future, protect your bag.. I use a Dubbin wax.

HTH!

Thanx I'll give it a try & keep u posted

 

[JessRuthie]

patent leather-- i honestly dont know!

I've heard you can literally use Windex to clean patent leather.

The hairspray trick definitely works on leather!

I send my bags occasionally to a cleaner in L.A. that specializes in designer bag care. They were recommended to me by a Gucci S.A. ...I think it's worth it!

 

[nmjr19]

does anyone have tips on maintaining sting-ray skin?

 

[Raspberry]

I have a question.

I got an eyeliner mark on my jelly bag, is there any possible way to get that off?

Makeup remover?

 

[sparky]

cleaning braided handles - help?

I am having problems trying to clean this stain and in general the braided handles. It get dirty so easily and I had tried leather cleaner but it is very tedious and only abit of it comes out

Any ideas?
TIA

 

[aris]

what about white leather bags? I have a big white chanel bag that in 2 months got scratched around the edges - like the white color is off. It gets generally dirty, so I wipe it of with a towel and some soft shampoo. I hope I'm not damaging it.

I also have a lamb skin 2.55 Chanel in black that looks really used, I put Vaseline on it, but it doesn't help much. Any suggestions?

 

[Ceptuouse]

...ok...i know what i should use for bag cleaning and maintanance, but what should you stay clear of? Is there anything which has been told to work that makes it worse?

 

[eastendsnob]

White leather is the worst!

I bought a high quality white leather purse last summer and it is now unuseable. Suggestions on cleaning white leather immaculately would be appreciated.

 

[Ceptuouse]

my friend has a white luella handbag, and she said that when its all mucked up with stains shes going to get it dyed pink.

 

[eastendsnob]

lol that's a cute idea, but not the solution I was looking for.. I might just have to consider it though.. I love the bag, and with a new handle and some dye it might just be rejuvenated.

 

[star]

heres a solution that you MIGHT want to try. go to any footlocker store and get a shoe shampoo(can with a yellow lid). this stuff works AMAZING on white leather anything. leather anything for that matter. im going to advise that you brush it into the purse GENTLY as it comes with a corse brush attached the the lid. you may never have considered this, but its the only thing i can personally think of. hmm, anyways brush it in, and scrub the dirt off and then wipe clean with a paper towel. try a bit and see if it works.

all the best!

 

[esiders]

For my leather bags, I use Kiwi brand Protect-All everyday water and stain protection for fine leather. I spray the product on the bag, let it sit for 3 hours, spray it again and let sit for another 1-2 hours. I've used it on my new leather (non-python) Silverado and on my Gerard Darel bag.

 

[aquatang]

Judging from the number of posts on expensive bags and not having found a thread on bag maintenance, thought indeed i ought to start one.

Fabric bags-- i use scotchgard

Suede-- i bought the Bass waterproof spray

Hardware-- i use tiffany silverware cleaner

patent leather-- i honestly dont know!

and what to do with Pen Markings??? any suggestions>?

AND HOW DO YOU CLEAN YOUR BAG-- WHAT DO YOU USE TO CLEAN IT? AND WHICH BAG?

I have a Fossil canvas-y bag and I'd like to clean it just because I (brilliantly) didn't think of scotchguarding it, and it's been just about everywhere with me, so it's probably accumulated a lot of grime & dirt from traveling around. The problem is that there are leather parts (the bottom sides of the purse & where the strap attaches to the bag) and I'm not sure how I should deal with that if I want to thoroughly wash this purse. Thank you!

 

[angel]

heres a solution that you MIGHT want to try. go to any footlocker store and get a shoe shampoo(can with a yellow lid). this stuff works AMAZING on white leather anything. leather anything for that matter. im going to advise that you brush it into the purse GENTLY as it comes with a corse brush attached the the lid. you may never have considered this, but its the only thing i can personally think of. hmm, anyways brush it in, and scrub the dirt off and then wipe clean with a paper towel. try a bit and see if it works.

all the best!

i know the one you mean! i use that stuff on my white sneakers and it works wonders..i never thought to use it on a bag-great idea

 

[juliekitty]

can you get a bag dry-cleaned? i have a white canvas Michael Kors glenbrook bag with leather trim that is getting grimey, and i dont know what to do with it.

 

[z.cesca]

We had this professional closet organizer come to our house, and what she did was use BUBBLE WRAP to stuff our bags. We used to use tissue paper as stuffing and cover the bag in the dust bag, but since we have climate-controlled closets, she suggested we put the bubble wrap inside the dust bag and use that to stuff the bag. That way, you can see the bag when it is stored in your closet. Regardless of whether you choose to use your dust bag outside or inside the bag, she recommends bubble wrap since tissue paper tends to gather dust quickly and attract moths.

I prefer to use the bubble wrap inside the dustbag because that way I can always see my bags, which makes a real difference. I always forget that I own some bags, and now I can see them all lined up and color coordinated! Also, I keep the original tags and authenticity cards inside the dust bags, which helps you keep from losing them. (I found out that Prada will not repair your bag if you don't have the authenticity card...)

Thanks for the tennis shoe cleaner advice - I'm definitely going to try it on my white Marc Jacobs. People at Neiman Marcus said to use baby wipes, but that didn't work for me.

 

[LilyGirl]

I would be careful cleaning white bags too vigorously -- the white will just come off. I love this cream called "neo cleaner" which lifts dirt right off, but again, if you use too much you will strip the color. if you have a pure white bag (as opposed to cream) you can use white polish made for sneakers to touch up spots (which looks great but if overused will change the finish of the leather). it's basically like white paint for leather so over time it will chip off. so I guess the moral of the story is try to keep your bags clean!