Safe and effective ways to wash a leather bag

An indispensable accessory in a woman's wardrobe is a handbag. Regardless of what material it is made of (leather, leatherette or suede), over time the bag loses its original appearance.

You can restore the purity and brightness of color to your favorite item by using the tips for proper washing.

We will tell you in the article how to wash a leather bag, suede, leatherette, or patent leather.

Is it possible in a washing machine?

If someone decides to wash their leather bag in a washing machine, then most likely such an experience will end in failure - their favorite item will be damaged.

When starting to wash your leather bag, It would be a good idea to read and remember the following rules:

• washing is carried out only using liquid detergents for delicate fabrics (dry powders injure natural leather, leatherette, suede);
• the water temperature for washing cannot exceed 30C;
• During the washing process, do not actively rub or twist the product.

How to clean at home?

Experienced housewives advise cleaning leather handbags only by hand, using the dry method or wet washing.Read more about how to care for bags here.

Wet hand wash

The wet cleaning method involves using an alcohol wipe or a wet sponge with soapy water.

Algorithm of actions:

1. The leather bag is laid out on a horizontal surface.
2. After moistening the napkin with alcohol, first of all, carefully wipe the lining. Alcohol removes any dirt or unpleasant odors from the lining fabric.
3. As an alternative, instead of an alcohol wipe, you can use a sponge with a soapy solution (dissolve a spoonful of liquid detergent in a glass of water).
4. The outer part is wiped with napkins soaked in ammonia or a sponge soaked in a solution of laundry soap and water (you need to take a spoonful of grated laundry soap per glass of water).

Dry cleaning

With minimal soiling, dry cleaning will help quickly return your favorite handbag to a presentable appearance. To do this, wipe the leather product with a dry soft cloth. A handbag made of velvety suede is treated with a special brush.

Features for leatherette handbags

Just like bags made of genuine leather, leatherette products cannot be washed in a washing machine, dried at high temperatures, or cleaned with aggressive chemicals.

You can quickly and easily clean an eco-leather handbag by following the following sequence of actions:

1. In a small amount of warm water (200-300 ml) dissolve a spoonful of a special detergent for washing woolen items (can be replaced with powder for delicate fabrics).
2. After moistening the sponge with soapy water, carefully wipe the bag, paying special attention to the seams, handle joints and pockets.
3. The final stage is surface treatment with a silicone-impregnated sponge. Such actions will not only restore the shine of leatherette and create an additional protective water-repellent film.

Alternatively, you can use a universal skin care product. It can be purchased at any shoe store.

Suede

You can preserve the delicate velvety surface of suede only with proper care.

Here are some tips to remember as you begin cleaning. suede bag:

1. For suede products, only quick hand wash is allowed. Otherwise, when saturated with moisture, suede loses its softness and elasticity.
2. To wash suede products, only special shampoos or gels and liquid detergents for wool and delicate fabrics are used.
3. If the lining is dirty, wash it separately, first shaking off small debris. If the lining cannot be removed, the bag is turned inside out and the lining fabric is treated with a sponge soaked in a soapy solution.
4. The water temperature for washing suede products does not exceed 30C.

Washing suede handbags takes place in the following sequence:

• add a properly selected detergent to a bowl of warm water and beat it until foamy;
• Having laid out the handbag on a hard surface, wipe it with soft circular movements with a sponge soaked in soap suds;
• after the bag is cleaned, it is additionally wiped with a clean, damp sponge or soft cloth;
• if necessary, wash the lining of the bag in soapy water;
• After washing, the bag is carefully blotted with a terry towel (you cannot wring out the suede) and laid out to dry in a well-ventilated area away from direct sunlight and heating devices.

How to wash the lining?

Unlike a leather bag, the fabric lining is washable. And this needs to be done as often as possible. After all, stains from cosmetics, money, and dirty hands very quickly appear on fabric.

Algorithm of actions:

1. Before washing, turn the lining inside out. All pockets are checked for coins and other small items.
2. Warm water is poured into the basin, liquid detergent or gel for washing delicate fabrics is added.
3. Carefully, avoiding skin contact with the washing solution, wash the lining.
4. Afterwards, the lining is rinsed in clean water and sent inside out to dry.

If there are old, complex stains on the lining, they must be removed before washing:

• lipstick stains can be removed with a sponge soaked in medical alcohol;
• A sponge soaked in dishwashing liquid can remove stains from mascara, eyeliner, and blush;
• Old grease stains from the lining fabric can be removed by treating with a paste of baking soda.

How to wash the lining of a bag, video instructions:

How to remove stains?

The choice of method for cleaning stains from leather and faux leather bags is influenced by the color of the product and the type of contamination.

Dark products

Black, brown, burgundy and dark blue handbags made of genuine leather and leatherette will remove stains with the following products:

1. Warm soapy water with soda added quickly removes greasy stains from the surface of dark bags.

   The detergent is prepared at the rate of 250 ml of warm water, a tablespoon of grated laundry soap and the same amount of baking soda powder.

   In order not to damage the smooth surface of the skin, the solution must be filtered before use (remove undissolved particles of soda and soap).

2. A napkin soaked in alcohol quickly deal with makeup stains on the dark surface of the bag.
3. Treatment with a solution of ammonia (the composition is prepared at the rate of four parts water and one part ammonia) will remove blood stains. The sooner you begin removing blood stains from the leather, the greater the chance of completely restoring the original appearance of the bag.

Light

You can remove stains from light leather or leatherette using the following tips:

1. Grease stains are removed with a cotton pad soaked in ammonia.
2. Lemon juice can help remove ink stains. Moisten a soft cloth with freshly squeezed juice and gently wipe the stain on the bag.
3. In order to remove a blood stain from a white bag, you need to moisten a cotton pad with hydrogen peroxide and gently wipe the stain. As an alternative, instead of ammonia, you can use a solution with Aspirin (one Aspirin tablet is dissolved in a glass of water).

Patent leather

An ordinary onion will help restore the purity and shine of a patent leather product.

How to dry after cleaning?

Maintain the shape and presentable appearance of a leather or leatherette bag after washing Some simple tips for proper drying will help:

• bags are hung out to dry on a line or laid out on a horizontal surface;
• drying can only take place in a well-ventilated place, away from sources of open fire and heating appliances;
• drying in the open air takes place in a dark place, sheltered from direct sunlight;
• when unfolding the bag to dry, be sure to pull out the lining;
• Paper or newspaper stuffed inside a leather bag will help speed up the drying process.

Adviсe

1. It is strictly forbidden to clean a bag made of leather or leatherette with aggressive chemicals: acetone, gasoline, solvent. Ignoring this rule will lead to final damage to the product.
2. It is forbidden to clean leather products with hard brushes. Such cleaning leaves scratches on the glossy surface that are impossible to get rid of.
3. To clean suede bags, use only special velvety Velcro brushes.
4. Bags made of leather, leatherette or suede should not be completely immersed in water. When the product gets wet, it loses its shape, softness and presentable appearance.
5. After washing a leather product, faux leather must be treated with Vaseline or greasy hand cream, and then polished with a soft cloth.
6. Leather or suede handbags are strictly prohibited from being dried with a hairdryer. High temperatures are harmful to the skin (they make it hard and brittle).

Video on the topic

The video will show you how to care for a bag made of leather, faux leather, eco-leather and suede:

Conclusion

By following simple rules for washing bags made of leather, leatherette or suede, you can not only return the product to its original appearance, but also extend its service life as much as possible.