Taking Care Of Your Handbags - A How To Guide

by Handbagista

For many of us handbagistas out there, buying a handbag is something of an investment. Or at the very least, we need to take care of our handbags so that we can maximize our enjoyment of them.

Here’s a few handy hints on how to care for our bags. Do remember as you read through this - make sure you always test any suggestion on a small area of your bag first, leave it then check later - after at least an hour - to ensure this doesn’t react badly. Where possible, ALWAYS use the suggestions made by the manufacturer in the care booklet! Handbagista can not be held responsible for any problems occuring from using any of the following advice in any form. It’s worked for us and people we know - but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t test and be safe yourself!!

For fabric handbags (including jacquards), most modern fabrics are treated to be both water and stain resistant. If you spill something on your handbag, blot it up at once. It will come out easier if it is still wet.

If a stain is resistant, you should be able to use a gentle soap to softly rub out as much of the stain as possible. For some all-cotton totes, their manufacturers will suggest that you can wash them in sudsy water if spot cleaning isn’t sufficient.

Remember - If you’re in doubt about the care, contact the manufacturer.

For nylon bags, you’re going to want to stick with spot cleaning or talk to a professional dry cleaner to help you clean your handbag.

For leather handbags, consider using a leather conditioner to keep the leather soft and supple. Watch out though, most conditioners will darken the color of the leather prematurely. Check with the handbag manufacturer, often times they’ll have a recommended product to use with their specific collections.

For suede, use a suede brush to gently remove any debris. If you feel it necessary to further clean it, go to an expert for help.

For patent leather handbags, keep all petroleum based products away from them. That means no leather conditioners. You can use a soft damp cloth to wipe away debris. Patent leather can act like Silly Putty so make sure you don’t keep any offending items next to it (newspaper, magazines, etc.). Store in a felted storage bag and keep away from sunlight or dry heat.

For evening handbags, experts suggest that you lightly stuff them with acid-free tissue paper to keep them from getting wrinkled. Store them in a felted storage bag or a pillowcase to keep the dust off of the fine embroidery.

For all of your handbags, don’t store them in plastic (it doesn’t breathe) and don’t hang them, it puts stress on the handles and stitching around the handles. Lightly pad the inside of your handbag with acid free tissue paper to keep it from developing “wrinkles.” Hat boxes make great storage units for handbags that are out of season.