How to Care for, Use, and Store Your Leather Bag

History buffs might have heard of the 5,500-year-old leather shoe found by archaeologists in Armenia, and while it’s not a leather bag, it’s an incredible testament to the durability of leather. But even if it’s a tough material that can last for thousands of years, the environment in which the leather shoe was preserved had to be dry and cool to keep it intact.

The same conditions are also needed for leather bags that are sold today. Remember that it’s made from animal skin that is prone to cracking, drying, staining, and warping, so, you must care for it the right way.

Polish or Condition
Before cleaning, polishing, or conditioning your leather bag, you should know what type of material you’re dealing with. You can check with the store for the type of skin used; whether it’s vegetable-tanned, chrome-tanned, full-grain, top-grain, exotic, and patent leather.

Polishing means coating the leather with a protective finish to make it durable. But be careful when doing this because it can change the color of the material, so test the product first on an inconspicuous corner. The conditioner on the other hand, is like a moisturizer for the leather, to keep the material from drying, wrinkling, and flaking. Use only a product made for leather once a month, and with a dab of conditioner on a clean, soft cloth, rub on the surface in circular motions. Leave the conditioner by air-drying for 10 minutes, then wipe off the excess.

Waterproofing Leather
Generally, you should avoid taking your bag with you in bad weather, because even if there are products that will protect the leather from moisture, it can never be fully waterproofed. If it does get wet, just let it dry naturally and don’t use heating materials to avoid warping the leather.

Avoid freezing temperatures as well, because it can make the material brittle. You can use beeswax creams in non-dyed leather to protect it from water, or a spray protectant that is made for such a purpose. Remember to test the product first on an inconspicuous part of the bag.

Cleaning and Storage
Your hands should always be clean when handling the leather bag because they could absorb the oil from your skin. But since this isn’t possible all the time, you could clean the surface with slightly damp cotton cloth. You could also spray a leather cleaner on the cloth, then wipe it on the leather in circular motions. If you see any stains, these should be removed immediately using crushed white walk that is sat overnight and dusted off the next day.

Before storing your leather bag, use a leather conditioner to keep it soft (except on patent purses) then let it air-dry before wrapping it in a dust bag or fabric bag. For suede bags, clean only using a suede brush instead of a damp cloth. Don’t forget to air your leather bags once every two weeks to prevent mold growth.