How to care for your bags

Being the bag addict I am, it is quite often that I am asked about the proper care of bags. While it sucks that our dear hobos, satchels and clutches do not have care labels attached, the care of bags is not really as tricky as say, that tweed jacket or that organza skirt you love. In fact, you can pretty much count general bag care pointers with your fingers. The thing is though, that like those gorgeous clothes you painstakingly care of with each use, bags will still show signs of usage after some time i.e. small creases, folds, and a scuff here and there (esp. on the corners) no matter how meticulous you are. But don't worry. I assure you, you are the only one who can see them! Plus, these things do add character to the bag as it shows that they are loved and worth the moolah you blindedly spent for them. *wink*

To those who have been asking or also have the same concern, here are some bag care pointers to remember:

1. When buying a bag (especially a designer one), always ask for a box where your purchase will fit. It doesn't matter whether its just a plain gift box or that orange hermes box (i wish! hahaha), as long as your bag in its stuffed form fits in it. These make the perfect storage boxes!

2. Do not ask the SA to throw away the paper stuffing that's in your bag prior to your purchase. Those are acid-free paper and that is the most appropriate stuffing for your bag. When storing the bag after use, always stuff them with those to help keep their shape. Acid-free paper is used because acid reacts with some leathers, especially light colored leather (white, light pink etc). They can turn yellowish when brought into contact with acid no matter how mild the acidity is! I had to learn this the hard way! *pout*

3. Always store your bags in dust bags or fabric bags. When kept side by side for a while, leathers can stick to each other and transfer color as well. Also, some leathers have a distinct smell that you wouldn't want to stick to your other leather or leather-trimmed canvas bags. (It's like having them share the same perfume! hahaha!)

4. When storing your bags, choose a clean, dry place. One that is least humid and gets a bit of sunlight during the day. Even though the bags are inside the boxes, a small amount of needed warmth still permeates the box and this prevents moisture and grime to build-up in the leather creases and hems. Note: do not place them right outside your bathroom door, that is like looking for a heartache! *shakes head*

5. If you are having problems looking for specific bags when stored in boxes, search for pictures of your bags online and copy paste it to a word file. Minimize all pics to a 2x2 size and print. Cut and stick these pics outside your boxes so that you won't have a hard time searching for the bag you want to use. Another option would be to use the smallest size post-its with the name of your bag in this order:

Brand: (lv, gucci, coach, cole haan, etc)
Material: (calf leather, canvas w/ leather, etc)
Color: (brown monogram w/ white trim, black etc)
Type: (clutch, satchel, hobo, bowler, etc)

Some gals use polaroid shots or another idea would be to make small drawings of how your bag looks like! What i do is the first one i recommended. There's actually lots of pic sources online for designer bags as long a you use google and you know the bag id no./ style no. Remember: organizing your bags also maximizes their usage!

6. Clean and moisturize your leathers at least every 3-4 months. I personally buy leather care products for this purpose. I use coach cleaner and moisturizer, apple brand leather care, suede cleaner, and rain and stain repellent, as well as aerosoles products. The best of these so far are those from apple brand. I have used them on my lv cowhide trim and no darkening ever occurred! The coach cleaner and moisturizer have also come in handy a lot of times when attempting to remove hard dirt on specific bags that can be cleaned with silicone based cleaners. So far the ones that should never be used with silicone-based cleaners and moisturizers are untreated leathers e.g. coach vachetta, lv naked cowhide, and dooney & bourke tan trim. (leave a comment if you need further help on this!) You can also have your bags cleaned regularly at a reputable professional cleaner. But i haven't had any experience on this so that is up to you. (I'm too scared to leave my babies alone! hahaha!)

Here is a picture of my bag and shoe care family:


7. Suede is a different story. When buying a new suede bag (even if only suede-trimmed), always always spray it with rain and stain repellent before your first use. In the unfortunate incident that it is dirtied upon, use a light brush (i use coach and aerosoles) to remove it. If this doesn't work, try using a suede eraser and rub lightly in one direction. After removal, brush the surface lightly to fluff the nap of the leather. In the very unfortunate case that the stain really doesn't want to remove, use a suede cleaner (apple brand is what i use) and then brush afterwards. Suede is actually trickier than that organza skirt (hehe!) so i try to veer away from them. But i do have a gorgeous camel one though! i only use it when i'm in white clothes to remind myself that i am very 'stain-vulnerable' on that day! hahaha!

8. If you love dark denims, be extra careful! The blue color may transfer to your beloved suede and light colored leather bags. I advise having all brand new denims washed at least once before using them out with your babies. If it happens despite this, go home right away the moment you see the stain and do your best to remove it!

9. Lastly, use your bags. The more they are left in storage, the more likely grime and *gasp* fungus will want to live on them. I air out my bags occasionally when i feel like they've been unused for a month or 2 already. While bags need to see some sunshine, it is also not good to leave them out of the boxes all year long. Leathers also tend to dry out, become brittle and crack when exposed to too much warmth. As for fabric canvas bags, a very soft cloth + some water is all i use to refresh them.(I also add a bit of alcohol to the water when i feel as though they've picked up some dirt (i.e. bacteria from the grocery counters, from mall bathroom counters etc) Of course, remember to wait for them to dry before storage. Surface clean your bags as often as possible. Nothing's grosser than "bagteria" on them!

Well, that's about it i think! *whew!* I really hope that helps! I'm also anticipating that you gals (and guys) remember these things by heart as well. And if you already do... well, hi fellow bag hag! hahaha! Thanks for reading my post and do not hesitate to leave a comment if you feel that i've left out something here or if you found this post quite useful! :)



**p.s. I wrote this for an hour so please do not copy, print or republish this post without asking me first okay? heehee! thanks so much!**