Handbags can retain their value over time – if you take good care of them, that is. Handbags are an expensive investment, and you want to maintain your investment for as long as possible, right?
Most of us have had it happen; you fall in love with a bag, use it every day, then put it away when you find another bag to love or for another season. When you pull it out to use it, the shape is different, the leather is dull, and it doesn’t have the same feeling it did before. Don’t worry, we’ve been thinking about this for many years and have come up with a few solutions for the best way to care for your handbag. Here are a few tips about keeping the shape, maintaining leather and caring for your favorite purse.
How To Store Your Handbags and Small Leather Goods
If you have it, store your bag in its original box. Label them. Keep your leather goods out of the sun to prevent fading and cracking (again, just like your skin). Dyed leather and brightly colored bags can fade in direct sunlight. The best way to store your purse is in a dust bag in a cool, dark place like a closet.
Your bag usually comes with a dust bag keep them! Keep your bag inside of its dust bag when you’re not using it, they’re the best solution for protecting your bags. If you’ve ordered from us and your bag didn’t come with its original dust bag, you likely received a Yoogi’s Closet dust bag. Store your handbags upright. If you’re without a dust bag – just use a white pillow case!
It’s tempting to hand your bags on the back of a chair, door, or in your closet. While this is a great temporary way to store your bag, don’t hang it on a metal hanger for more than 2 weeks–gravity may stretch your straps/handles. Instead, use a round plastic purse holder to help maintain the natural shape of your handles.
How To Maintain The Shape Of Your Bag
Stuffing your bag is one of the most important ways to make your luxury item last for years. The shape of your bag, even a very structured bag like an Hermes Kelly Sellier, can start to slouch over time (hello gravity!). It’s important to remember that bags made of leather (skin) responds to age/gravity just like yours does. Canvas, like Louis Vuitton Monogram Canvas, also softens over time.
Stuff Your Bag With Air Pillows
If you have ordered from Yoogi’s Closet, you may have received air pillows packing with your bag. We feel this is best solution for temporarily holding the shape of your handbag while you aren’t loving/carrying your new-to-you bag of choice. Bubble wrap can also do trick.
Stuff Your Bag With Using A Bag Shaper Pillow
Bag shapers are fabric pillows that hold your bag to its precise shape when not in use. You can also use a regular household pillow, or fill with an empty pillow case to the shape of your bag.
Stay Structured With A Bag Organizer
Carrying too many things in your bag can distort the shape of your bag and hurt your back. There are purse organizers and handbag base shapers that line the inside of your bag, which protects your bag from sagging and its lining. While you can pick up purse organizers in many places like Amazon and the Container Store, there are a few specialty brands that make organizers specifically for luxury brand bags in specific sizes: Samorga bag organizer, which has sizes for Birkins to Neverfulls; CloverSac, based in Singapore; Divide and Conquer, based in the US, is one of the most popular Etsy sellers that can also make custom inserts. PurseBling sells handbag base liners in specific style sizes, along with lots of other fun accessories for your bags.
Simple Ways To Protect Your Designer Bag’s Lining
Use A Cosmetic Bag
This is one solution that seems so simple, but many of us fail to do: use a cosmetic bag for your makeup to prevent stains and spills. Never put makeup, liquids or pens into your handbag without some protection for the interior of your purse. We often receive bags with stains inside, which can reduce the value. Using a cosmetic bag or a smaller bag inside your bag also has other benefits: it helps you stay organized, and it can be an incredible asset if you switch bags regularly.
Keep The Interior Fabric Clean
Regularly clean the inside of your bag. You can turn the bag inside out if it is soft (like a Balenciaga City or LV Speedy), and use a lint roller to get to those hard-to-reach places. We recommend Woolite Stain Remover and rinse with a spritz of water (be careful to avoid any leather). For bags that have an odor, we use a product called ZeroOdor and cedar sachets.
Take Care Of Your Bag’s Leather: Conditioning, Replenishing, and Oils
Conditioning leather can help maintain its natural luster and help repeal stains. Leather, after all, is a skin just like your own. Leather needs moisture and oil to make sure it stays smooth and wrinkle-free.
The first rule of maintaining leather: always spot test a small area and always use a soft microfiber cleaning cloth. Be sure to spray your cleaning products on the microfiber cloth and never directly on the bags. For a regular, quick fix, wipe the exterior of your bag with an alcohol-free baby wipe.
To clean and condition leather, there are a few products we recommend: use Sonax Leather Cleaner on vachetta that has started to oxidize (change from very light tan to darker color), Apple Leather Cleaner + Conditioner,Leather Honey Leather Conditioner, or Cadillac Leather Lotion. LovinMyBags has created a line of products specifically for Louis Vuitton Vachetta leather that protects, moisturizes, and cleanses the leather.
Keep Your Bag Out Of The Rain
Rainwater contains microscopic acids and minerals that may leave permanent stains on your handbag. If it’s raining, don’t carry anything with natural leathers. Hermes takes their bags very seriously; Birkin bags sometimes come with rain jackets. Vachetta leather, like on your LV Monogram bag, will get rain spots (though this can be prevented by protecting and conditioning the leather). Lambskin also does not do well in the rain. We recommend carrying an embossed, dyed leather (like Caviar leather, Epi leather or pebbled leather), or getting your bag a Handbag Raincoat.
Top 10 Tips For Caring For Your Purses:
1. Avoid putting your handbag on the floor.
2. Stuff your bags when you’re not using them.
3. Store them in dust bag or box in your closet.
4. Use cosmetic bags to protect the lining.
5. Regularly clean the exterior of your bag. Weekly: wipe the exterior of your bag with an alcohol-free baby wipe. Monthly: use Sonax Leather Cleaner to clean and condition.
6. Keep your luxury handbags out of the rain.
7. Refrain from hanging your bags for long periods of time this will distort the shape of the handles.
8. Keep your zippers working smoothly by running a piece of natural beeswax over a zipper’s open teeth.
9. If you have a patent leather bag, make sure it never touches plastic. The coating on the patent leather will stick to plastic and could damage your bag.
10. Avoid having the hardware of one bag touching another bag, because it could leave a mark.
Does Your Handbag Need Repair?
Sometimes things happen to our bags even when we try our hardest to keep them safe (much like our children), but there are ways to repair bags.
Take Your Bag To The Store
Louis Vuitton is known for replacing defective items and repairing even vintage items. Sometimes for a small price, Louis Vuitton is happy to replace leather, straps, and hardware. Hermes and Chanel will also do the same. Many stores have restoration specialists on-hand to give you a quote to repair your bag or send your bag off to repair.
Take Your Bag To A Cobbler
Proceed with caution when taking your luxury bag to a cobbler, but they are experts when it comes to repairing leather and accessories. If you have a broken zipper or you’re in need of leather reconditioning and don’t feel comfortable doing it yourself, ask an expert.
Buy Yourself A Pre-Loved Bag Instead!
We always say, “there’s no better way to fix a broken heart than with a handbag.” We have over 2000 new, like new, and gently used luxury handbags.
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