Care for Your Handbags, Part 1

Being thrifty and budget-friendly with your clothes, shoes, and accessories is not just about finding good deals on the rack. It’s also about taking care of what you already own and making those pieces—especially those splurges or high-quality items—last. From time to time I’ll be writing a series of these posts on how to care for different items—from jeans to shoes to handbags. The first topic I’m going to cover is how to care for your leather handbags—and for now, just how to care for your smooth leather handbags. I didn’t always care for my handbags, but this was back when I only had about two that I really used, and one was PVC. It never occurred to me that the leather would damage as it did until I picked my Jana Feiffer hanbag one day and found the leather cracked all along the handle. To add insult to injury, the bottom of the bag had also cracked open to where I could see the inner lining peeking out. If only I had taken a few easy steps to care for it… Keep it from Cracking For smooth leather grab a smooth polishing (shoe polishing rags work great) and clean and condition your leather handbag with leather conditioning cream like one from Kiwi. You can also try saddle soap, but you might not get as good of a clean as there are some reports that say that because of its high oil-content, it does not clean the pores of the leather as well. In some cases, users of saddle soap have indicated the use caused permanent damage because of the alkali content. After cleaning you can apply a leather protector/waterproofing agent to the leather to protect if from the elements (and from yourself!) Shine it Up If the leather on your bag is beginning to look dull, you can apply polish to it to brighten it up. I’d recommend using a neutral polish, like Meltonian Boot & Shoe Cream Polish for most bags as brown, black, or white polishes that you might find for shoes will unlikely match your bag and stain/discolor the leather. There are also clear polishes available. Remember to apply the polish with a soft cloth and then buff it when you’re done to bring back the shine. And always, always remember to test any of these products on a hidden spot on the leather (like on the bottom) before using it on the entire item in case of discoloration or damage. If you think, “it’s going to cost me a ton to buy all these cleaning products,” think of it as another investment, especially if you have a variety of handbags, or if you splurged on a beautiful designer bag and want it to be something that lasts you not just years or decades (also, many of these products can also be used to clean your shoes—double duty!) If that doesn’t convince you, maybe give a holler to some friends or coworkers, have everyone get one item and create a “care kit” that can be passed around. Remember, caring for your leather isn’t an around-the-year thing—just do it once in a while for maintenance. One last thing…cleaning is one thing…remember to also care for the leather. Don’t clean it with water. If it is exposed to water, remember to dab at it to dry—don’t wipe, and do it as soon as you have a chance. Every little bit helps. (Item featured, Great American Leatherworks Satchel from JCPenny.com, $79.99 down from $130.00.)