Shoe Care
- Leather needs to breathe, just like your skin. You should always have at least two pairs of shoes in your regular rotation to avoid having to wear the same pair every day.
- Your feet sweat throughout the day (facts are facts), and the leather absorbs that moisture. Damp leather is more susceptible to stretching, scuffing, creasing, and staining. Wearing them every other day gives them adequate time to dry, increasing the longevity of your footwear by a significant amount.
-
Keep a shoe brush or microfiber cloth handy and give your shoes a quick clean after each wear. This will keep any dirt or grime from being ground into the leather as time goes on, saving you from having to deal with staining later on.
-
A cedar or poplar shoe tree is perhaps THE most important part of shoe care, and it’s usually the most overlooked step. Leather is porous, so it absorbs moisture and odour, eventually causing it to break down. A shoe tree absorbs that moisture and odour while keeping the shoe’s proper shape to prevent creasing. You can extend the life of your shoes dramatically with just this single step alone.
- This should go without saying, but if at all possible, avoid wearing leather shoes in a downpour, and try not to traipse through salt- and snow-covered sidewalks in the winter. Water can stain even waterproofed leather shoes, and leather soles become more vulnerable to abrasive surfaces like concrete when wet.
-
If you know you’re going to have to wear them in the rain or snow, wear a pair of galoshes to protect them all around. In fact, we suggest keeping a pair of Swims at home AND in your car just in case.
- If your shoes do happen to get wet, avoid the urge to dry them near a radiator or window. Heat and sunlight can crack and damage the leather. Just let them air out on their own (with a shoe tree) for a couple days.
- Just like you don’t want your leather to get too wet, you also don’t want it to dry out because it can crack. We know. It’s fickle. Luckily, there is an easy way to keep a healthy balance: Use a shoe polish every 6 wears or so.
-
Shoe polish helps moisturize the leather while adding a layer of protection to repel dust and water. It also restores colour and hides scuffs and blemishes. You just have to decide between wax or cream polish (or both).
-
Cream is more moisturizing than wax, and it creates a natural finish. Wax polish offers slightly better protection and a higher level of shine, but it can be more drying. We suggest starting with a cream and finishing with wax, but the choice is up to you depending on the finish you want.
- Apply the polish to clean shoes in a circular motion using a microfiber cloth. If you want to go the extra mile, you can use a pig hair brush to work it in deeper. Finish off with a polishing glove and/or brush to buff the shoe and bring back the shine.
- Dust can work its way into leather shoes over time, resulting in staining and degradation. If you won’t be wearing your shoes on a regular basis, keep them in a fabric dust bag to protect them while also allowing them to breathe.
- There are certainly other steps you can take to prolong the life of your shoes, like using leather conditioner or taking them to a cobbler for rejuvenation, but these six simple steps will do the majority of the heavy lifting. You’ll be surprised how much longer your shoes last if you take proper care of them.
Bag Care
How do you maintain leather bags and pouches?
- Even though leather is durable, it needs to be taken care of from time to time. Keep these simple steps in mind to avoid wear and tear and extend the life of your bags and accessories for years.
- When you carry liquids in your bag, like a bottle of moisturizer, lotion or sanitiser, use a leak-proof pouch. A major cause of stains is spillages.
- If you use your leather bag every day, you need to take extra care once a week so. They tend to catch dirt and are prone to getting scratches.
- Use a leather cleaner to wipe away the dust. If there is a scratch, use a touch of leather conditioner over them.
- Leather is a natural material, and it can stretch. To prevent getting your bag distorted from its original silhouette, do not overfill and stuff your bag to its limit. Carry as much as it would allow.
How should handbags be stored?
- I am sure you would like to keep rotating bags from your collection now and then. When you plan on keeping your bag packed up for the season, it needs to be stored carefully to avoid fading, moulding, cracks and distortion.
- Keep Handbag away from Direct Sunlight To Prevent Fading.
- Just like any colour or dye, dyed leather also fades over time. The UV in the sunlight breaks down the colour pigments causing them to fade. Store your leather goods away from any direct sunlight.
- Use Dust Bags.
- Dust easily gets caught in between the hardware, fittings, locks and on the surface of leather. Always keep your leather bags inside a breathable cotton dust bag.
Storing Leather Bags in Humid Weather.
- Keep leather bags ventilated, don't keep them locked up inside plastic bags. Take them out from the dust bag in a couple of months and wipe the surface with a soft dry cloth. You can also blow-dry your bag on the lowest setting. Remember, too much heat can also cause the leather to crack.
- Stuff your bags with old t-shirts, pillow covers or any soft cotton fabric to prevent distortion.
- You can use Moisture absorbers inside your bag to prevent mould from building up on the inside.
Prevent Leather from Cracking.
- The leather starts to crack due to lack of moisture, especially veg tanned leather. A small amount of water molecules gets exchanged through the pores on the surface of the leather. When the fibres become extra dry, they tend to shrink, causing the surface to crack.
- Once in a while, take your bag out of the storage and give them a thorough wipe down with a leather conditioner and cream to keep them fresh. There is a difference between Leather Conditioner and Leather Cream, conditioner add or replace the oils in the leather and leather cleaners remove the dirt from the surface of the leather. Store leather away from artificial sources of heat like radiators and heaters. They tend to make the leather dry up fast and develop cracks.
How to Clean Suede and Nubuck?
- Suede and Nubuck tend to catch dust and get stained easier than any other type of leather finish.
- Use a Suede or Nubuck specified protective non-aerosol spray for protection and keeping them water-resistant.
- If you do get any watermarks on suede or Nubuck leather, use a dry clean cloth and gently rub the surface.
- To remove dust, you should use a special suede brush.
How to clean a leather handbag at home?
- First, use soft dry tissue paper (not baby wipes) to wipe the surface of your leather bag off any dust that might have settled.
- For smooth leather, gently apply a layer of leather cream on the surface using a soft cloth. It will coat the surface of the leather with a protective layer and protect it from any scratches.
- Let it dry for a few minutes and repeat the process.
- Apply extra layers of the cream on the handles and the flaps. As they are the part of the bag that comes in contact with your hands the most, they also tend to get dirty and stained.
- To restore lost shine, use a dry, soft cloth and rub the surface gently in a fast to and fro motion. The heat from the friction should open up the pores and bring some of the natural oils to the surface, giving the leather a natural shine.
How to remove stains from leather?
- Grease stains usually happen due to hand cream. If you handle leather bags with freshly applied hand cream on your hands, the straps and flaps get stained often.
- Cream-based stains tend to get absorbed by the leather fibres easily and leave a darkened patch.
- If you get stains on your leather, pour some corn starch over the patch as soon as you can. Let it remain there for 5 to 10 minutes, then brush it off and rub down the part with a soft cloth. The corn starch will absorb the grease and prevent it from getting into the fibres.
How to remove colours and dye stains on your leather bag?
- Sometimes dye from your clothes can get transferred to your leather bag. To get them off, use a leather cleaner as soon as you can. The longer they remain, the higher the chances of them staining your bags permanently.
- Do not Use Home remedies to clean your leather bag. Always stick to proper cleaning agents. There are many do-it-yourself solutions for cleaning stains from leather bags. But it might do more damage than good. Always use cleaning solutions specified for leather. Solutions like vinegar and baby wipes, petroleum jelly or other home-based cleaning suggestions have chemicals. They might react with chemicals.
- Always do a Spot Check. Before using a new leather polish, or a leather conditioner or a leather moisturizer, always do a spot test. Put a little bit of the cleaning agent on a discreet part of your bag and try it out. Like, the base or on the underside of the handles. See how the leather reacts to the cleaning
- agents. Sometimes they might darken light coloured leather or result in discolouration. Test before use.
How to maintain fittings on the bag
- Wrap the ornaments and fitting on the bag with tissue paper when storing the bag for longer period or if packing the bag in a suitcase for travel.
What to do with the leather bag if it becomes wet?
- Let the bag dry in room temperature conditions. Do not dry under direct sunlight or hair dryer. Polish the bag as usual when its completely dry.