Tips to Maintain and Care for Leather Bags

bags are priced the way they are for a reason. They are luxurious looking with a long-term functionality. This is why you cannot easily find a good quality bag for a cheap price.
 
Just like any investment, you'd definitely want to ensure that your bag stays the course. Here's the good news, leather bags can actually last for years given proper care and maintenance. Yes, leather bags need some caring, too. In almost the same way you care for your shoes and jewelry. Before getting to the maintenance part, let's first try to understand how leather as a material work. This knowledge will eventually help in achieving the right care and maintenance needed for your leather bag.
 
Leather Basics
Leather in the simplest definition is a type of material derived from animal hide. The most popular source is cattle and buffalo hide. With sufficient processing, the material becomes more flexible and durable, which then can be used to created bags, coats, and purses. Moreover, the varying colors of leather are achieved through dying. Distinct leather patterns are likewise already patented by specific manufacturers or brands. Now, we move to the more interesting parts, which is the skins. Skins determine how you should actually deal with your leather carrier. Every type has their own dos anddon'ts so it's important to check on your leather bag first and see which skin it belongs to:
 
Full grain - this is the basically the most coveted type of leather because this the highest-quality out of all types of leather. When it comes to proper care and maintenance, full grain leather bags are also less meticulous to clean. Since it is a type of finished leather, you can simply wipe the spot with a soft, damp cloth, without worrying about damaging its color or shape. Most full grain leather bags also have a coating, which makes them more resistant to stains.
 
Top Grain - this is another high-quality leather skin that has been corrected in order to remove the scars from the original grain. This is usually the skin used for wallets since it is thinner, but retains the same durability as the full-grain leather. Top grain also has a coating protection so any stain on your leather bag can be easily wiped using a damp cloth. Never use alcohol or any chemical-based wipes on your leather bag, unless it's a specific leather wipe product.
 
Vegetable Tanned - this is the type of skin that you see in most leather bags. This means that the original leather has been coated with tannin. These types of bags are very meticulous since they are not water resistant. Exposing them to water will make the leather shrivel, and also affect its original color. Generally, the most basic thing that you can do is to dust off the leather bag with a soft and dry cloth. It is also best to use white cloth to avoid tinkering with the color.
 
Chrome-tanned leather - this type of leather is water-resistant, which makes it one of the easiest to maintain. Bags made from this skin feels softer and more pliable, as well. There is also no need to worry about it shrinking in water, so you can occasionally soak it in water for general cleaning and maintenance. Just make sure to not use any cleaner that is not approved to be safe on leather.
 
Long-term Leather Care
We've initially discussed the immediate care and cleaning tips for your leather. These are for situations where you spot a stain on your precious bag that you want to be removed right away. Now, we move to the practical ways on how you can make your bag lastlonger, because there are actually more pressing concerns for leather bags aside from stains. There's cracking, dying, molds, and insect damages. To avoid these leather horrors, make sure to observe proper storage and conditioning.
 
Storage
Some people will complain about how they can easily spot damages on their luxurious bags. It's easy to assume that it's the quality of the leather, or simply blame itto the environment. The truth is, proper leather bag storage happens to be one of the most overlooked aspect in bag care. Throughout the course of using the bag, it becomes more natural to just leave it anywhere. When not in use, it will simply be put inside a closet along with the other bags. This is when the damage starts - a combination of moisture, insects, and warping.
 
To prevent this, make sure to store your bag in almost the same way as you bought it. Rememberthose paper fills? They were meant to be there to prevent the leather bag from warping during storage. You may replace paper with bubble wraps, since plastic are not attractive for insects, plus it is also least likely to retain moisture than paper. After this, retrieve the dust bag from your original purchase and place the bag there. If you can no longer find your original dust bag, you can actually improvise using a soft pillow case. Do this regularly, and you can have your leather bag looking new for years.
 
Conditioning
 
Apart from regularly wiping the stains on your bag, it is also crucial to regularly condition it to avoid cracking andpeeling of