Handbags are the new jewelry. Women have always loved jewelry, but more and more are investing their money in a nice purse instead. And these days would say they would prefer a nice handbag to a nice pair of earrings.
As far as fashion goes, if you are wanting to spend money on something, handbags are the wisest choice. You can carry them for years. Unlike formalwear that you would throw on once or twice, you carry a bag around every single day. So, if you’re going to invest in a beautiful bag, you need to care for it the right way.
photo credit: Wen Cheng Liu (Busy) via photopin (license)
Too many of us are guilty of leaving them in hot cars in the garage or plopping them on the kitchen counter. And you wonder where the mystery sticky stuff came from later. We’re just not treating our bags the way they deserve to be treated.
Well here are 5 things we should be doing for our handbags to have them last for years and years.
1. Protect
Before you ever carry your bag for the first time, think about whether it needs to be treated for protection. I mean, if you have a suede bag and it rains or you spill your lunch. What the heck are you going to do?
For Suede: Cover it evenly with KIWI Spray. If anything is spilled, it should just roll off rather than sink in. I think you would be happy you did it.
For Leather: Chamberlains is good. Coat it evenly over the bag and do what the instructions say.
Word of caution: ALWAYS test a small part on the bottom of your handbag before you smear or spray anything on it, just to be extra sure it won’t react.
2. Store Properly
Always keep your bags stuffed with dye-free tissue paper when you know you’re not going to use it for a while. Hold onto the paper that is stuffed in your bag when you purchase and you can reuse that.
This is what happens if you don’t stuff it. My poor Dior bag has lost it’s structure. Sad face. It’s about 6 years old and would look better than this, it I didn’t let it deflate. Ugh.
Oh well.
So, I try in vain to keep it stuffed when it’s stored.
But, I’m not sure I can get it back to it’s original shape. As you can see it’s still slumpy at the bottom.
Now, where to store them.
After you have filled your bags with tissue, put them away. If they are too big for a cabinet, put it in a lint free cloth bag and keep on a shelf. Preferably the bag that came with purchase.
Do NOT hang. It’s not good for the straps.
Now, if you don’t want to put your purses or clutches in their cloth dust bags, then put them in a cabinet with doors, like this…
For your crazy bags, like this furry clutch, always keep them covered. Either in a box or a cloth bag. Whether they’re in a cabinet or not.
Then, slide it in a bin with your other clutches to be stored in a closed cabinet.
3. Remove Stains
Oil Stains — Use cornstarch. Let it sit on stain overnight, then blot with damp towel to remove. Dry completely.
Food Stains — Crush white chalk, rub it into stain and let sit overnight. Wipe off with clean cloth in the morning.
Water stains — Blot immediately. Don’t let it sink in! Let it dry naturally.
Now, for most things that should wipe off easily, like deodorant, you can try using Chanel Eye Makeup remover. It works brilliantly!
Here I have a mystery something on my leather bag and it comes off great.
This works surprisingly well and will not harm your leather.
4. Maintenance
–Avoid handling your purses if you just slathered on some lotion or your hands are dirty. Using common sense really.
–Keep out of direct sunlight
–Rotate your bags, so you don’t wear one out all at once. Carry a different one each month or change seasonally for instance. Or heck you could change according to what you wear.
5. Take to a professional
If you’ve spilled something scary on your beautiful bag and you’re scared you’ve ruined it. Take it to a professional. Most shoe cleaning professionals actually fit the bill! They work on similar materials and can usually help.
Finally, enjoy your beautiful handbag! Take care of it and pass along to your daughter as vintage when you’re done with it!
xo-Megan
Feature photo credit: Wen Cheng Liu (Busy) via photopin (license)
