Good news! Our items are already treated against moisture and dirt, so the only thing left for you to do is going out to show off your new favorite. But every leather product needs some basic treatment to keep it in good shape. Depending on how often you use your bag, we advise you to give it some basic tender loving care (TLC) every season.
1. Remove dirt
Brush off visible dirt with a soft and clean brush. For your laqué bag you can use a dry cloth.
2. Clean
Clean with a damp (not moist!) cloth to remove invisible dust, dirt, pollution, etc. If there are no visible spots left, this should suffice. For your laqué bag you can use a dry cloth.
If there are still spots, try using a leather cleaner, but the type of products depends on the kind of leather of your bag. Always try your product of choice on a piece of leather on the inside of the bag first!
If you have suede leather, try using a suede rubber to remove spots before you go all in with a cleaning product.
3. Moisturize
Just like our skin, leather needs some moisturizing to stay supple. If you don’t clean and moisturize, your leather will wrinkle and dry out overtime. But there’s a tricky part to this story… Some types of leather need a different approach!
Smooth, grained, metallic leather and printed leather matte
You can use a leather conditioner or cream to condition smooth and grained leather or the leather with a printed leather in matte version. A colorless cream is often enough to freshen up the shine. We don’t advise with a cream with added color to fill up scratches or revive worn-off items or spots.
Printed leather gloss
For our printed leather gloss you can’t use a regular spray or conditioner as with our smooth and grained leather, because it has the same topping as the laqué leather. This type of leather already has a coating that makes it water repellent. We provide an antistatic product for this kind of leather which ensures that the dirt is less likely to stick to your bag. Besides that the product will polish up the shine of your laqué again.
Suede
Never use shoe shine or shoe cream on suede! With suede leather, try using the rubber to remove spots.
Patent or laqué leather
This type of leather already has a coating that makes it water repellent. Don’t use any regular products on this type of leather. We provide an antistatic product for your laqué leather which ensures that the dirt is less likely to stick to your bag. Besides that the product will polish up the shine of your laqué again.
Fur
If you have an item that contains calf hair, make sure not to treat it with products. Just use a damp cloth to clean and maybe comb it a bit to get the hairs back into shape. Avoid friction or rubbing on this type of material by wearing it against clothing or petting it too much because it feels so soft ;-)
4. Protect
Protecting your leather is the last and most important step of the cleaning process.
Choose a PFAS/PFOS free spray to protect your leather from dirt and moisture. Respect drying time before you take your favorite item out or store it away safely.
Remember to NOT WATERPROOF patent/laqué leather and printer leather with a gloss! It will cause the leather to look dull and stained.
We suggest products of Collonil (1909) because we have tested this thoroughly. You can find our selection here. Of course, there are plenty of other brands and products that will be equally good.
Brush off dirt, dry off with a clean cloth and fill the bag with paper or dry cloths. All moisture and darker spots should dry out this way and the shape should be restored. Let it dry in a warmer place. Do not put it close to the heater or outside. The humidity and temperature level should be constant throughout the drying process to ensure minimum damage. Beware that drying time can take a while (almost a week), so be patient! Follow our TLC steps described above to condition and protect the leather for your next rainy adventure.
Please be extremely careful with perfume, sunscreen, and hand sanitizers. These chemical substances can make stains that can’t be treated or repaired.
Got a new pair of jeans? Always wash several times before wearing it next to your (light-colored) bag. Stains of jeans are impossible to remove. Try to avoid wearing a light coloured dress and a dark coloured bag to avoid staining your dress, especially if you recently treated your bag with leather care products.
We know it’s hard. You keep stuffing things inside your bag you think you’ll need throughout the day, but try not to overload it. Your bag will lose its shape if you do. Do not use your bag as a clothing rack either. The weight will have an effect on the shape of your bag and wear off the strap. If you don’t get everything in your bag, you will probably need a bigger one. We can for sure recommend you our Weekender bag ;-)
Try to open your bag with your fingers instead of your nails to avoid scratches that can’t be repaired. It’s not a good idea to put your bag next to the cat’s scratching post either ;-)
Once arrived at our Westerlo Flagship Store, we’ll have a look at what can be done to repair your item. Depending on the nature of the damage and the date of purchase, repair costs are calculated and communicated to you, before taking any further steps. Most of our repairs are sent to our atelier in Portugal (once a month) in order to maintain the same finishing and quality. As a result, the repair time takes at least 5 weeks. We will always keep you informed by email about the status of your repair.