The Quintessential List for Maintaining your Leather Handbag

It is all very well and good buying a lovely leather handbag as a treat but it should be taken into consideration that the leather needs the love, care and attention to keep it in good shape to maintain a fabulous look.  Despite leather being renowned for its durability and longevity, it does not mean that leather is completely resilient against the elements. Dents, providers of leather gloves and handbags, have collated a list of things that need to be done to make your leather hand bag a lifelong companion, for years of accessorising. These suggestions have been taken from a variety of sources to obtain a wide spectrum of ideas and the thought processes behind them. It is important to remember that leather differentiates vastly due to the nature of the material so do not fret if you have done any of the following. You will know for next time..

• Don’t use the leather hand bag in treacherous weather conditions as the intensive water can cause leather to swell.

• Be cautious when touching the leather after applying any make-up. The cosmetics will leave stains and discolouration on the bags and will affect to glamorous look of the bag
  
  
• When doing less glamorous chores such as supermarket shopping, choose a less glamorous bag. Mr Right is not going to be at your local Asda store is he!!

• Household chemicals should not be used to treat or clean the leather.
  
  
• Mineral spirits must be avoided to eliminate the chance of discolouration.

• A leather conditioning cream should be applied quarterly to aid the durability, shine and maintains the aesthetics of the leather handbag.
  
  
• Avoid using any waxes on softer leather, stick with conditioning oils. The condition of the leather will be affected and the leather will dry up in hot conditions.
  
  
• When storing your leather handbag, it is best to stay clear of plastic bags or compact wrapping, as dust can build along with harmful bacteria. It will cause discolouration and make the leather look ‘tired’.
  
  
• It is best to store the leather handbag in something with air ventilation such as a pillowcase; this also prevents the leather from being exposed to dirt or dust.
  
  
• To maintain the shape of the leather hand bag, then it is advised to stuff the empty bag with tissue paper.
  
  
• There are a number of protective sprays available and it not advised to purchase a protective spray, but a must purchase and it will reduce stains from all of the elements.

I do believe that this is the quintessential list for leather conditioning; however, do not forget that despite needing to look after the leather on the handbag that there are plenty more handbags out there with your name on, and that your current handbag may need companionship! With a variety of styles and colours out there, it may be the case that one leather handbag might not be enough, so go a treat yourself. Remember treat yourself as well as you treat you leather.