New Year - New Bag Routine

Sorority Sisters & Misters! 
Happy New Year! I hope all of your bag dreams come true in 2025 🫶🏻

One of the questions I get asked frequently is how to take care of your dream bag so it lives a beautiful, long life. Here are a few tips and tricks for keeping your bags clean, conditioned, and looking good 24/7.

1. Water Wipes Save …Bags!

If you spill a little or notice your mono canvas is a little dingy, grab a water wipe and wipe it down - take care to not get the leather trim wet.
Don’t drench it. Think - wiping ice cream off of your toddler’s face. Gentle but thorough.
This will easily clean off the surface and keep your bag looking well maintained. You can find these wipes at any big box store - the key is no scents, alcohol or other harsh chemicals. 

2. Invest in a Bag Organizer

Please - don’t add a new bag to your collection without this necessary life saver. There is a reason I ship all of my reimagined vintage bags out with a complimentary new bag organizer - I am just that big of a fan!

Too often we have a sanitizer/lotion spill, pen leak, or lipstick pop open while tossed in our bag. Make no mistake - any and all of these will stain that inside lining. Once stained, it’s really hard to get the inside lining clean and sparkling again. It makes even a new bag feel overly worn and doesn’t feel special like it should. 

Prevent this inevitable staining from the start by putting in a sized bag organizer inside. If the organizer gets dirty, you can take it out and clean it. They are made of a variety of fabrics, but most often felt.  Bonus? Extra pockets and sometimes even zipper compartments are a part of the bag organizer, and the stiffness helps your bag keep its shape and not dome out at the bottom -I’m looking at you, Speedy line. 

You can buy organizers by size and color specific to your bag on big box websites and a crafting website that start with the letter E, and they are priced around $30-$40. Well worth it! 

3. Rotate!

I like to use a bag for no more than 4-5 weeks before rotating. This gives the leather a chance to recover and extends its life. It also gives me a chance to switch up my look for the season. 

4. Proper Storage

When storing your bag, make sure to keep it in a dry, dark place - closet shelves are great. Keep it in your dust bag, but make sure that it isn’t stifled. As a natural material, leather likes to breathe and stay dry. Take care that it doesn’t get too dry that you have cracking issues - I’ll cover that in our next section! Most importantly, make sure that your storage place is out of the direct sunlight, because your leather can and will get “sunburned” and your coated canvas can also become discolored, faded, or damaged prematurely. 

If you live in a particular humid environment and are the proud owner of multiple leather bags, consider a small dehumidifier for your closet. Just like when you get out of the bathtub and your skin is “wrinkly,” this can and will happen to your bags if exposed to high humidity for extended periods. 

I store my bags “stuffed” to maintain their shape. Bag organizers help with this as well. This prevents creasing and keeps the bag in better condition. 

5. Quarterly Maintenance - Conditioning

I know it sounds crazy, but set a date on your calendar and make this happen. Any leather conditioner will work, although I prefer the type that is the color and consistency of hair conditioner. I find that oily type conditioners are too much for a well maintained bag. You can find handbag specific leather conditioners on any big box website for under $20, and one bottle will last you all year with multiple bags. 

I apply with a clean microfiber towel, or my personal favorite - my fingertips. I find fingertips to be easiest because it’s harder to overly saturate your bag that way, and you can really get every part of the trim or hard to reach places.

When conditioning, it is so important that you don’t drench your leather. Remember what I said about the bathtub? Leather is sturdy, but can be a bit temperamental when treated poorly.

Put the conditioner on your towel or fingers first, and then massage over your leather trim, handles, and other leather parts of your bag. This will also help you apply evenly so you don’t get any dark spots. Don’t rub, just massage. You’ll see the conditioner absorbed rather quickly and the leather will likely get darker - don’t worry. It will dry back down to the color it was.

Let your bag dry completely, out of the sun, before putting away. 
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Have a vintage designer bag that is in disrepair? Send me a message and let’s see if we can fix it and give it some new life! 
xo - Rachel