How to Clean, Condition, and Waterproof Celine Handbags
The original inspiration for this post is a story I first shared on The Purse Forum several months ago. Since that time, I have gathered more info about how to protect, condition, waterproof, and just generally keep your Celine bag of choice looking fabulous.
There was a GREEN stain/spot on a VERY light-colored Celine Mini I have, and it is one I plan on selling. I had taken it to show Jane Yoon, my Nordstrom SA at the time, and discovered the spot then. I FREAKED. The bag had been stored fpor quite a while, so I am not sure why it was there--it was faint, but STILL!
Jane briskly appears with a tissue dabbed with something on it, and wipes the bag. The spot disappears! I asked her what was on the tissue: CHANEL EYE MAKEUP REMOVER!!!!
Turns out she had heard from a Celine rep that this works. . .they had been there just before my arrival. So, I thought I would share that with you guys in case you ever had a similar scenario (God Forbid!)
Here is another secret weapon, this one for Box Bags: La Mer moisturizing cream can be effective in restoring a bag's luster and removing surface marks and superficial scratches! Yet another awesome SA told me about this, and says many women who sample the cream in the store will gently rub any extra cream remaining on their hands onto their fine leather bags. The SAs use it specifically on Celine Box Bags to buff out any marks from handling. Who would have thunk... ?
Last but not least, carrying baby wipes at all times is a must, as they can work wonders. I have seen them remove coffee stains and even flecks of styrofoam that adhered to a bag due to heat during shipment, as well as generally buff out surface marks.
RECOMMENDED LEATHER-CARE PRODUCTS
Don't be afraid to use your beautiful new bag! There are products you can use to help PREVENT scratching, but on unfinished leather it is inevitable that you will incur some.
Nevertheless, most may be surface ones you can rub out with a balm, like Cadillac, Apple Leather Care, Colonil, or Meguiare's leather care (which is actually for auto seats--great for tough stains but can leave a residue on lighter bags). Your local shoe/acessory shop may recommend a good product also.
Remember, it's not china, it is leather, so it is durable enought to USE! Way too pretty to keep boxed up! However, if eye makeup remover and expensive moisturizing cream make you too nervous, try one of these:
Collonil Leather Gel and Classic Waterstop + UV Protection Spray
Cadillac Shoe Care and Leather Products for overall care(Waterproofing)
Bick 4 Conditioner to keep bags looking good in general
Apple Leather Care products (conditioner for moisturizing, spot cleaner to remove stains)
Meguiare's leather care
Meltonian for cleaning
Vectra for waterproofing
RECOMMENDATIONS TO FOLLOW WHEN USING PRODUCTS ON YOUR BAG
- Always test a product on a tiny spot on the bag to see results before applying to the entire bag.
- Do not treat every bag the same way. Some products work great on calfskin or box leather, but would not be advisable for use on exotics.
- Condition natural leather bags prior to use, but only waterproof pebbled leather or drummed calfskin
- Waterproof a bag when it is new, and then stick to conditioning and cleaning as needed.
CLEANING AND CARING FOR SUEDE HANDBAGS
So, how do you to protect, clean, and remove stains from suede Celine bags?
- Apply a protectant
- Brush regularly with a firm, stiff brush
- Clean with an unscented baby wipe
- Use a dry eraser to remove stains
- Keep it dry and stuff with tissue when not using
RESOURCES
eHow Style in the UK had the best information I could find.
This video actually demonstrates step-by-step how to remove stains and clean a suede bag: How To Clean A Suede Handbag
Here is a link that tells you step-by-step how to keep your colored suede bag looking perfect and remove stains: How to Clean Colored Suede
I hope people who have experience with both suede and leather bags and products, or knows of other "secrets" or just common-sense knowledge about caring for different types or styles of bags will post.
No comments:
Post a Comment