Our Leather

The first step is to identify which type of leather we are treating.  The type of leather determines the type of care that is required.  We group our materials into three broad categories:  grain and nappa (Backpack: Roma, Purse: Lila, Purse: Nido in nude), fantasy (patent leather, snake y and crocodile print) and greased (the Nido purses in brown and black). 

For all of the models periodically it’s important to remove the dust and clean them superficially. For the first two categories we recommend using a barely wet cloth. The idea is neither to wet, nor to wash the purse, rather to remove the dirt that accumulates over time and which may eventually dry the material.  If it is a greased leather it is important that the cleaning cloth is dry. 

In the case of patent leather, since it has a layer that is waterproof, we can use glass cleaner to shine it and remove marks. Yes, it  does sound strange; but it works!

Once the bag has been cleaned, we suggest nourishing the leather with a cream that will return the original moisture—it’s important not to forget that in reality it’s skin and it behaves in the same way. This applies for all of the leathers except nubuk which stains and the fantasy leathers which don’t require moisturizing. 

Possible moisturiser: Nivea cream (the classic cream, colorless and very thick), vaseline and  ointments in the shoe care aisle of any supermarket. One thing to keep in mind, the cream must be colorless because if not it will alter the color of the original finish that the product was given.  

It is also an option to use colorless silicone, such as the one that is used to shine furniture, which will serve as a layer of protection. The product should be applied to a cleaning cloth and then passed over the leather. It should never be sprayed directly onto the leather. Ideally this should be repeated every six months.

What to avoid

As the saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.  Frequently we see handbags that are stained with ink from pens (either because they have exploded in the bag or because the cap came off), for that reason we always recommend keeping objects that might stain in a pouch or cosmetics case, and even better if the case is waterproof.   This also applies to hand sanitizer and essential oils:  leather absorbs everything and this means that one spill will guarantee a stain. 

Our bags can resist an occasional rainstorm, but it ‘s important to avoid them becoming drenched (one tip is to put the backpack in front of us when we are in the street with an umbrella, they will be less exposed this way). In case it happens that the leather gets overly wet we recommend absorbing the excess of water with a towel and letting it dry naturally (without a hair dryer or stove). Another possibility is to soften the leather with our hands so that it doesn’t tighten up.  When it’s completely dry, leather moisturizing cream can be applied.  

Storage

Ideally, if we aren’t using a handbag or backpack we should empty it (check that there are no lipsticks, perfumes or pens that can stain it) fill it so that it doesn’t lose its form (never with newspaper because it dries out the leather; the best is something soft like cloth) and put it in a cloth case like the totes that come with each purchase from muss.  In the case of patent leather,  the products cannot be stored one on top of another because the colors will migrate from one to the other.  As a general rule, store in bags in a dry place where there is no humidity to avoid mold developing.

Sometimes, even taking all these precautions things can happen, so in our next post we will discuss what to do with stains and scratches.  Meanwhile you can always email us or write to us on social media and we will always be there to help you 🙂