Do you treat your leather purse as your ultimate style accessory that gets you noticed and gives you confidence? If your answer is “yes,” you should give your leather purse the care it deserves. With proper care, you’ll be able to keep your beautiful leather purse for a very long time. Your purse is like a magical helper that stores your most wanted items. A lipstick before your conference meeting, breath mints before a date, a box of cookies when you are stuck in a party and food hasn’t been served… the list of useful items a purse can hold is endless.
Your leather purse has accompanied you through thick and thin. How about giving it a break? Consider it something like a spa treatment. If you’ve been searching for the answer to your question, “How to condition a leather purse,” you have come to the right place. The only two products you need for restoring your purse’s original shine are a leather conditioner and cream polish. A few circular motions with a chamois cloth will make your leather purse as good as new. From stains to cracks and faded corners, you can fix everything with a little conditioner.
How to Condition a Leather Purse in 5 Simple Steps
There are plenty of reasons for leather being the most coveted and beautiful material. For one, it has a unique feel. Secondly, it’s durable. Third, it can last for a long time when cared for properly. The good news is that you can easily extend its lifespan with regular cleaning. Just like the way a hair conditioner helps make your hair smooth and shiny, a leather conditioner does the same for your purse.
Following are five steps on how to condition your leather purse:
What You Will Need
- A microfiber cloth
- A chamois cloth
- Soap and water
- Leather conditioner
- Leather cream polish
- Horsehair brush
- Bubble wrap
- Natural-fabric pillowcase
1. General Cleaning
A light cleaning is highly recommended before conditioning your leather purse. If you haven’t previously dusted your purse, there’s likely a layer of months of grime and dust on it. Pick up the microfiber cloth and wipe the purse. *Do this once a week to avoid any leather cracks.
In a small bowl, mix water and two drops of liquid soap. Dip the microfiber cloth in it and squeeze out the excess water. Make sure that the soap is organic, or the chemicals in the soap will dry out the leather. Once cleaned, gently tap with a dry cloth to make sure that there’s no moisture left. Your purse is not ready to be conditioned.
2. Condition Your Purse
A leather conditioner with beeswax and mink oil as ingredients is the best. Beeswax has a consistency akin to soft butter. It glides over the leather’s surface and restores shine. It also acts as a leather softener and protector. Make sure to choose a leather conditioner that does not have any dyes, petroleum, or perfumes. A single coat of leather conditioner will protect your bag for six months.
The reason why we recommend using a chamois cloth for the polish over the microfiber cloth is that the latter will absorb the conditioner. The former cloth will push the conditioner around on the surface so that you can rub it into the material.
- Pour a small amount of leather conditioner on the chamois cloth and rub it into the leather using small circular loops with firm pressure. This massaging motion will work the conditioner into the leather and nourish the material.
- If you see that extra shine on the surface anywhere,clean the excess conditioner from a dry corner of the cloth.
- Allow the conditioner 15 to 20 minutes to dry so that material absorbs it completely.
- Lastly, use a horsehair brush to buff up the leather. This brush will remove any excess cream left in the crevices and give the leathera
- If you still feel the surface is a bit waxy to touch,spray water on a microfiber cloth and give the leather purse the last wipe. Don’t worry; this won’t remove the conditioner.
3. Use the Leather Cream Polish
If you have a leather shoe polish, that will work well too. However, it’s unlikely that the color of the shoe polish will match that of your purse. Choose a leather cream polish made with beeswax and a blend of different seed oils. This will not only heal the material but also remove any signs of scratches and fill up the cracks.
Make sure to test the polish underneath the purse first. A few polishes darken over time so wait at least half an hour to see the results. If the color matches the purse, proceed with polishing it entirely. The best thing about a leather cream polish is that it seals the material and prevents and stains from coming on to your clothing. Use the same method explained above for conditioning the purse.
4. Stuff the Purse With Bubble Wrap
The conditioner and cream both make your leather soft, which is a great thing. This will prevent any cracks from appearing on your purse. However, this gives the purse room to mold into itself. So, the next thing you should do is stuff the purse with bubble wrap. Don’t use newspapers because the ink on it will stain the lining.
5. Store the Purse in a Natural-Fabric Pillowcase
Finally, store your purse in a natural-fabric pillowcase. The softness of this material won’t rub on the leather and keep it scratch-free. Place the wrapped package in a box and throw in a few silica gel packets to keep the purse dry and fresh.
Our Final Thoughts on How to Condition a Leather Purse
Taking care of your leather purse is pretty easy. All you need is the right products, and your purse will last a lifetime. Once your leather purse has been polished and safely stored in your closet, don’t forget to keep up with the maintenance. Air your bag at least once every two weeks, and wipe it with a damp microfiber cloth to preserve its shine.
