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How to Properly Clean and Maintain a Leather Backpack
n office trip, a vacation, or your daily gym visits require one essential item— a reliable bag to carry essentials. Leather has long been the top choice for bags. Its timeless appeal is undeniable. With proper care, a leather backpack can remain a distinguished accessory for years.
The durability of leather is well-known, but maintaining its aesthetic appeal and strength requires the right products and care. Read on to understand how to keep your leather bags in perfect condition.
Identifying Your Leather Type
When you shop for leather accessories, you are most likely to spend some time feeling the material— how it looks, its smoothness, pattern, and much more. Whether it is a backpack, a messenger, or even a wallet, it is necessary to understand the leather type. This helps in taking care of the product well.
Not all leather is the same. Different types such as full-grain, top-grain, and suede have different textures, stretchability, and features. Hence, their care regimens differ.
Full-grain Leather
Known for its natural sheen due to its oils, full-grain leather needs to be cleaned with mild cleansers. No hard rubs, or harsh detergents, just gentle strokes with a mild cleaner. Light oiling with coconut or neatsfoot oils once a few months will help maintain its luster.
Top-grain Leather
They have pronounced texture hence, avoid exposing the top-grain leather to harsh sunlight and excess heat or moisture. Wiping down with a soft cloth dipped in mildly soapy water will do the trick. Follow it with air dry and store it.
Suede Leather
Suede is the sensitive child of the lot. It is easily scratched, and prone to damage by water. Care products like leather balms and greases don’t go too well with suede. Using a light microfiber wipe, gentle use, and safe storage is the way to go about with suede leather.
Choosing the right type of leather depending on your use will help keep them safe and clean for longer. This will also make it easier to maintain.
Gathering the Necessary Supplies
Investing in a good leather backpack is just the first step. Proper maintenance requires the right tools. Here’s a list of essentials to keep your backpack in good condition:
Leather Cleaner
Opt for pH-balanced leather cleaners like Lexol. They maintain the pH of the leather, keeping it supple. The foaming action helps remove dirt ensuring a thorough clean. Avoid home remedies like vinegar in water as they can damage the leather in the long run.
Microfiber Cloth
Use quality microfiber cloths. They are soft on the leather and manage to remove most dirt without excessive scrubbing.
Soft Brush
This helps you reach all the nooks and crannies of your bag without any scratches.
Leather Conditioner
It helps prevent cracking and drying during the hotter months. It is vital to condition your leather, in summer, to maintain its look and feel.
Quality cleaning supplies are invaluable for the long life of your leather backpack.
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Pre-Cleaning Preparation
Before starting your deep clean there are a few preparatory steps to consider:
Emptying Contents
Sharp items such as keys, cords, and cables can pierce or scratch the surface as you clean. Therefore, do a thorough check within the bag before cleaning. Ensure to empty everything and only then begin the cleaning process.
Removing Surface Dirt
With a soft brush or microfibre cloth ensure to clean the bag. This helps to bring major stains to light. It also prevents you from applying too much cleaner over the surface and excessive scrubbing.
Testing the Cleaner
Try the cleaners and conditioners on a small portion of your leather before using it. Pick a fairly hidden spot, to avoid drastic color or texture variation.
Proper preparation for cleaning ensures that your backpack remains neat and undamaged, practically making it timeless.
Detailed Cleaning Process
Taking time out to conduct a deep cleaning of your leather backpack is unavoidable for its longevity.
Applying the Cleaner
Dilute the cleaner if necessary and take a small amount on a microfiber cloth. Apply it evenly across the surface of your bag in a circular motion. Cover small sections at a time, and apply an overcoat on marks or scratches. It is important not to oversaturate the cleaner as too little or too much can damage the bags.
Cleaning Straps and Bottom
While cleaning the body of the leather bags, we often forget to clean the bottom. In the case of detachable straps, it is best to remove them and clean them thoroughly. Zippers or flaps also need to be cleaned with suitable products that do not tarnish the metal or damage the velcro.
Dealing with Stubborn Stains
Grime and stains can accumulate due to regular use. To remove these use a non-harsh chemical cleaner. This helps to avoid any damage to the leather. Regular light wipes can help prevent excessive staining from occurring.
Careful cleaning is crucial to ensure that your backpack can be used and styled frequently.
Drying and Buffing
Proper drying prevents moisture retention, which can lead to mold and cracking:
Air Drying
Let the bag air dry at room temperature. Using articles like driers or placing them in direct sunlight to speed up drying can cause unwanted damage. If exposed to heat, leather can crack. If not dried well, the retained moisture can cause mold within or on the bag, making it unusable. Air drying keeps the bag in perfect condition.
Buffing the Leather
Thick coats of cleaner or conditioner can leave residue making the bag sticky. Buffing the leather using a soft cloth can prevent the same. It removes the residue, avoiding any reaction on the leather. Letting the buffed leather bag sit overnight will let it regain its natural sheen.
Regular Maintenance and Storage
Your leather backpack deserves all the care it needs to be in perfect shape. Proper conditioning and aftercare can help maintain the leather. Spacious storage will protect it from crumpling or stretching.
Conditioning Frequency
It is best to condition leather bags including duffle bags and backpacks once every few months. Too much conditioning can cause inconsistent patching, loss of color, and flaking of the skin. The conditioner should only be used in moderate amounts. Ensure to purchase a leather conditioner as any other abrasive conditioner can damage your bag.
Proper Storage
Cool and dry storage is necessary for leather bags. A loose dust bag or breathable fabric can be used while storing. Do not stuff or store your leather bag in plastic covers. It might lead to creases in leather and loss of shape.
Maintenance and storage are key factors contributing to a leather bag’s health.
Troubleshooting Common Issues
In a busy life, one might not always be able to take the gentle approach. Here’s how you can mitigate common shortcomings like scratches or build-up.
Treating Scratches
Light scratches can be covered up by fillers or polish. But what about deeper ones? It is best to seek professional help when dealing with significant leather scratches. One can purchase non-toxic, leather repair kits for immediate scratch treatment too.
Preventing Mold
A wet leather backpack needs to air-dry thoroughly. If not, they are highly susceptible to mold. The same applies to damp storage spaces. They promote the development of mold at an incredible rate.
Learning simple hacks like these can help you protect your leather backpack from further damage.
Get Your Leather Backpack From WP Standard
Now that you know how to go about cleaning and maintaining your leather backpack, it is time to implement. Invest in good quality backpacks, and care products to flaunt them for years.
WP Standard offers a stellar range of premium quality leather backpacks, duffle bags, messenger bags, totes and so much more. Our leather backpacks come in varieties like Midland and Ellis. We offer size and color variations in the best quality leather, with clasps and closures of high-quality materials.
Explore our shop to find your true leather love today!
