Eight tips on taking care of your leather bag

By taking good care of your leather bag, the accessory will last much longer. In this article we give you eight practical tips to care for your bag in the right way. It's a guarantee that you will enjoy your Maes & Hills handbag, travel bag, backpack or briefcase for many years to come if you read all the tips in this article.

#1 Spray your leather bag well before use

Thoroughly spray your Maes & Hills leather bag with a moisture and dirt repellent spray before use. This spray provides a protective layer on the bag. With the moisture and dirt repellent spray you don't have to worry that the leather will be damaged when you're out in the rain with your bag.

Extra tip: spray your bag with the moisture and dirt repellent spray once a year. The protective layer that is formed by this spray will of course not last forever. You have to keep thoroughly spraying your bag to keep protecting it. If you do this once a year you will be certain that you are protecting your bag well and that your leather bag will last much longer.

#2 Regularly wipe down your bag with a damp cloth

Gently wipe down the leather with a slightly damp cloth if you want to take care of your bag on a daily basis. Please note: the cloth should be free from soap residue because soap residue might damage the leather.

You buff your bag with a damp cloth to remove dust from the leather. You can also use a damp cloth to clean your bag when there is a bit of sand on it. Please do not actually wet the leather with the cloth.

#3 Treat your bag with a protective care product

We recommend that you treat your bag with a protective leather care product two to three times a year. It depends on the type of leather that your bag is made from which care product you should use to treat your bag.

The label of the leather care product has all the information how to use this product. Read the manual carefully because only then will you use the leather care product in the right way.

#4 Keep your leather bag out of the sun

Leather is a natural product. What most people don't know is that leather can get damaged by long term exposure to the sun. Sun contains UV-light and this light is not good for leather. Keep your bag therefore out of the sun as much as possible.

Are you spending the day at an outdoor café and want to take you Maes & Hills leather bag with you? Put the bag under your table or under your chair. If your bag is in the shade then you don't have to worry that the leather will be damaged by the bright sunlight. When you go to the beach it's better to take a beach bag. Not only because the light can damage your leather bag but also because your bag may get dirty from the sand on the beach. The leather might get even more damaged if you get salt seawater on your bag. It's therefore best if you leave your bag at home when you go to the beach.

#5 Avoid the heater

Not only sunlight but also the heat of the heather can damage the leather of your bag. If you leave your bag against a heater for a longer time the leather will dry out. The leather will not only become less supple but it will also look less nice. Therefore never put your bag against the heater, especially not for a longer time.

Is your bag wet, because you have cycled in the rain for example? Just let it dry naturally. Under no circumstances put your bag against the heater to speed up the drying process.

#6 Removing stains from your leather bag

Even if you're very careful a stain can get on the leather of your bag. Stains on leather are best removed by first patting the stain dry with a tissue or a clean cotton cloth, such as a tea towel. Then you can wipe your bag down with a damp cloth. Please note: do not rub the stain in a violent way because you'll rub the stain into the leather. If this happens it's almost impossible to remove the stain.

#7 Removing stubborn stains

Do you have a stubborn stain on your leather bag? We recommend you don't remove this stain yourself. If you set to work with all sorts of cleaning products there is a big chance that you'll only make the stain worse. A stubborn stain is therefore best removed by an expert.

When you have rubbed the stain in the leather by accident, it's still better to bring your bag to an expert. The expert will see if s/he can remove the stain.

#8 Avoid chemical cleaning agents

We strongly discourage you to use chemical cleaning agents (such as acetone, turpentine and all-purpose cleaners) to clean your leather bag. Chemical cleaning agents might work on other surfaces but have a negative effect on the lifespan of leather. It is therefore better not to use these products if you want to clean your bag. Solvents should also be avoided when cleaning your bag, seeing that these products also damage the leather.