Ten tips to make your leather apparel or handbag last a long time

I've done a few posts/videos on how to care for your shoes and handbags and I mainly still use the same products.  Now that it's becoming rainy season again, it's really important to remember to re-spray your leather and suede so that it's protected from the weather.

I do get a lot of questions regarding leather care and I'm really not an expert either so am always looking out for good tips.  I recently got these leather care tips from Professional Leather Cleaners Association and thought they were helpful so wanted to pass them along.  This is helpful for all your leather goods; clothes, shoes and handbags.


Leather ages gracefully and can last a lifetime with the proper care right from the start;

• Always hang leather garments on wide or padded hangers to maintain their shape. Use shoetrees in footwear and stuff empty handbags with tissue to help retain their shape.
• Never store leather goods in plastic or other non-breathable covers. This will cause leather to become dry.
• Allow wet or damp leather to air-dry naturally away from any direct heat source. Leather can be treated with a conditioner to restore flexibility while suede can be brushed with a terry towel to restore its look.
• In winter, promptly remove salt deposits from garments and footwear by sponging with water; follow with the above treatment for wet or damp leather.
• Avoid very humid and dry environments as well as direct sunlight.
• Do not use waxes, silicone products or other leather preparations that will impair a garment’s ability to breathe.
• Wrinkles should hang out. If ironing is desired, set iron on rayon setting, use heavy brown wrapping paper as a pressing cloth on right side of the garment and a quick hand to prevent overheating and shine.
• Avoid spraying perfumes or hair sprays while wearing your garment and do not apply pins, adhesive badges or tape. Wearing a scarf at the neckline will help keep hair and body oil away from the collar.
• Hems may be fixed with a tiny amount of rubber cement. For best results, see a leather care professional.
• All products formulated for at-home use should be tested on an inconspicuous part of the garment.

For more information about the PLCA and to find a professional leather cleaner near you, go to their website at: www.professionalleathercleaners.org.

Go to my post here for my video on how to care for your shoes - resoling and cleaning

Hopefully some of these tips help!  I know how important it is since we tend to spend a good amount on our leather items so want to keep them looking great for a long time.

The products that I use and recommend are the Garde' Rain & Stain Repellant which does a great job of protecting from the rain.  Just remember to re-spray your items every few months or so or depending on how bad the weather is when you took it out.  And to keep it looking like new I use the Apple Brand - Leather Conditioner Care which I've used on most all my bags and shoes and it definitely cleans them up and keeps them pretty looking!

I did some research on The Purse Forum and it looks like a lot of the Chanel girls recommend the Meltonian Leather Lotion.  I haven't used it myself yet but based on TPF recommendations it definitely seems like a good one to use as well.

This post is not sponsored, just thought it would be helpful!