How to Care for Your Leather Bag?

Conditioning leather is a practice that can help you keep your beautiful leather bags looking great.

Why Condition Your Fine Leather Goods?

So here are 3 reasons why I think you need to condition your leather bag to keep it looking great.

1. To Lubricate the Leather Fibers

Imagine the cross section of leather. The fibers are randomly crisscrossed, fit together and bend in harmony. This is what makes leather a uniquely strong and supple material. As these fibers dry, the harmonic bending becomes more like a bunch of little saws rubbing against each other. Not good!

So when you apply leather conditioner to your leather bag, the fibers absorb it. They absorb the lubricant and moisture to keep the fit and bend, just like gloves (leather gloves).

But it's also important to condition enough but not too often. Leather fibers only need to absorb so much lubrication. At moisture levels above 25 %, the fibers will not absorb, swell and damage the leather.  

2. Protect the Leather Surface from Stains.

Many leather bags have little or no finish protection on the top of the leather. The beautiful feel, smell and look of natural leather comes from allowing the natural beauty to show through without much surface color. The problem is that most exposed leather fibers are very water absorbent. Therefore, adding a good leather conditioning product to the surface will also create a protective barrier for the absorbent leather fibers.  

In fact, some beautiful leathers are made by spraying or rubbing wax or oil on the surface of the leather. Over the years, this leather, known as lead-up, has needed to be re-waxed/oiled to keep the fibers protected.  

3. To Change the Shine of the Leather.

Finally, leather conditioners or conditioning oils can deepen the color of the leather and create a beautiful shine. Because you can use many conditioning products, your bag can have your unique look. While protecting the fibers from damage.

How Should I Apply It?

The following points should be noted when using leather conditioner.
Place the conditioner on a soft, lint-free cloth, not directly on the leather.  
Use circular motions to rub the conditioner evenly over the entire leather panel or part of the leather. 
Lightly rub the surface of the leather with a soft, dry cloth and condition.
Allow the leather to air dry for a few hours before using the hand bag.

How Often Should You Condition?

Normal leather conditioning needs to be done 2 times a year. There are a few important exceptions.

Dry Heat- If your bag is constantly in the sun, in a hot car or anywhere dry and hot, you will need to condition it more often than usual. 3-4 times or more, as the leather looks dry, this will help keep the moisture content and the bag safe and soft for many years
Pull-Up Leather bag- The waxes and oils added to the surface of Pull-Up leather will wear off as you use the bag. Once they are gone, the leather fibers are exposed to wear and grime. Therefore, re-waxing the leather with a good conditioner is essential for the protection and beauty of the leather.