Ok, so you just invested a few months worth of income into the handbag of your dreams. Now you need to learn how to clean a luxury handbag and how to keep it in perfect shape! I don’t keep all of my designer handbags–selling and trading for new ones that excite me as seasons change. The key to getting the most from a handbag is to keep it in great condition. I have had bags in the past that I sold for 3 or 4 times more than I paid from them. I paid my mortgage this way during the great recession, landscaped my front yard, paid for college and traveled on a few dozen trips from cleaning out my closet.
Back in the day, I was part of a purse collectors group called ALVA we all loved the Multicolor Louis Vuitton that had just launched but it was a real pain to keep clean. I learned so many tips from those girls back then. It is where I first learned about Fashionphile-the premier reseller of designer bags- who back then was just an eBay seller. Today they are a huge company that I use to find sold-out bags and to sell bags I just don’t have that lovin feeling for anymore.
8 Tips on How to Clean a Luxury Handbag
- Keep bags away from denim, books, magazines, basically anything that can transfer to the leather. I have had a ton of Louis Vuitton Vernis leather wrecked this way. I keep most of my bags up off the floor, too!
- Store bags full of tissue paper or bubble wrap to help keep the shape.
- Keep your zippers working smoothly by running a piece of natural beeswax over a zipper’s open teeth.
- Avoid the rain or pool/beach. Most leathers will spot in the rain; my Hermes Birkin even came with a rain cover!
- Regularly clean the exterior of your bag. Weekly: wipe the exterior of your bag with a lent free cloth. Monthly: Wipe bags clean with Fashionphile Clean Protect Renew to remove any stains or dirt. Follow up with the Total Leather Care conditioner.
- Store bags in the dust covers. This helps keep the leather from scratching or drying out.
- Store bags on a shelf not on hangers! A hanger can stretch out handles or worse warp them into a weird shape. I keep all my bags on lower shelves in my closet to keep them away from the heat of the top shelves.
- Use cosmetic bags or small clutch to hold anything that might leak in your bag. I keep pens, perfumes, and lipsticks in a small cosmetic pouch.
Do you own any luxury handbags? Share in a comment below!
See more handbag tips here.
And if you are enjoying this post the best thing you can do to support me is by sharing this edition with a friend who might enjoy it too. Or sign up for our newsletter for a weekly update + exclusive features. Looking for more shop/Monterey news I have a separate newsletter for that. Sign up here.
Shop The Latest Finds Now
The following content may contain affiliate links. When you click and shop the links, we receive a commission.
