Over the years, I’ve invested in several luxury leather handbags. Because they’re made of high quality materials, they’re usually quite durable. A designer handbag resale value increases over time, making them a great investment. But the key to keeping them a great investment is how well you care for a leather handbag. Today, I’m sharing my tips on how to care for luxury leather bags.

Two of my most used designer bags are the YSL Camera Bag and the Gucci Soho Disco Bag. I wrote an in-depth review and comparison of them in this post HERE.

Favorite Leather Designer Handbags

How to Care for Luxury Leather Bags

When I’m investing in luxury leather bags, I consider the design of the bag. Does it have a trendy design that could go out of style quickly?

I typically leans towards classic designs that have a timeless look and will last for years to come. I also try to stick to more neutral colors, so that I can carry with a variety of outfits.

Lastly, I consider the size. Will it hold everything I need it to hold?

Because designer pieces are expensive, you want to make sure the bag checks all the boxes for your personal style and practical needs before purchasing.

How to Clean Luxury Leather Bags

The first step in proper care for a luxury leather bag is how you clean them. There’s a science to how you should clean your leather handbags – and honestly this goes for most anything made of leather.

Remove a Stain with a Cloth

Before you start to clean your leather bag, the first thing you want to do is wash your hands. Leather easily absorbs oil and grease, and you don’t want to add fuel to the fire with oil from your hands.

Next, take a clean, soft cloth and blot the area to absorb the liquid/stain. If you find that the stain isn’t coming out with a dry towel, lightly dampen the cloth with warm water and blot the area.

Avoid using any harsh solvents and cleaners that have rubbing alcohol in them or aren’t specifically for leather. These can damage the leather or alter the coloring of it.

Remove a Stain with a Leather Cleaner

If the damp cloth isn’t doing the trick, you can use a cleaner that’s specifically formulated for leather products like THIS ONE or THIS ONE. Apply in circular motions and let the cleaner sit on the stain. I use an old t-shirt to buff it in most of the time. Then, wipe off with a dry or lightly damp cloth.

Allow to Dry Naturally

Allow your leather handbag to dry naturally. Never use a hair dryer or put in direct sunlight. Artificially drying leather products can discolor or damage the integrity of the leather.

How to Condition a Leather Bag

Apply a Leather Moisturizer

Another important step in your leather care routine is to apply a leather moisturizer or conditioner to keep the leather from drying out.

You can apply the conditioner with a soft cloth like you would when you apply the cleaner. Again, I use an old t-shirt, and seems to do the trick just fine. Gently rub the conditioner on the entire bag in circular motions.

Consider the Humidity Where You Live

If you live in a particularly dry climate, you may need to condition your bag more often than someone who lives in a humid climate. If it’s dryer in the winter where you live, it might be best to condition your bags once a month, when it’s more dry outside.

Keep Out of Direct Water or Sunlight Exposure

Another important maintenance tip is to keep you leather handbags out of direct sunlight or water exposure like rain. These two elements can cause damage and discoloration to your leather pieces.

If you’re leather does get saturated with water from the rain. Simply wipe away the excess water and allow to air dry.

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How to Store Your Leather Handbag

Stuff with Bubble Wrap

Because leather is soft, it typically doesn’t hold it’s shape well on its own. When you’re not using your handbag, stuff it with bubble wrap to hold its shape. You can also wrap the metal hardware with tissue paper to avoid scratches.

Store in a Dust Bag

After you stuff it with bubble wrap, place it in its dust bag that the leather bag came with. If the leather bag didn’t come with a dust bag. You can buy one online or a pillowcase works well too. Don’t store your leather designer bag in a plastic bag as the plastic can sometimes stick to the leather and cause damage to it.

Keep Them in a Temperature-Controlled Environment

You want to store your bags in a temperature-controlled environment – a dark, dry place is best. If you don’t carry your luxury bags often, be sure to get them out of their dust bags every so often to air out and let them breath to avoid mold growth.

Store with Silica Gel Packets

For extra precaution, I like to include silica gel packets instead my dust bags and one inside the bag itself. This helps absorb any excess moisture in and around the bag.

Using these tips to properly care for your luxury leather handbags will keep them looking good as new.

Do you have a leather luxury handbag? What’s your best maintenance tips? Let me know in the comments below!

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