Over time, dirt, dust, and grime from its surroundings can collect on your purse’s exterior and interior. The oils from your skin can also cause the materials to deteriorate and items may spill on or inside of it. Luckily, knowing how to clean your purse properly can keep your designer bag in like-new condition. 

Cleaning Your Designer Purse, Step by Step 

Cleaning your designer purse incorrectly can permanently damage it and care must be taken. Here is a general overview of how you should clean your designer handbag’s interior, exterior, and hardware.

Designer Purse Interior Cleaning 

1. Remove all of your belongings from your purse.

2. Flip the bag upside down and shake it to get rid of any loose debris.

3. Turn the liner inside out and use a lint roller to remove any other dirt or dust.

4. Go over the liner using a vacuum with the brush attachment to remove any debris you may have missed.

*If your bag’s interior doesn’t have a liner, is unable to be turned inside out or is made of leather, instead of inverting your bag, we recommend using a lint roller, tweezers and the vacuum with the brush attachment to clean the inner corners.*

Designer Purse Exterior Cleaning 

Over time, the exterior of your purse collects dirt and dust, which can lead to a buildup of residue. The way you clean your designer bag’s exterior will depend on the material it’s made of. 

Leather

Use care and caution when cleaning your bag’s leather exterior. If your bag is made of leather, we recommend using fragrance-free, alcohol-free wipes such as leather wipes or baby wipes, which can remove excess dirt and residue without drying out the material. Wipe down the bag’s exterior with these wipes, or spray a leather cleaner onto a microfiber cloth and use it to clean the bag. Then, use a leather conditioner (we recommend the Apple brand) to moisturize the leather material and avoid cracking. 

If your bag is made of patent leather, you can use the above methods to clean it. Wipe it down with a soft cloth after you clean it to avoid streaks and splotches. If you see any scuffs on your purse, you can try to gently remove them with a small amount of leather cleaner applied to a baby wipe. 

Fabric

Canvas, tweed, jersey and satin can typically be cleaned using a lint roller. Use tweezers to gently remove any dirt, dust and debris that are stuck to the fabric. If you see blemishes that need extra attention, lightly spray a baby wipe with OxiClean, and use it to lift the stain.
*NOTE: We do not recommend using Oxiclean on satin, silk, or jersey that are not black because it may leave a cleaner stain.*

Fur or Suede

To clean bags made of fur or suede, we recommend using a specialty brush to remove dirt, dust and debris from its exterior. If there are any stains, gently buff them out with the brush. For fur bags, brush the fur in the same direction that the hair goes. For suede material, gently brush the suede in one direction. Once you’ve cleaned it, use a suede conditioner to revitalize the material. 

Hardware

Polish hardware using a baby wipe, and then dry it with a soft cloth. Occasionally, your bag’s hardware can cause discoloration on the surrounding material. Luckily, this can be removed by gently buffing it with a magic eraser.

If the hardware has started to tarnish and oxidize, use a small amount of Brasso on a cotton swab to polish it. Be sure to use extreme caution as liquid metal polish can stain the bag’s materials.

How Often Should You Clean Your Designer Purse? 

How frequently you clean your designer purse will depend on how often you use it. If you use your bag daily, we recommend cleaning it every week. If you use it occasionally, two to four cleanings per year is recommended. In addition, your bag’s handles and its base and corners get the most wear and, therefore, require more attention. We recommend cleaning these areas of your purse after every use to ensure they don’t deteriorate more than the rest of the bag.

It’s important to keep in mind that the way you clean your designer purse may vary according to the designer. Some designers use highly specialized processes, and their bags require specialized care and cleaning to ensure they don’t get damaged. Please refer to our other blogs How to Safely Clean Louis Vuitton Bags and How You Can Properly Clean Your Chanel Bags for more information about cleaning your Louis Vuitton and Chanel purses.

Conduct research to find out what the recommended cleaning methods and materials are for your specific bag. If you’re having trouble getting stains out of your bag, or aren’t sure how to do so safely, bring your bag to a professional cleaning service. 

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