Owning a Chanel bag is a luxury that many people aspire to around the world, which is why the owners of Chanel bags sometimes spend hours researching the best ways to clean and store their prized possessions. The Chanel brand is known for their classic and timeless pieces, like the Flap and Boy bag, but also for the exquisite material that these bags come in. From caviar and lambskin leather to Chanel's classic tweed, Chanel bags come in so many beloved materials that each have their own care needs. To help you prevent blemishes to your Chanel bags, we've put together this cleaning guide for your reference!

 

Keeping Chanel Bags Clean and in Great Condition

When it comes to your Chanel bag, it's likely that you're in it for the long haul with each piece and want the best methods to preserve the beauty of your bag. That's why we've broken down our care recommendations for each material type below!

 

Cleaning Leather Chanel Bags

• Lambskin Leather
• Caviar Leather
• Calfskin Leather

With regular use, Chanel exteriors hold on to dirt and residue and can be cleaned using a fragrance-free and alcohol-free brand baby wipe that will not dry out the material. We recommend using baby wipes to tackle exterior dirt because they are gentle enough not to damage the leather, but also durable enough to wipe clean any residues or caked-in material that regular use can add to your bag. Caviar and calfskin leather are both excellent candidates regular cleaning with baby wipes as well as receiving a coat of leather conditioner. At Couture, our favorite leather conditioner is Apple. Lambskin is one of the most luxurious and delicate leathers used by Chanel, so using a baby wipe on these bags should be done gently and with care. Use a testing a small area on the back of your bag can be a good way to determine if your lambskin bag will benefit from this type of cleaning. If so, we recommend wiping lightly in one direction and changing wipes often. These cleaning methods can also be repeated for leather interiors to remove dirt and oils. While we don't recommend trying to invert your bag to clean out the inner corners, lint rollers and tweezers can be helpful when trying to remove small debris. Keep in mind that, if your black Chanel bag has been damaged, Kiwi black shoe polish is good for camouflaging scuffed corners on black pieces, but Chanel may turn down future repairs if you have attempted to rehab the bag yourself.

 

Streak-Free Patent Leather Care

If you have a patent leather Chanel bag, you are still able to use the same baby wipes that we recommend for typical leather products. However, you will want to take an extra step when cleaning to ensure that you have a streak-free bag! When cleaning patent leather, use the baby wipe to clean small circular areas and stop to dry each section with a soft cloth. Because the residue from the wipes dries so quickly, patent leather bags may appear splotchy if they aren't dried off with a cloth after each small section. Because color transfer is also a concern with patent bags, we recommend storing your bag in the original dust bag or box, avoid placing it on dirty or dark surfaces, and do not allow ink or newspaper to come into contact with it.

 

 

Taking Care of Your Tweed & Jersey Chanel Bags

Tweed is one of Chanel's most iconic materials and the bags made in tweed are some of the most unique and beautiful. Thankfully, tweed and jersey are materials that are relatively durable and easy to care for. You may use a baby wipe that has been lightly sprayed with Oxy Clean to try and remove blemishes from your tweed and jersey Chanel bags. The exterior can also be cleaned with a lint roller and tweezers to remove stuck-in materials and debris from the surface.

 

Caring for Delicate Satin Chanel Bags

Next to lambskin, satin is one of the most delicate materials used by Chanel. Therefore, we highly recommend taking the time to properly store your satin Chanel bags in a dustbag and box away from other items, and to be extra vigilant when wearing the bags out. Moisture can leave stains on satin bags just as easily as grease or ink, but you can still use a baby wipe and Oxy Clean to gently lift as much of the stain as possible. We don't always recommend using wet wipes, though, as they may leave moisture staining behind. However, in some cases, the water marks from a wet wipe are more desirable than the original stain it is removing.

 

How You Can Clean the Hardware On Your Chanel Bag

One of the most iconic parts of a Chanel bag is the "CC" logo and lock that are found on many bags, as well as the beautiful chain shoulder straps. These metal hardware pieces may oxidize or accumulate residue over time, which is why we recommend paying them some attention when you are cleaning the rest of your bag. Baby wipes can be used to remove dirt and debris from plated metal hardware.  

 

Baby wipes can be used to remove dirt and debris from plated metal hardware. However, similarly to patent leather, you will want to work in small sections and quickly dry them with a soft cloth before moving on to the next area. This will prevent streaking on shiny metal surfaces. If the metal hardware on your bag has oxidized, or formed a small green layer, over the years, you may try using a small amount of Brasso on a Q-Tip to clean the metal piece. This aspect of cleaning should be done very carefully, though, as getting Brasso on the bag's surrounding leather may result in staining. The cleaning process may seem daunting at first, but you can always ask us questions when it comes to your favorite luxury brands and their upkeep!