A white leather bag is a real classic, a must-have for every stylish and fashionable women. But the owners of light-colored bags made of natural material know that white leather is very “high-maintenance” – any stain can render the bag completely useless. Do not rush to throw away the soiled item. Today we will give you a few tips on how to clean a white leather bag without damaging the material, what can you use to remove a fresh stain on the leather and how to get rid of an old one, and also how to protect the light-colored material from stains.
First aid for a snow white bag: scrub away the stain
When there is no time, and there is a “bright” stain on the bag, then try to clean it with the products at hand.
- Wet wipes- especially effective are ones with antibacterial effects. They can remove ink stains, and also help to remove clothing dye that had rubbed off;
- Rubber or eraser- will help you to get rid of almost any fresh stains in minutes. Use only the white side (for pencil), the blue side can stain the bag even more;
- Hydrogen peroxide – do you have 15 minutes? Great, then get a bottle of peroxide and cotton pads from the nearest pharmacy. Hydrogen peroxide eliminates stains left by cosmetics (lipstick, pencil) and greasy gloss, dirty fingerprints.
If you are at home and do not know how to clean a white leather bag, we can offer you a couple of effective methods:
- Window cleaner- blue liquid will clean the light-colored leather product at once. Use a spray and cotton pads to clean the problem area, then rinse with water;
- Onion- cut the onion in half and wipe the spot with the freshly cut side. Onion juice perfectly dissolves dirt, ink and grease;
- Melamine sponge – a new tool that can easily cope with any kind of dirt. It is good to have a couple of these sponges in your house. Put on rubber gloves, slightly wipe the stain on the leather bag with wet melamine sponge.
Effective methods to remove stains from leather
It is not easy to clean light colored leather; the main difficulty is that you need to clean the stain without harming the material or the finish.
Remember that it is best to remove the stain while it is fresh. Old dirt goes deep into the material and it is difficult to remove.
So, try to clean your bag within the first day after the stain appeared. And here are several popular means that help you to cope with this task.
Whitening toothpaste
The cheapest toothpaste with whitening effect copes well with the removal of stains on such material as leather. Lightly moisten a soft shoe brush (or you can use a soft toothbrush), apply a small amount of toothpaste to it, and gently rub the stained area. You can also apply the paste to the stain and leave it overnight. Whitening agents go deep into the leather and dissolve the dirt. Then just wash the paste off with a sponge and rinse with warm water.
Laundry soap
A strong soap solution will clean the white leather bag from stains such as ballpoint pen ink, greasy fingerprints, etc. Use soap, because it contains the maximum amount of alkali. Grate 30 g of soap and dissolve it in 50 ml of water. Wipe dirty areas with prepared soap solution using a wet sponge. If the stain is tough, wet the leather bag and rub it directly with soap, without using water. Leave for a couple of hours, rinse, and apply moisturizer on the stains (soap dries the leather of the bag, so moisten the leather to avoid cracking).
Alcohol
Using alcohol, you can clean off old yellowed spots on the leather, and alcohol helps to remove nonspecific pollution easily. For example, black stripes or abrasions on the leather, clogged with dust. Lightly rub the problem area with a cotton swab dipped in alcohol. Change the cotton as it gets dirty. When the stain dissolves, wipe the area with water to eliminate alcohol residues at the end.
Makeup remover (tonic, lotion)
You may be surprised, but cosmetics can clean the light bag from dirt better than all of the above methods, without damaging the leather material. Treating the stained area will remind you of your regular make-up removal procedure – the cotton swab + lotion + light massaging movements. And voila, your bag is perfectly clean again! No need to thank us.
Milk
Ordinary milk is known as an effective means to remove dirt from leather products. To clean the bag, the milk should be slightly heated in the microwave, or to 40 degrees on the stove-top. Gently clean the stained area with a soft cloth well soaked in warm milk. You can use cotton wool to see how effective the cleaning process is.
Do not try to clean a white leather bag with substances such as vinegar, acetone, nail polish remover, white spirit, etc. They are too aggressive for natural leather and can completely spoil your favorite thing.
Wash the lining fabric: practical tips
A white bag should be kept looking good inside and out. Lining in light leather bags is usually white. After a time, it becomes stained. It is not recommended to wash bags in the washing machine, and lining can not be removed – what to do then? We have prepared some tips for washing white lining for you.
- To clean the white lining well, you need to be turn it out and hand wash it. Try not to touch the bag when washing.
- Washing the lining should be carried out without abrasive agents, preferably with liquid detergent.
- The edges of the lining that are sewn to the leather are difficult to wash. This is where you can use stain-removing wet wipes. You should use them after the bag is completely dry.
- Do not dry the lining with hairdryer. Let the bag dry at room temperature.
- It is better to send an expensive bag to the dry cleaner’s, where they will get rid of stains and clean the lining properly.