How to care for your leather bags with what you have at home

How to care for your leather bags with what you have at home
PHOTO: Unsplash

A leather conditioner is essential when it comes to cleaning your leather bags. However, given the current circumstances (with many shops remaining closed), getting one to take care of your leather bags can be a hassle.

Here, we show you how you can create your own leather conditioner using what you have at home.

P.S. These methods are suitable for bags made of calf, goat, lamb and vegan leathers. If you're unsure, do a spot test first to ensure that the DIY products are safe on your bags.

1. Natural baby shampoo

As alcohol can cause damage to leather, the absence of it in baby shampoos makes it a great product to condition your bags with.

What you'll need: 1 tbsp of baby shampoo, 4 cups of water, 2 drops of clear vinegar

To prepare: Mix all three ingredients well. Dampen a dry, clean cloth with the mixture, and use it to wipe the surface of the leather bag. Let it air dry before storing.

2. Essential oils

In general, oils are great compounds to keep your leather goodies moisturised. However, experts recommend using essential oils over cooking oils (eg olive oil) as the latter could cause damage over time.

What you'll need: Any essential oil except mint. Lemon is preferred for that fresh after fragrance.

To prepare: Dampen a dry, clean cloth. Add 10 drops of essential oil onto the cloth. Massage it on your leather bag.

3. Beeswax

Often found in lip balms, beeswax is great for cleaning leather while preventing it from cracking.

What you'll need: ½ part beeswax, 2 tbps of cocoa butter, ¼ cup of almond oil

To prepare: Melt beeswax and cocoa butter in a pan over medium heat. Stir the mixture constantly to prevent burning. Add the almond oil once the above two mixtures are melted. Cool the mixture once everything is mixed together. Once it's safe to touch, use a dry, clean cloth and apply some of the mixture onto your leather bag.

This article was first published in Her World Online

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