How to Care for Your Handbag: Essential Tips and Tricks for Longevity | Bags for Breakfast

An Hermes handbag is an exquisite investment that deserves meticulous care and attention. With the right care routine and preventative measures, you can ensure your Hermes handbag remains in pristine condition, retaining its beauty and value for generations to come. In this post, we will guide you through tips and preventative measures that will help preserve its beauty and extend its lifespan specifically tailored for your cherished Hermes handbag. It is all in the regular maintenance and thoughtful handling that you will achieve keeping your handbag looking its best for years to come.

In my opinion, the best thing to do that I will always recommend is bringing it directly to the brand for their bag spa to take care of it. It is important to know that the Hermes bag spa will not accept a handbag at their bag spa that has had previous touch ups done to it by a third party bag spa service. So if you are thinking of giving your bag to a trusted third party bag spa, just know that in the future, your bag will never be accepted by the Hermes bag spa again. I say this disclaimer specifically for Hermes, because the bags are crafted by an artisan, I recommend going directly to Hermes for any restoration, maintenance or touch up needed to your bag so they can best serve your bag for it's entire lifetime.

First thing is understanding the materials used in your handbag is crucial for effective care. Whether it's leather, canvas, suede, or exotic materials like croc or ostrich, each material requires specific cleaning methods. Familiarize yourself with the recommendations for each leather and tailor your care routine accordingly. For example. if an Hermes heritage leather, like box or barenia gets scratched, you can actually easily buff it out on the spot with your hand. The key is to use the most subtle and gentle cleaning agent, usually just water. You do not want to purchase any product with lots of chemicals or dyes or spray on protection. Natural is always better, and often, a simple damp cloth with a bit of water will take care of any imperfection.

Some of these tips should go without saying and follow the most fundamental level of hygiene, but you'd be surprised. Also, I am a believer that your bags are not meant to be babied, and you should love and use them without worrying, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't care for your expensive handbag.

Handle with Clean Hands: Always handle your handbag with clean hands to prevent oil, dirt, or stains from food transferring onto the leather surface, especially it is a more delicate leather. If your hands have lotion residue, or hand sanitizer, fully allow your hands to dry, or gently wipe the excess clean before grabbing your handbag.

Also regarding your hands, you can be mindful of the jewelry you're wearing when handling your bag. If you wear a lot of rings, just be aware that placing a twilly around your handles to protect from scratches or snagging the stitching is a great way to eliminate any small damages your hands can cause to your bag. Further on scratching, be careful with your keys, or pens in your bag. It's so easy for these kinds of items to scratch, so just be organized from the start. Keeping your keys in their own pouch is great idea, this is useful anyway, I personally get annoyed when I have to rummage around for my keys in my bigger bags so I do this or at the very least keep them in their own pocket if your bag has an extra pocket.

Avoid overstuffing your handbag as it can strain the structure, the handles to stretch out, and cause deformation. Remember it is leather, so a little stretching or relaxing of the leather is completely normal, but the integrity of the structure of your bag should not be compromised to the point where it has stretched to the point where your Kelly 25 is looking more like a Kelly 28. As far as this goes, if you are a serial over stuffer and like to carry your life in your bag, I recommend opting for a Sellier style over the Retourne style. If you are afraid of this happening to you, the Sellier will hold its shape and structure far better than the Retourne. Use the bag's compartments and pockets wisely to distribute the weight evenly and maintain the bag's original shape. You can also use a wonderful bag insert which I've spoken about before to organize the contents of your bag without worry of mis-shaping the pockets.

Additionally in terms of stretching that can be caused to your handbag, if you have any kind of buckle or adjustable strap on your bag, practice consistently alternating the position of that strap. Even if you are super gentle with your bag, I promise that if you do not alternate the hole the buckle is in, or the position of the strap, there will be one area that will look super worn and stretched in comparison to the rest of the strap. If you alternate from time to time and your strap is equally used, at least the regular wear will look uniform and even. Now this may not be true for an Hermes strap, but for a strap that does have a buckle, if your strap is long enough that you typically wear your bag as a crossbody, but one day you decide to adjust the buckle to a shoulder bag length, then you will be left with one buckle hole that is very noticeable stretched and flawed compared to the buckle holes that have never been touched.

Protect your Hermes handbag from excessive water and excessive moisture, as it can damage the leather and cause discolouration. Don't be afraid of a sprinkle of rain, but if your bag gets really wet, gently dab it with a fresh clean, soft cloth and allow it to air dry naturally, away from direct heat sources. Remember, natural ways are always best. You can always go a step further, but if you have gone too far too fast with your own at home cleaning methods, it is very hard to take back a step. This is why I am very skeptical with touch up pens or leather cleaners and conditioners, because people take it too far, or don't know when to stop. It is not their fault, they've just been sold a product they may not know how to use.

Along with protective from excess moisture, you want to store your bags in a cool, dry place. Obviously your closet is a cool dry place, but just be mindful of if your closet is near or connected to your bathroom, or if your store part of collection in a separate room in an attic or basement. Believe it or not, having your closet near your bathroom does expose your bags to more extreme temperatures and humidity overtime. Or even think of all the hair products you spray. Hairspray really carries in the air and leaves a film on surfaces. All this can cause the leather to warp, fade, or develop water marks or worse, mold. I have seen one instance of someone's Chanel classic flap develop mold, and it is real, and it is not pretty, and it can affect the rest of your handbags, because odds are you store them all in the same space.

Use a Dust Bag: Store your Hermes handbag in its original dust bag or a soft, breathable fabric bag when not in use. The dust bag protects the bag from dust, dirt, and excessive exposure to light, keeping it in optimal condition. This is a great protection against potential product film buildup on your bags. If you no longer have the dust bag for your bag, or you bought your bag resale, or vintage and it did not come with the original dust bag, it is super easy to go out and buy a light, breathable dust bag, or guess what, even a pillowcase works!

For leather bags, if you must do gentle cleaning, please please do so, and I can't stress this enough, with a freshly clean, soft, damp, not wet, cloth to gently wipe away dirt or light stains. It is beneficial to do a little wipe down of your bag periodically with a little extra attention to your handles, straps, or around the turn lock closures. But please do not get brave with chemicals, solvents, or abrasive materials that can damage the leather. For stubborn stains or extensive cleaning, it is best to consult the Hermes bag spa.

For suede bags, under no circumstance use water to clean it. Suede is highly susceptible to water damage and can easily absorb moisture, which can cause stains and discolouration. You want to avoid exposing your suede handbag to water or damp conditions. If it does get wet, gently blot the excess moisture with a clean, dry cloth and allow it to air dry naturally. Never ever use a direct heat source like a hair dryer to try to speed up the process, as they can cause the suede to become stiff or warped. To maintain your suede, you can regularly brush your suede handbag with a very soft high quality suede brush to remove surface dirt and restore the nap of the suede. Gently brush in one direction to avoid damaging the fibers. Brushing helps to maintain the softness and appearance of the suede and doing this regularly will really help keep your suede looking pristine

Lastly, generously rotate the use of your handbag with other bags in your collection and spread the love. This allows each bag to rest and prevents excessive wear on a single item, ensuring their longevity.

By implementing these care and preventative measures, you can safeguard the beauty and integrity of your handbag. Understand the materials, adopt preventive measures, clean with care, store appropriately, handle thoughtfully, and seek professional help when needed. With a little effort and attention, your handbag will remain a cherished and stylish companion. Remember that each handbag is a unique piece of artistry, and with proper care, it will continue to delight you with its timeless elegance and exceptional craftsmanship for years to come.

Let me know if you have any secret tips you like to do to make sure your handbags stay in their full beauty!