The Best Tools and Methods to Clean a Leather Wallet at Home

Leather goods are valued for their quality, durability, strength and presentable appearance. With daily use, a wallet tends to get washed, dirty and greasy. Skincare should be taken responsibly by choosing the right cleansers. How to properly clean a leather wallet yourself, you need to know before buying a product.

How to prepare an accessory for cleaning

The preparatory stage is very important, the appearance and condition of the accessory depends on it. First, the handbag is cleaned of coins, banknotes, credit cards, business cards. Then the product is left for 24 hours in a warm room to prevent shrinkage and "creasing" of the material.

To note! Cleaning should take place at 30 ^ohC, drying - no more than 50 ^ohC. This is due to the sensitivity of natural leather to changes in temperature, humidity, solvents, damage.

How to wash properly with soap suds

It is optimal to clean the wallet once every 30 days - this will prevent dirt from getting into microcracks on the surface of the material. Soap suds help remove germs, dust particles, grease buildup.

Cleaning is carried out in stages:

• After being emptied, the purse is immersed in water at a temperature of up to 30 ^ohC. It is advisable to boil water first, cool it - this will reduce the amount of salts and chlorine in it.
• Add a few drops of liquid soap, shower gel or shampoo to the bowl, beat the foam. It is recommended to use children's household chemicals - they contain less surfactants.
• Gather the foam with a soft sponge, wipe the accessory.
• The inside of the product is also wiped clean.
• The last step will be to wipe, polish the wallet with a dry cloth.

Drying should happen naturally. During drying, the wallet is opened, after 10-20 minutes it is closed. Thus, the product will retain its shape better.

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Remove stubborn dirt at home

Certain methods can be used to remove the most stubborn stains from the article. Before cleaning work, the reaction of the material to the cleaner should be checked. Compliance is checked on a small area.

Ink stains

You will need rubbing alcohol to remove the ink marks. They moisten a cotton swab or stick with it, carefully process the stain. Wash the product with a cloth dampened with water. You can prevent damage to your accessory by testing alcohol, vinegar, or another active ingredient in a hidden area.

If nothing happens after 5 minutes, the product can be completely cleaned with the product.

Grease and dirt stains

It is strongly advised not to degrease using pointed objects. In addition, washing and ironing are prohibited. There are several ways to eliminate fat accumulations:

1. Using onion or lemon juice. Cut the citrus fruit or onion in half, wipe the contaminated area. After 15 minutes, wipe the wallet with a dry towel. Remove traces of onions with soapy water.
2. 2-3 drops of turpentine are applied to the tissue segment, the wallet is wiped.
3. A fresh greasy stain is removed with chalk, talc, starch. They are sprinkled on the skin, kept for half an hour, shaken off.
4. Grease contamination is effectively removed with ammonia, water and scrubbed laundry soap. After localized application of the solution, it is washed off after 10 minutes.
5. It is also possible to degrease with coffee beans. Ground coffee is mixed with warm water, the mixture is smeared on the contaminated area. After drying, the thing is shaken off from the remnants of the product.

It is not recommended to remove greasy stains with a solvent or alcohol - they contribute to the destruction of the structure of the material, spoil the appearance of the product.

Coffee residue or traces of blood

Traces of hot drinks and bloody discharge are removed in the following ways:

• A stain of fresh blood is washed off in cold water using a soft sponge.
• Salt corrodes blood, for this contamination is sprinkled with a product, left for 1-1.5 hours, then washed off.
• Shaving foam is rubbed into a dirty place, after 10-15 minutes it is wiped off with a damp cloth.
• Tea/coffee traces are removed with vinegar essence. 2-3 drops of acetic acid are poured onto the stain, wrapped in a damp towel.After half an hour, the wallet is wiped with a damp cloth, dried and polished.

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If you do not want to take risks and remove pollution by traditional methods, you can use professional cleaning sprays, wipes, dry shampoos, gels.

How to Clean Light-Colored Items

A white handbag should be rubbed with petroleum jelly. It has a fatty base that penetrates the pores of the material and fills them. An accessory is smeared with petroleum jelly ointment, kept for a day. Then the ointment is washed off with soapy foam with a cloth, dry towel. With the help of petroleum jelly, new cracks can be avoided, it envelops the product with a protective film, protecting it from damage. Castor oil can be used for the same purpose.

You can add whiteness to your wallet using ammonia. Light colored items often get dirty, they should be treated weekly. In this case, a preventive cleaning with soap suds will suffice.

Features of working with different materials

Natural leather is demanding to maintain, requires careful handling. The method of cleaning depends not only on the nature of the contamination, but also on the material of the product.

Patent leather

You can extend the presentable look of a lacquered wallet by wearing it at temperatures of +15 ^ohFrom to +25 ^ohC. With sudden changes in temperature, the accessory stretches, cracks, deforms. Cleaning is carried out with a dry fleece or woolen cloth.

Leather

Natural leather is processed with both dry and wet methods. For dry processing, a soft cloth will be needed, wet cleaning is carried out with a damp sponge and baby soap.Wet processing is completed by wiping the surface with citric acid diluted with water.

reptile skin

Fans of expensive accessories prefer genuine leather models of an exotic animal. With proper care, you can prevent a wallet from losing its luxurious appearance. Matte finish leather is treated with mild waxes, emulsions, water. Such models are periodically wiped with cotton wool soaked in glycerin.

In no case are lacquered reptile wallets treated with shoe polish - because of this they become more dirty and dull.

A wallet made of reptile skin is not afraid of rain - during the production process it is covered with moisture-resistant impregnation. If moisture gets on the product, wipe it off with a dry cloth. Drying a handbag with a hair dryer, heater, battery, in the sun is unacceptable - it is fraught with cracks, loss of shape, color. Professionals do not recommend using metal brushes on reptile skin. They damage the surface, leaving bumps, scratches and tears on it.

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Nubuck

Nubuck models are treated with soapy water and ammonia. Then a mixture of water (1 l), acetic acid (1 tsp), lemon juice (1 tsp) is prepared for processing. After wiping the thing with a damp cloth soaked in the solution, wipe it with a dry towel.

Elimination of odors

Damp and moldy items should be handled promptly. Due to moisture, the skin is damaged, giving off an unpleasant odor. The first step is to wipe the wallet, wrap it in newspaper. It will absorb excess moisture and odors.

If the odor persists, the garment is cleaned with distilled white vinegar and water. Soda has absorbent and moisture absorbing properties. It safely removes impurities from the skin and eliminates lingering odors. The wallet is placed in a pillowcase, sprinkled with soda abundantly, left for 1-2 days. The remnants of the product are removed with a towel, vacuum cleaner.

Rules of care

Leather is a natural material with a special structure, it requires careful care and handling. When storing leather wallets, the following rules should be observed:

• the thing should not be placed in the sun;
• optimal storage temperature + 20-25 ^ohWITH;
• do not place a handbag next to a fireplace, a radiator, a battery;
• for cleaning, professionals do not recommend using gasoline, acetone, solvent;
• no need to overload the wallet with coins, business cards;
• it is important not to let things get wet;
• the leather wallet is kept in a separate pocket.

The capriciousness of genuine leather is justified by its presentable and noble appearance, strength, durability.

In good traffic conditions, the accessory will delight its owner for many years.