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How to care for your bag
A bag isn’t a life necessity for a man. One doesn’t need them to uphold life quality, but one does need them to retain the standards that one has grown accustomed to.
How to care for your bag? A bag isn’t a life necessity for a man. One doesn’t need them to uphold life quality, but one does need them to retain the standards that one has grown accustomed to. And one should be accustomed to a certain standard. Since men’s bags are always there for us - what is the illusion we tell ourselves that our trusty adherents doesn’t need to be taken care of? Certainly they do. That’s why we’ve made this guide of how to care for your bag
Text: Emanuel Kristing | Photography: Ion Kombokis Lancing | Published: 2019-06-30
Someone once said ”a man’s elegance is measured by the state of his bag”. At first we we weren’t sure if we agreed. After all, it did sound rather strange. Until later when we’ve realized that the measuring stick really is the state of one’s bag. A man cannot deserve to go by the epithet elegant if he doesn’t treat, and look after, his items. It should be of the utmost importance, when he’s investing in quality, to maintain pristine quality. But how does one do?
Treat your bag - it’s a necessity
A man is often willing to spend a little extra when it comes to bags - with the claim that it’s going to last for years. And it is true: a bag could potentially be a great investment for years to come. But only if you treat your bag the way it ought to be treated. Naturally that means that different materials need to be treated differently. Luckily for you we’re going to cover what different materials demand:
How to care for a leather bag?
Make it a habit to regularly wipe off your leather bag with a wet tissue or washcloth. Make sure not to rub it too hard during cleaning. On the other hand, if the bag has a grease stain - you do wise to avoid water. Instead you should try to absorb the stains with a washcloth. Meanwhile, when your bag is still a bit damp, apply a neutral leather balm. If you wish to add some color to your old companion - there are specific pastes for that purpose. Lastly, be sure to give your bag time to air. Never hurry the process.
Canvas
The first thing you ought to do - always - when investing in a canvas bag, is to impregnate it. But if your canvas bag’s got a stain of soap, or equivalent, a washcloth is all you need. Dab gently at the exact spot, and be careful not to dab anywhere else, because you don’t want to make the stain bigger. If the stain is stubborn you could try to use an old toothbrush to rug the fibers of the canvas. That normally does it.
Suede
Suede isn’t such a delicate material as a lot of people seem to think. We can’t stress this enough. With the right products a suede bag is as sturdy as genuine leather, or even canvas. If you need to do a simpler cleaning of your suede bag, a tip is to boil some water. Hold the shoes approximately 15cm above the steam. The steam allows the natural fibers to rise, which makes the dirt release easier. Finish the cleaning of with an easy brush of the suede material. And remember to always impregnate your suede materials.
Always store it the right way
When you’re not planning to use your bag it’s important to keep it the right way. But what is the right way? When a bag has lost its original shape it is hard, not to say impossible, to regain its pristine glory days. Therefore our best tip is to stuff it with either clothing, or regular paper. It makes your bag last longer. It’s not unusual for a premium bag to be delivered with a dust bag. Be ready to use it.
A handy tip on the go
When there aren’t any clouds in the sky, it’s hard imagining to stay in. To be out under clear blue skies is an appealing feeling. Especially if the sun is quite warm as well. If you’ve got an expensive leather bag, you do wise not to leave it out in the sun. But why should one be so careful with that? The sun makes the leather dry out - and a dry bag can never be restored. And if that doesn’t do it for you, just think of the color loss. No, you do wise to bring your leather bags with you. Also: avoid lotion of all kind. Because oily and greasy lotion stains stick to handles - and they’re putting up resistance as you try to make them go away.
