Care of your Hayden Harnett

[samhainophobia]

Originally Posted by Stormy Heart

Bree, I recall someone said Apple darkened her HH bag. Lagoon is one of the more delicate colors in that it absorbs oils and waters easily and any conditioner would likely splotch, perhaps yellow the color, and darken it. ( Keep in mind that Leather is skin, and won't accept moisturizers evenly) I'd stick with a regular spray 'rain and stain ' type soil repellant product for Lagoon.

Are we also down on Apple's Rain & Stain spray? I ask because that's the rain & stain repellant spray that I own, and I'm wondering whether that's ok to use, or if I honestly need to go out and buy another brand's rain & stain spray for my HH products.

It's interesting that ladies in this subforum are so down on Apple products -- they get absolute raves in other subforums! I wonder what it is about HH leather/Apple products that just doesn't mix?

[fafnir]

^^ samhainophobia, I'm wondering about this too. So, earlier today I tried spraying the back of my Yam luggage tag (the one that came with my Bungalow bag) with Apple Rain & Stain. It did initially darken it quite a bit, bit it's drying and has already lightened a little. I'll give it 24 hours to see what happens. But I don't want my Bungalow to darken if I can help it.

[jandelvis]

Apple Care stuff darkened the Saddle leather on my Suki. Saddle is a very matte, unfinished leather. I sent it back for a refund!

I wouldn't use it on Yam since the leather seems similar to the Saddle in those aspects. I used Wilson's spray on Yam with great results.

[Stormy Heart]

Originally Posted by raychie33

Dear Stormy, I just got my first HH which is a cordovan Sonia. I live in NYC so it will probably get caught in the rain/snow. What can I do to protect it without changing the look/feel of the leather at all? I am very unfamiliar with all of this so as many details as possible would be appreciated. Also ordered a Black patent corcovado. Does anything have to be done to that?

Hiya Raychi ~ nothing needed for your black Corco. If you are planning on serious outdoor adventures with Sonia, you might use Lexol conditioner. If you want to waterproof the bag, you can use a heavier waterproofing cream, but that will darken it. Neither product will alter the feel of your bag. I wouldn't hesitate to use the cream on my cordovan; the darkening enriches the color as if it had a nice patina. Prevention is your best defense. Don't let sonia get too soaked. Dry her with soft cloths and air/no heat.
I am a big fan of small microfiber towels carried inside ALL bags for wet weather emergencies, and a plastic bag large enough to cover my purse in a downpour! Someone needs to make us little tarps for totes...

[Stormy Heart]

Originally Posted by samhainophobia

Are we also down on Apple's Rain & Stain spray? I ask because that's the rain & stain repellant spray that I own, and I'm wondering whether that's ok to use, or if I honestly need to go out and buy another brand's rain & stain spray for my HH products. It's interesting that ladies in this subforum are so down on Apple products -- they get absolute raves in other subforums! I wonder what it is about HH leather/Apple products that just doesn't mix?

Sammi, we just try to stick with what we know works best for HH here. Jan's was an example of an over-rich product on a bare HH leather. One disaster is too many. It's a familiar story without a happy ending.
Test your AG first and use your own discretion.It should be similar to other brand's Rain & Stain protectants, which is what I recommend (just that your label reads R&S protectant for leather). I recommend Kiwi because is so easy to find (at drugstores everywhere!) and works well. In fact, many products of this nature are made in one place, of a single formula, and sold to resellers to put their personal label on. Fafnir should have an answer for us soon regarding darkening or splotching ~ or not, with AG.
Aside from the basic R&S sprays, aqueous 'moisturizers' are preferred over oily/waxy 'conditioners', except where heavy protection or restoration are needed.
Heavier leathers can take the heavier products; HH leathers are light, so require the lighter touch of Wilson's TLC or Lexol. This may answer your query.

[pursegal]

Hello...
I just recd my Blueberry Sloane from the bay and there is a small spot where it is either faded or kind of whitish... is there anything I can do, i tried rubbing my finger, it looks a bit better, but its still there.
I was wondering if I can use my Wilson's on it before I take her out? She is quite lovely! ( i also have Apple, if needed) but Wilson's always works on almost all of my bags.

Any assistance is very much appreciated!

[kkiimm]

I got my GZ Clutch Wallet, but unfortunately I think there is a grease/oil stain on it. Not too major but I've already tried Wilson's cleaning wipes and TLC cleaner on it, with no luck. I tried searching about this & looking at the HH board but it seems to be an unanswered question. Can anyone help?

[cherubicanh]

Hi Stormy! I need help. So I took out my Clara and there is a scratch on the strap. i have no idea it got there, but I was wondering if there was anything I can use to rub it out. Here is a pic!

[fafnir]

Originally Posted by fafnir

^^ samhainophobia, I'm wondering about this too. So, earlier today I tried spraying the back of my Yam luggage tag (the one that came with my Bungalow bag) with Apple Rain & Stain. It did initially darken it quite a bit, bit it's drying and has already lightened a little. I'll give it 24 hours to see what happens. But I don't want my Bungalow to darken if I can help it.

So I checked today, and the leather is a still a shade or so deeper on the back of the tag. So I won't use Rain & Stain on the rest of the bag; I'll get some Kiwi spray instead.

[fafnir]

And I should also say that the Apple R&S spray did not splotch at all; it applied very evenly, at least over the small area I tried. It's just a tad darker than I'd hoped.

[jaejaebee]

Hello everyone! I'm an avid reader of this forum but this is my first post!

Stormy, I've read through this thread and don't think this is specifically covered: I just got an almost brand new ruby havana (no stains, very minor scratches), which I totally love. Is a rain and stain protectant all I need? I live in NYC. Thank you so much!

[Stormy Heart]

Originally Posted by pursegal

Hello... I just recd my Blueberry Sloane from the bay and there is a small spot where it is either faded or kind of whitish... is there anything I can do, i tried rubbing my finger, it looks a bit better, but its still there. I was wondering if I can use my Wilson's on it before I take her out? She is quite lovely! ( i also have Apple, if needed) but Wilson's always works on almost all of my bags. Any assistance is very much appreciated!

I'm short on time but will try to get to everyone.
Here is an interesting situation which is the opposite of another we face today.
IF it's just faded in one area, and the color is there, you can carefully add oil to the spot to darken it and blend it in enough to be less obvious. Use a neetsfoot oil lightly (or any leather product that threatens to darken leather on the label!) and a q-tip from the center of the spot. It will absorb past the application point so be careful not to go to the edges. Then rub it in with your fingertip. Wait a bit, then go over the whole area with your regular conditioner to smooth the effect . It won't be perfect but it will be improved. {A picture would help here.} If there isn't enough blue to revive, a little help in the form of a touch of blue acrylic paint could go under the above suggested remedy.
**Blue is a notoriously unstable dye, so we'd better watch these Blueberries for color loss generally. If anyone experiences 'rub - offs', please let us know.

[Stormy Heart]

Originally Posted by kkiimm

I got my GZ Clutch Wallet, but unfortunately I think there is a grease/oil stain on it. Not too major but I've already tried Wilson's cleaning wipes and TLC cleaner on it, with no luck. I tried searching about this & looking at the HH board but it seems to be an unanswered question. Can anyone help?

Rub the spot with cornstarch; if it's oil it will pull most of it out. Unfortunately, you have used the cleaning wipes that contain conditioners and it probably has set the mark permanently.
(I'm sure I've addressed this question somewhere, so I don't know what keywords are being searched...)
The rule here is First deal with a specific problem, before grabbing a product meant for general care.
*now we have grease/ungrease side by side.

[Stormy Heart]

Originally Posted by cherubicanh

Hi Stormy! I need help. So I took out my Clara and there is a scratch on the strap. i have no idea it got there, but I was wondering if there was anything I can use to rub it out. Here is a pic!

Thank you for adding the picture; it really helps. Try a pencil eraser, then rub it out with your fingertips to fade a scratch. If your bag came like that, it could be in the hide naturally. Is it possible that you did not notice it before ? Do you carry your keys in a key case ? They are the best protection against scratches on leather handbags !

[Stormy Heart]

Originally Posted by fafnir

So I checked today, and the leather is a still a shade or so deeper on the back of the tag. So I won't use Rain & Stain on the rest of the bag; I'll get some Kiwi spray instead.

Thanks for the follow-up !