B bag looses color?

millivanilli

millivanilli

Member
Jan 29, 2016
2,710
5,603
#1
Hello at all

I even do not dare to ask, but before I loose more sleep than I allready did I have to ask:

When I clean my Birkin with baby wipes, the bag seems to loos color. Not much, only a little bit, but the wipes are discolored after using them.

It is a 1999 Birkin, did anybody have the same experience?

TIA

Milli
 
#3
OneMoreDay said:
Baby wipes aren't as gentle as advertised. Can you list the ingredients? Anything more than water is bad. Product name?
Click to expand...


Oh, ok, I didn't know that!

The product name is Pampers sensitive and the ingredients are:

Aqua, Citric Acid, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor oi, Sodium Citrate, Sorbitan Caprylate, Xanthum Gum, Sodium Benzoate, Disodium EDTA, BIS-PEG/PPG-16/16, PEG/PGP-16/16, Domethicone, Caprylic / Capric Triglyceride, Pentadecalactone, Dipropylene Glycol

I hope that there are no typing mistakes...
 
#5
Please do not use baby wipes to clean your bags. They will damage your B. Instead you can use lexol ph wipes. Or ask docride in the H nightmares thread how to clean your leather.
 
#6
oooooooh ok, I learnt that I made a hughe mistake.


Arg I feel awfull... But thank you for telling me not to use babywipes! I'll use them for... hmmm. I'll throw them away.

THANK YOU ALL!
 
#7
Any cleaner, if you wipe too much or too hard, will cause color loss (which I learned from experience with Lexol on dirty handles). Baby wipes are harsher than leather wipes (for dyed leather, not for babies!), and will definitely remove color. I use them in emergencies since I'm more likely to have that handy than leather cleaner, but only with the gentlest touch and only on superficial dirt (blob of food, sunscreen or lotion, etc), not set in stains. If a few wipes doesn't remove the dirt, I stop.

Another possibility is that you are removing old colored polish when you are cleaning. If your bag has ever been to Hermes for spa or if you've done DIY touch ups at home, the polish may be part of the color you are seeing on the wipe.
 
#8
There is no need to clean your bag so often unless of course you are taking it to places where it gets visibly dirty. And please don't ever use baby wipes of any kind. As you have seen, they can strip color from your bag, which can entail a major and potentially costly spa service from Hermes, if the colour can even be reapplied.

Just use it and enjoy it.
 
#9
millivanilli said:
Oh, ok, I didn't know that!

The product name is Pampers sensitive and the ingredients are:

Aqua, Citric Acid, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor oi, Sodium Citrate, Sorbitan Caprylate, Xanthum Gum, Sodium Benzoate, Disodium EDTA, BIS-PEG/PPG-16/16, PEG/PGP-16/16, Domethicone, Caprylic / Capric Triglyceride, Pentadecalactone, Dipropylene Glycol

I hope that there are no typing mistakes...
Click to expand...
That's more ingredients than the most gentle wipe I know of; Johnson & Johnson's Extra Sensitive Baby Wipes (said to be 97% water and can be used on newborns). Pampers lists EDTA among its ingredients (commonly used in shampoos, soaps, cosmetics). This a chemical I try to avoid as much as possible. It's a good idea to throw it out, even if you're no longer using it for bags.

Different leathers have different levels of care. What leather is your Birkin? Everyone here is right. You don't have to clean it that often or vigorously.
 
#10
Agree - don't use baby wipes. Also don't just use any leather cleaner. You need to use cleaner for the specific type of leather. You can research on this forum among the Docride threads. However, as noted above cleaning for the sake of cleaning is not necessary. I have read threads where others noted that they clean after each use etc. Unless you have a reason to clean something off, don't clean. Also you need to test any cleaner in a hidden spot first to make sure that no damage is done.
 
#11
Dear all,

thank you so much for you kind words- I am feeling really dumb now:sad: Better ask before do something my mother always told me- that was 30 years ago.

The leather is couchevrel leather and yes, I was not gentle:sad: shame on me.

No, I don't clean her (she has human feelings, you know) that often, but reading that it should be done every 4 weeks, I thought I could start that now. I'll let it be and will clean her only when she is visible dirty.

Thank you all again!
 
#12
millivanilli said:
Dear all,

thank you so much for you kind words- I am feeling really dumb now:sad: Better ask before do something my mother always told me- that was 30 years ago.

The leather is couchevrel leather and yes, I was not gentle:sad: shame on me.

No, I don't clean her (she has human feelings, you know) that often, but reading that it should be done every 4 weeks, I thought I could start that now. I'll let it be and will clean her only when she is visible dirty.

Thank you all again!
Click to expand...

I'm not sure where you read that the bag requires cleaning monthly but that is way too much. Unless it is dirty and only then, a spot cleaning. And courchevel is not a fussy leather in terms of being delicate, attracting dirt or stains, etc., and doesn't need a unique or frequent cleaning regimen.
 
#13
Oh dear, sorry about this... Both my Chanel and Hermes SAs told me not to clean or condition my bags. But don't stress yourself too much over this, just enjoy your beautiful bag and when time comes take it to H for a nice spa. :hugs:
 
#14
I really don't know who came up with the concept that baby wipes should be used on a leather bag. It is definitely not a good idea. If you use something as a DIY, then stick to Meltonian. Courchevel is pretty hardy and i never really understood why it was discontinued. I rarely do anything to mine.
 
#15
I've used many wipes and leather cleanser over the years and all of them will have some color loss until I was told by a Nordstrom SA about Cadillac leather wipes. They are gentle and does not cause any color loss no matter how hard you press on the leather. It will just remove the dullness and dirt. I've recommended to many friends and they have restored all many old leather items and amazed at the results. They are always sold out at the stores but you can order them online.

Not sure if you are in the US but here is the site:

http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/cadillac-handbag-wipes/3675974?origin=shoppingbag


millivanilli said:
Dear all,

thank you so much for you kind words- I am feeling really dumb now:sad: Better ask before do something my mother always told me- that was 30 years ago.

The leather is couchevrel leather and yes, I was not gentle:sad: shame on me.

No, I don't clean her (she has human feelings, you know) that often, but reading that it should be done every 4 weeks, I thought I could start that now. I'll let it be and will clean her only when she is visible dirty.

Thank you all again!
Click to expand...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top
Back