Cleaning and Protecting the OUTSIDE of your BV

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Maybe it is just me, but why would you want to take a beautiful BV bag "out in the harshest conditions"? I have older bags that I save for those days or use a canvass coated bag like an LV. That said, I will be interested to hear how this works for you.:smile1:
 
newbags4me - it is not intentional nor a matter of curiosity putting a beautiful BV against the nature and seeing what comes out of it. If I had the choice, of course I wouldn't do it. But living in the nordic climate, if I ever want to use my bag, I simply have to take it out in rain, slush, snow, cold and so on, cause that is what we have most days. Having invested in a BV, I want to be able to wear it any time I want and any weather. That is the only way such an investment makes sense to me. In return I take every effort to baby my bags.

By the way, BV recently got back to me saying that they carried out some technical tests which confirm that even very low temperatures (up to -25C!) nor any water/snow harm the cervo leather nor change the colour in any way. So I guess BV agrees that beauty should not only be reserved for ideal weather only :) Thank you, BV, for making such beautiful and resilient bags!
 
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Great to hear, Longchamper! Like you, I live in the north and must deal with the elements of extreme cold & snow for at least 5 months a year. Thanks for mentioning the testing BV did - it makes me feel good about "investing" in their bags :smile1:
 
Longchamper, I hear you about the issues with bad weather living in the north as well! I probably baby my bags way too much and always have a plastic bag folded in my cosmetic bag in case I get caught in the elements. Question about the word you got back from BV. Were the tests they mentioned conducted with or without some protection added to the cervo leather? In other words, is a protective spray necessary?
 
Miss_FancyBags - I agree, this makes investing in Bottega Veneta feel really worthwhile, not to mention the amazing customer service. By the way, the information I received regarding the small testing only applies to cervo - most likely other types of leather are more delicate.

newbags4me - From what I gather, they tested the cervo without protection but I am not 100% sure about that. Anyway they did recommend treating the leather twice or three times a year with leather cream (Melatonian or something called "Royal Shoes") for maintanance in such conditions, and that should do.
 
I haven't used my new to me Large Ebano Veneta yet (will be hiding in the closet until my b'day in March :rolleyes:) but I do want it to be long lasting and google for protection, THANK YOU all ladies for sharing your experience I will definately do it before I rock her :love:
 
Hi ladies, I received my 1998/99 "vintage" BV today. It has the classic BV monogram fabric, satin lining and the handle is lined in leather. Pics are here: #589 #590 (seller's pics). I found it on ebay classifieds and the seller stated it was as new. I think she tried to "clean"/wipe the bag before sending it and it has water stains on both leather and fabric. At first I didn't think (silly me) about water stain so I took a wet sponge and tried to remove the stain on the fabric and to my horror... now it has more water stains. I left the bag outside a couple of hours (it's warm and sunny) but somehow they are still there. It is a really beautiful bag... as new considering it's age (there's no damage at all) - just the water stains that are quite noticeable. What I should do? I live near Venice so I was thinking about asking to a BV's SA there... do they offer this kind of service? Or I should bring it to my local dry cleaners? TIA
 
hi,

i just bought the moro calf messenger bag (for men)
see -
http://www.bottegaveneta.com/defaul...alf-marcapunto-messenger-bag_245169VO490.html

it scratched a little bit so I tried to cover those scratches by applying some canola oil to the scratch (read about applying vegetable oil somewhere...).

now there is a big stain where i applied the canola oil!!!!

help! does anybody know if the stain is suppose to go away (if the oil absorbs or something?) and if not, how can i fix this and get read of the spot made by the oil?

thanks a lot for all the help!!
 
help! does anybody know if the stain is suppose to go away (if the oil absorbs or something?) and if not, how can i fix this and get read of the spot made by the oil?

I'm not sure if this works with leather but baby powder is really good for absorbing oil stains. It gets pretty messy but put baby powder on the stain, let it sit overnight and then dust it off the next day. Hope this sort of helps! Good luck!
 
Hi,

I recently purchased a pre-owned Montaigne in Turbolence. It is in great condition although inside there are some ink marks, not really noticeable unless you dig for them, a slight perfume smell and normal wear on the corners and along the zippered leather area. Does anyone have any recommendations on what I can use or who I can take the bag to to get the interior cleaned, removing the ink stains as well as getting the perfume odor out. I had seen some on other forums recommend sending it to Avelle (BBOS) as they do full bag cleaning but not sure abou that. Anyone have any experience with that?

TIA!!!
 
If you have a regular BV SA, ask him/her for advice. Or, you could consult the BV in Natick, seeing that you're outside of Boston. They might end up sending it somewhere, and there might be a charge, but it's probably the safest option. Or, they might be able to do some of the refurbishment locally, or, they might at least recommend some products. I probably wouldn't send it anywhere but BV, but that's only because BV probably has a lot more experience with their own bags.

As for the wear marks, I don't think you could easily get the color back on your own, but you could try a little conditioner to see if it improves the appearance. My BV SA advised me to try this when my bag handles started to look a little faded.

Ink is really difficult to remove. I'd probably leave the ink stains alone if they're not noticeable. Home remedies (especially hairspray) can really backfire (the setting ingredients in hairspray will leave a residue and might set the stain). Ink removers might do damage to the lining itself if you don't know what's in it. If it were really bad, the inside lining probably could be replaced.

As for the perfume smell, you can try simply airing it out for a week or two, outside but in the shade. Or, you could try hastening the process by using something odor absorbing inside the bag and closing it up. I used a small bowl of baking soda inside a non-BV bag once, being very careful not to move the bag at all and making sure the bowl wouldn't tip over and spill inside the bag. I've heard of others using packets of charcoal (like fridge filters, or unscented shoe balls). Newspaper might work, but the ink would probably stain the lining.

I think there might be some related posts and info on the FAQ section of BV Reference. That's where most of the cleaning issues are posted, I think.

Good luck!
 
You will not be able to get the ink stains out of the lining. son't let anyone tell you they can. the only thing tougher than blue ink is red ink. If I get red ink on something i just throw it away. You could have it relined. Take it to your local BV or send it. They will send it the people that do the work for them and recondition it. I am not sure how much it cost to have a bag relined but I think it was somewhere around $200-250. When they recondition it you could also ask them to deordorize it for the perfume smell. I take it is not a scent you enjoy???? There will be a charge for the reconditioning but it is not that much.
 
Thanks September & blueiris. When I open the bag I can't notice the pen. It is in areas like under the cell phone pocket and lower interior corners and I need to pull the lining away to really see it. It isn't drastic and would probably be best to leave alone as it doesn't detract from the bag.
The smell is more of an annoyance, not super overpowering, so will try airing out.
I think I might bring it to my local BV in Natick and just get their opinion on the wear. Not much they can probably do but worth them having a look anyway.
I don't usually buy pre-owned but came across this and love the style and color and felt I was getting a good price.
Thanks
 
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