Coach Rehab and Rescue Club

[bigal]

Vodka - interesting. Personally I wouldn't waste it lol!

I guess it depends what it is that's making it smell. It may not be as obvious when it's dry - a bit like a wet dog or wet wool!

Someone here suggested a final rinse with vinegar to cut grease and odour. Someone else has used lemon.

You could try Febreeze spray or putting it is a plastic bag or sealing it in a plastic container with charcoal or bi-carb to absorb the odour over a couple of days, but it will need to be 100% dry first or it will go mouldy.

I'm feeling better this morning....must have just been something about being a bit damp still. It's back to having a faint stored in the garage smell. I think that will dissipate and if it sticks around an afternoon outside in the fresh air and sunshine. I will still probably spray the interior with vodka.

Vodka or grain alcohols make great fresheners and they dry quickly. I've used it on old wool coats with great success. You just need to put them in a good spray little with a mist spray.

 

[catthecurious]

I apologize for the offtop question, but this is the area I'm mostly familiar with and I seem to be totally lost. I'm trying to find information about bleecker bags - whether is a certain kind of leather, or just a name for the line of products, and the more I look, the more questions I have. There're so many of them around, and some of them have smooth surface and some are pebbled, and even Google shows shopping links only, mostly to Coach site. I looked inside Coach forum and still didn't find any clear answers. Please tell me where to look! Thanks!

 

[catthecurious]

Now relevant question... I've had this red tote for a while, and I have no idea where these black spots came from (they've been there for a couple of years now). Not big, but very annoying, and definitely not dirt or anything like it. The one on the first picture ended up covered in small cracks and peeling(they're not getting bigger, though), and the one on pic. 2 resembles a small burn from a match, but since I don't smoke, it's a mystery to me. They both seem to be of the same origin... and is there any way to get rid of them other than covering them with matching paint? Thanks!

 

[alansgail]

It's hard to tell where exactly on the purse these marks are? Are they on the bottom....interesting that your photo has a heat register in the background. I wonder if you set your bag down near a heat source without knowing it?
Have you tried gently sanding them down? Maybe a pro will chime in here......

 

[whateve]

Now relevant question... I've had this red tote for a while, and I have no idea where these black spots came from (they've been there for a couple of years now). Not big, but very annoying, and definitely not dirt or anything like it. The one on the first picture ended up covered in small cracks and peeling(they're not getting bigger, though), and the one on pic. 2 resembles a small burn from a match, but since I don't smoke, it's a mystery to me. They both seem to be of the same origin... and is there any way to get rid of them other than covering them with matching paint? Thanks!

They look like they are indented like a burn. I think covering with paint is your best bet. Even if you were able to remove the black, the uneven texture would show.

 

[whateve]

I apologize for the offtop question, but this is the area I'm mostly familiar with and I seem to be totally lost. I'm trying to find information about bleecker bags - whether is a certain kind of leather, or just a name for the line of products, and the more I look, the more questions I have. There're so many of them around, and some of them have smooth surface and some are pebbled, and even Google shows shopping links only, mostly to Coach site. I looked inside Coach forum and still didn't find any clear answers. Please tell me where to look! Thanks!

Coach has been using the Bleecker name for a line of styles since the 90s. The Bleeckers from the past have no relation to the Bleeckers of the present, and the women's Bleeckers are totally different from the men's.

 

[soozlz]

Vodka - interesting. Personally I wouldn't waste it lol!

I guess it depends what it is that's making it smell. It may not be as obvious when it's dry - a bit like a wet dog or wet wool!

Someone here suggested a final rinse with vinegar to cut grease and odour. Someone else has used lemon.

You could try Febreeze spray or putting it is a plastic bag or sealing it in a plastic container with charcoal or bi-carb to absorb the odour over a couple of days, but it will need to be 100% dry first or it will go mouldy.

I used lemon on one rehab...that was before I learned about using vinegar. I'll be sticking with the vinegar. It's much cheaper.

 

[chowlover2]

Vodka works as well!

 

[soozlz]

I'm feeling better this morning....must have just been something about being a bit damp still. It's back to having a faint stored in the garage smell. I think that will dissipate and if it sticks around an afternoon outside in the fresh air and sunshine. I will still probably spray the interior with vodka.

Vodka or grain alcohols make great fresheners and they dry quickly. I've used it on old wool coats with great success. You just need to put them in a good spray little with a mist spray.

Thank you for the great tip!! I'll try that. The rehab I'm almost done with still has a slight 'vintage' smell

 

[bigal]

Thank you for the great tip!! I'll try that. The rehab I'm almost done with still has a slight 'vintage' smell

Yeah give it a try. The only concern I'd have is it could be a little drying. But if it's a bag you can condition it should be fine. I found with the wool coats, it took a couple applications.

 

[catthecurious]

It's hard to tell where exactly on the purse these marks are? Are they on the bottom....interesting that your photo has a heat register in the background. I wonder if you set your bag down near a heat source without knowing it?
Have you tried gently sanding them down? Maybe a pro will chime in here......

That's an air vent under the chair, and I don't think there's a connection between it and the marks... I don't remember the vents ever getting hot enough to cause burns. I think starting with sanding will be a great idea, it'll remove the peeling pieces... thanks, Alansgail!

They look like they are indented like a burn. I think covering with paint is your best bet. Even if you were able to remove the black, the uneven texture would show.

I think you're right, and I'll start with sanding, as Alansgail suggested, and then cover whatever is left with paint. Thanks, Whateve!

 

[catthecurious]

Coach has been using the Bleecker name for a line of styles since the 90s. The Bleeckers from the past have no relation to the Bleeckers of the present, and the women's Bleeckers are totally different from the men's.

Thanks, Whateve! So Bleecker is just the name then, and it has nothing to do with the kind of leather the bag is made of, or the way it should be treated? When searching for the answers to my questions, I came across an old discussion here on tPF about treatment of different Bleeckers, and there was also reference to burnished leather some of them were made of... all this just worsened my confusion...

 

[bigal]

Time for an update! So my nubuck Sonoma Flap is nearly complete. I still have a few glossy spots and a few white-ish spots to take care of. But, she no longer smells weird and is beginning to regain a leather smell.

Does anyone know what grit sandpaper I should use on left over spots?

 

[bigal]

Oops I hit send and forgot the pictures! Isn't she pretty? And she holds a ton of stuff too!

 

[whateve]

Oops I hit send and forgot the pictures! Isn't she pretty? And she holds a ton of stuff too!

She looks beautiful! You'll want to use very fine grit sandpaper or steel wool. I've never been able to completely get rid of the shiny spots.