I think some people put shoe polish on even if it doesn't need it, especially if the bag is white or black. Hopefully, it will be fine once you get the polish off. Black bags don't usually show stains.
Coach Rehab and Rescue Club
- Thread starter greenpixie
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I hope you're right! I'm nervous....there is so much black! I changed the soapy water and it's just as dark the second time....
Should I just keep changing water and soaking til it's clear?
I surely would..get as much off as you can. After it is pretty well dried you can use a good conditioner on it to bring up the original finish. (I don't personally recommend Coach products tho) Try Apple or CPR or even Kikwi. Liquid shoe polish is OK if used ONLY on very small areas..a tiny blemish for instance. People that slather that horrible waxy junk on their Coach bags should be reported to the 'Coach Mafia" LOL
Yes, I soaked my first rehab for 24 hrs til the water ran clean. The bag was in what appeared to be good shape when I got it due to the polish.
Ok..I'm just going to keep changing out the water. I have both Apple and CPR - if I ever get to that stage!!
Yes, and I think these are people too lazy or uninformed as to proper care or rehab, so they use an easy instant fix..make it look dark & shiny so the photos look good..then fob it off on an unsuspecting buyer! A friend of mine recently bought a lot of 3 & all were polished like that.
Good to know. I'm afraid to ask what you found once the polish was all off - but I will. How bad was it?
It wasn't bad at all, just not shiny as it was with the shoe polish. Once conditioned the leather's natural glow came back. I think people use shoe polish as a quick fix and the bag will photograph well.
I was contemplating a bag on ebay awhile ago .the seller said they polished the bags before sending them off. I decided not to bother as I didn't feel like asking what product was used or if they could not polish it first .I know some people box things up when they list them.
Great! That gives me hope...
On a positive note, I just changed the water for the third time and I'm seeing light at the end of the tunnel. The water is just a bit gray-ish. I'm going to let it soak a while and change the water again....maybe that will be it?! Fingers crossed.....
Thank you all for your kind words. I guess I'm too chicken to do any challenging projects now, so I'm going to take it slow. Whateve, thank you, I'm glad the back looks good to you - I guess my perfectionism is clouding my judgment, so I'm never happy with the result. But it was so very brown, I think the result could've been much worse. All I did was scrub it gently with a toothbrush after a warm bath and applied 4 layers of Leather Therapy with one day breaks between them. I guess the hardest part for me was to wait for the layers to absorb LOL! I didn't buff between Leather Therapy layers, but I did it before I applied Blackrocks as the top layer, and after it, of course. I bought a really nice horse hair brush the other day at a small shoe store - paid way more than I was planning to spend on it on eBay, $13, but it's worth every penny - so full and soft, I just couldn't put it down.
Anyway, I just wanted to thank all of you who shares their priceless experience here - all I did was read the suggestions and recommendations of people who's done it so many times. Can't tell how much I appreciate your help!
Thank you! I'll post a picture when she's all dry and conditioned...in a few days.
I think I know what seller you are talking about. I've always been afraid to buy from them.