Such bravery, that bag was looking rough! Great job!
Coach Rehab and Rescue Club
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Such bravery, that bag was looking rough! Great job!
If I may interject some advice, to me it looks like water marks, which happens easily with jade, also have to watch how you condition or you can get swirl marks. Ive done exactly what you did with a jade bag. I would recommend soaking it in hot water and letting it set, it needs to soak through all the layers evenly. Scrub with a brush,, dawn, whole thing.. The only time I ever precondition a bag is if it's very old and super dry, 90s bags don't really need it.
Thank you for your advice! I thought it was watermarks as well, but after the second dunk I didn't see them improving so I thought maybe it wasn't... but I didn't leave the bag in for very long for fear of making it worse, so maybe that's why.
Do you think I should redunk it now or wait a bit longer to see if it fades? Or would waiting make the water stains permanent? This would be the 4th time I've dunked it and now I'm a bit worried about it drying out and cracking since I haven't conditioned it (half because I want to see how it dries without it, half because if I need to redunk I don't want it to be conditioned and cause this all over again)
How long do you recommend dunking it for? Do you think I should still use vinegar or just hot water and dawn? I did use arm and hammer plus oxiclean laundry detergent because I was running low on dawn, should I add that in as well?
Any tips on how to dry it? I typically stuff the bags with paper towels and leave them on a towel and readjust them every once in a while. After the first dunk when the stains first showed, I decided to start hanging it without paper towels inside. Not sure if the drying technique will make any difference in the water marks.
I never precondition my bags either, but this was such a gorgeous bag and I had heard about bags cracking during a dunk so I didn't want to ruin it... oh the irony..
Sorry for the million questions! You do such a great job with your bags, I really appreciate any advice you have to offer!
thats acreally good job in such a beat up bag...nice colour as well
Hello everyone,
I am quickly posting this rehab as I'm on my way out the door to take this purse to Henry, the cobbler. I purchased this bag knowing it was going to take a little TLC plus a hail Mary and that's if I was lucky. It was listed on Ebay and was diffinately a questionable purchasing decision on my part. The seller's pics looked as if someone had rubbed oil over it. The leather was faded the hardware verdigris. I my crossed fingers and hoped for the best.
First I shook out the interior to remove any dust and other debris out. I then dunked the purse in warm soapy water. I use Murphy's oil soap. After about an hour of soaking, I then used an old toothbrush and scrubbed both the interior and exterior. Then I rinse the bag in clean warm running water and allows it to soak in the dish tub full of fresh water for about 45 minutes.
I then pulled it out and used old towels to pat dry it. Once all the excess water was removed, I then stuffed the main compartment and the exterior pockets with old towels and rags. The bag was then placed on a towel and allowed 24 hours to dry. This allowed the bag's exterior to almost completely dry. I then removed the stuffing and allowed the purse to dry out another day.
Once it was dried, I then conditioned it with Apple conditioner, three consecutive applications. I used rubber gloves to apply the conditioner directly on the bag, no cloth. After the conditioner dried, I then used an old tshirt for the first round of buffing and then used a horse hair brush to finish it up.
I am taking it to Henry in hopes that he will be able to fix the loops where the layers of leather are coming apart.
Attached you will find the before and after pictures plus the dunk.
I am quickly posting this rehab as I'm on my way out the door to take this purse to Henry, the cobbler. I purchased this bag knowing it was going to take a little TLC plus a hail Mary and that's if I was lucky. It was listed on Ebay and was diffinately a questionable purchasing decision on my part. The seller's pics looked as if someone had rubbed oil over it. The leather was faded the hardware verdigris. I my crossed fingers and hoped for the best.
First I shook out the interior to remove any dust and other debris out. I then dunked the purse in warm soapy water. I use Murphy's oil soap. After about an hour of soaking, I then used an old toothbrush and scrubbed both the interior and exterior. Then I rinse the bag in clean warm running water and allows it to soak in the dish tub full of fresh water for about 45 minutes.
I then pulled it out and used old towels to pat dry it. Once all the excess water was removed, I then stuffed the main compartment and the exterior pockets with old towels and rags. The bag was then placed on a towel and allowed 24 hours to dry. This allowed the bag's exterior to almost completely dry. I then removed the stuffing and allowed the purse to dry out another day.
Once it was dried, I then conditioned it with Apple conditioner, three consecutive applications. I used rubber gloves to apply the conditioner directly on the bag, no cloth. After the conditioner dried, I then used an old tshirt for the first round of buffing and then used a horse hair brush to finish it up.
I am taking it to Henry in hopes that he will be able to fix the loops where the layers of leather are coming apart.
Attached you will find the before and after pictures plus the dunk.
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It looks fantastic! I am usually able to use Fabric Glue to fix layers of leather that have separated.
Rehab boo boos happen to us all. I'd soak the bag for 20 minutes in as hot as you can make the water (not boiling) but hot, withvinegar and dawn, no Oxiclean, no laundry detergent it's to harsh and oxi will strip out color, I learned that the hard way too. Let the bag hangout in your hot water, if you have no dawn put nothing in the water but vinegar. When you take the bag out, dry off access water with a towel and start conditioning, while wet! Slather it on and rub it in until the cpr gets absorbed. Stuff it and let it set, reposition it every so often and keep conditioning (again while it's still wet) as soon as it starts getting dry stop conditioning. But continue to reposition. The marks will lessen but may not dissappear completely. If your worried you didn't put enough coats don't, your final blackrocks or renapur step will make up for it. This is what i have done, I hope it will work for you. Good luckThank you for your advice! I thought it was watermarks as well, but after the second dunk I didn't see them improving so I thought maybe it wasn't... but I didn't leave the bag in for very long for fear of making it worse, so maybe that's why.
Do you think I should redunk it now or wait a bit longer to see if it fades? Or would waiting make the water stains permanent? This would be the 4th time I've dunked it and now I'm a bit worried about it drying out and cracking since I haven't conditioned it (half because I want to see how it dries without it, half because if I need to redunk I don't want it to be conditioned and cause this all over again)
How long do you recommend dunking it for? Do you think I should still use vinegar or just hot water and dawn? I did use arm and hammer plus oxiclean laundry detergent because I was running low on dawn, should I add that in as well?
Any tips on how to dry it? I typically stuff the bags with paper towels and leave them on a towel and readjust them every once in a while. After the first dunk when the stains first showed, I decided to start hanging it without paper towels inside. Not sure if the drying technique will make any difference in the water marks.
I never precondition my bags either, but this was such a gorgeous bag and I had heard about bags cracking during a dunk so I didn't want to ruin it... oh the irony..
Sorry for the million questions! You do such a great job with your bags, I really appreciate any advice you have to offer!
What an absolutely brilliant job!!!
My red Madison Spence (Italy) arrived yesterday and I was disappointed to see significant marks on one side (pen?) and considerable wear on the brushed brass turn lock... both undisclosed. I applied for a return, but also offered the seller the option of giving me a considerable partial refund. That way he was only out some money and I was happy to pay a fair price for the bag and try restoring it.
The seller opted for the partial refund, so I went to work on the black marks with a Q-tip and Rubbing Alcohol. I was astounded at the great result!!!
I was very careful to wipe the alcohol off with a paper towel immediately and then condition with CPR.
Next will be to dunk and fix up the indentations/dings:
and the hardware as much as possible. Any suggestions on what to do with brushed brass? The turnlock can't be removed because the lining covering it is attached.
Thanks so much!
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It's probably white. I've had early NYC bags with creeds but no number in white. Zit cream might bleach out the discoloration. It depends on what it is. If the edges are a different color, it is likely it is just a piece of leather that took the dye/paint differently. White bags aren't dyed the same way as darker colors. The color is laid on top.
Can you get rid of swirl marks? That is what is going on with my mystery blue Janice.
I'm not sure but I believe vinegar will set in the stains, making them harder to remove. Isn't vinegar used in washing machines to prevent bleeding? When I had a bag with water stains, I soaked in super hot water.Thank you for your advice! I thought it was watermarks as well, but after the second dunk I didn't see them improving so I thought maybe it wasn't... but I didn't leave the bag in for very long for fear of making it worse, so maybe that's why.
Do you think I should redunk it now or wait a bit longer to see if it fades? Or would waiting make the water stains permanent? This would be the 4th time I've dunked it and now I'm a bit worried about it drying out and cracking since I haven't conditioned it (half because I want to see how it dries without it, half because if I need to redunk I don't want it to be conditioned and cause this all over again)
How long do you recommend dunking it for? Do you think I should still use vinegar or just hot water and dawn? I did use arm and hammer plus oxiclean laundry detergent because I was running low on dawn, should I add that in as well?
Any tips on how to dry it? I typically stuff the bags with paper towels and leave them on a towel and readjust them every once in a while. After the first dunk when the stains first showed, I decided to start hanging it without paper towels inside. Not sure if the drying technique will make any difference in the water marks.
I never precondition my bags either, but this was such a gorgeous bag and I had heard about bags cracking during a dunk so I didn't want to ruin it... oh the irony..
Sorry for the million questions! You do such a great job with your bags, I really appreciate any advice you have to offer!
Katev, that is a great tip. How do you get the glue between the layers in tight areas?
I had it happen to a jade bag, all be it, the bag I had had alot of damage but I had to dunk it twice and was very sparing with the cpr.
I have that problem with some leather loops on a 2011 Sophia. I've put on leather cement but it isn't holding them together and there isn't much room to clamp them.