Coach Rehab and Rescue Club
- Thread starter greenpixie
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It is hard to see some marks. Cam see large line like it was leaning again something?? But slight idk! Hope this helps! Thanks
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Ohh I will have to look into that! That sounds like what I need or does like lexol work or apple? That sounds like a smart idea with leaving stuff on for a few weeks but I'm afraid with the color?! What would you do? (I posted some pics)
Is there some reason you don't want to give it a bath? Bags from the mid to late 90s usually do fine in a bath without fading. You could pretreat the spots with something like Soilove. Those spots seem very minor.
Gosh, if there were just ONE GOOD LEATHER CLEANER, we'd all be walking around with sparkling, new-looking, vintage Coach bags on our arms! But because each bag has its own history - and issues - there just isn't a silver bullet IMO. But - also IMO - a good sudsy bath is a good start to a rehab for a bag. I use Dawn Extra Strength. Others here use Woolite. (I've used the Dollar Store version called Wool Wash on a wool & suede Dooney with great results!) Depending on how dirty a bag is, I'll use warmer than usual water. And I've bathed bags of just about every color, including orange.
Let's back up a step...before the bath it's a good idea to remove any debris from the inside. I use a dry toothbrush and scrub into all the nooks and crannies. In some cases, you can turn the bag inside out to get into all the seams. If you don't get the inside cleaned out, you'll just have all that debris floating around in the bath water. katev used to use a vacuum...also a great idea!
Back to the bath...some members here pre-treat spots or stains...also a good idea. I usually don't as I would rather have the leather wet before I address the stains. I use a toothbrush to gently scrub the bag all over before I address any specific stains. I've used hairspray, nail polish remover, hydrogen peroxide, baking soda, Mean Green, hand sanitizer (glycerin & alcohol), Awesome, Soilove and probably a few that don't come to mind right now.
Some folks report great success with removing ink with hairspray...I've not been so lucky. It's always good to remember that we don't know how old a spot is...or truly what it is (ballpoint, gel, sharpie, etc.)...that's key to removing it! Be sure to use caution and always test any cleaner on part of the bag that's not so visible... somewhere inside, maybe. And use caution in scrubbing with cleaners...some will take out color. I've had better success with applying cleaners with a q-tip than scrubbing. One more caution...if you're treating a spot with X product, make sure you rinse thoroughly before applying Y or Z product...sometimes nasty things can happen when you mix cleaning products!
A word about Soilove...I've had great results using it on Coach fabrics, outsides as well as linings. It works well for removing ink from linings, both signature and plain fabrics. Repeated applications seem to be the trick here. But again, a word of caution...I used it on a red Mercer bag (nylon twill, I think) and turned the red to kind of a reddish orange. This was a really dirty bag and my best guess is that I didn't rinse the Awesome I used before the Soilove well enough and made a mess! I've also used Soilove with good results in removing spots from light-colored leather, but I urge serious caution with using it on colors (I tend to be a little over-zealous at times lol).
Finally...whatever cleaners you use...or just a bath...make sure you rinse well. You don't want soap (or cleaner) residue left in the leather or a lining.
Overall I'll just say that everyone has their own favorite techniques and products and most of us have simply learned by experimentation. And most of us have learned from reading each other's experiences right here. And asking lots of questions. Good Luck!
Amen!
I agree with the bath...If I used Soilove, I would test somewhere inside first...and I agree the spots are pretty minimal...sometimes they're just part of the bag's history!
It's been a while since I posted an actual rehab...oh, I've been rehabbing, just being lazy about posting 
Here goes...
I bought this cute little MFF Holiday Patchwork Top Handle Pouch #40971 back in December at a Goodwill Bargain Barn for $1. She was really dirty especially on the tan suede near the base of the handles and I thought there was color transfer on the metallic leather. Great opportunity for experimentation! Though it has a hangtag, this style doesnt have a creed, only a Made in China tag...bet thats why it was overlooked! Before pics are here: http://forum.purseblog.com/coach-shopping/authenticate-this-coach-818914-564.html#post25804686
I did some Googling about cleaning greasy stains from suede and read that a baking soda paste can work so I tried it. After soaking in a warm bath with Dawn for a little while, I made a baking soda and water paste and scrubbed it in (on the lighter tan suede only) with a toothbrush. It did a great job of lifting the grease off the crease below the handle. The metallic leather patches were another story. I tried Mean Green on what I thought was color transfer (dark along the creases) and discovered it was more likely surface wear through the metallic finish. Boo. Gave her a good all-over scrub with a toothbrush, rinsed well and stuffed her to dry.
Applied Leather CPR 2X on the handle, trim and zipper pull when nearly dry.
The tan leather patches were still a little dark at the creases, so I gently rubbed them with a typewriter eraser (yeah, typewriter!) working in a gentle circular motion. Made a great improvement! Old-school typewriter erasers are rather abrasive...use caution if you try this on suede. And I would NOT suggest using one on smooth leather!
I got creative with the metallic patches where the surface had been worn off. Using several different metallic Sharpie Markers in bronze, brass and gold, I was able to replicate the metallic surface. The surface of the leather is pebbled, so I just applied tiny dots of each color, over and over again until the surface looked good. Looks much better than it did...Im satisfied.
Here goes...I bought this cute little MFF Holiday Patchwork Top Handle Pouch #40971 back in December at a Goodwill Bargain Barn for $1. She was really dirty especially on the tan suede near the base of the handles and I thought there was color transfer on the metallic leather. Great opportunity for experimentation! Though it has a hangtag, this style doesnt have a creed, only a Made in China tag...bet thats why it was overlooked! Before pics are here: http://forum.purseblog.com/coach-shopping/authenticate-this-coach-818914-564.html#post25804686
I did some Googling about cleaning greasy stains from suede and read that a baking soda paste can work so I tried it. After soaking in a warm bath with Dawn for a little while, I made a baking soda and water paste and scrubbed it in (on the lighter tan suede only) with a toothbrush. It did a great job of lifting the grease off the crease below the handle. The metallic leather patches were another story. I tried Mean Green on what I thought was color transfer (dark along the creases) and discovered it was more likely surface wear through the metallic finish. Boo. Gave her a good all-over scrub with a toothbrush, rinsed well and stuffed her to dry.
Applied Leather CPR 2X on the handle, trim and zipper pull when nearly dry.
The tan leather patches were still a little dark at the creases, so I gently rubbed them with a typewriter eraser (yeah, typewriter!) working in a gentle circular motion. Made a great improvement! Old-school typewriter erasers are rather abrasive...use caution if you try this on suede. And I would NOT suggest using one on smooth leather!
I got creative with the metallic patches where the surface had been worn off. Using several different metallic Sharpie Markers in bronze, brass and gold, I was able to replicate the metallic surface. The surface of the leather is pebbled, so I just applied tiny dots of each color, over and over again until the surface looked good. Looks much better than it did...Im satisfied.
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So scrub with dawn, will that take the color off? Like with a tooth brush? I'm afraid because of the color and like using alcohol will that like the color out of orange? In a bath. What is just a garentee of no color wreckage. I am also new at this and have not found a technique yet! Thank you
I'm afraid of dunking it and messing up! Like making it worse. The color etc. I am new and have only done one bath. Which was ok that was a hard purse. Will dawn discolor the orange? And just scrubing it