I washed my vintage Noe...

[dagnypup]

In summary:

If you have a vintage bag with vachetta and you are thinking about submersing it in water, please examine the bag closely for any wrinkles or creases in the leather. You have to assume that if there are any, then some of them will crack as the leather dries. In the case of tears (or leather rot), the leather will tear more and the integrity of the bag will be compromised.

I know many of you are probably shaking your head thinking, "Girl, you are CRAZY to have done that to your bag!!" But, again, the. 'ick factor' would have bothered me more than these cracks do. I won't be babying this bag and intend it to be a work-horse bag. I had considered purchasing a new one from the LV website, but decided to go pre-loved because I was not sure I would like the style or size of the bag.

Going forward, I will never wash this specific bag again in this manner. I have not yet conditioned the canvas (with Armorall) but don't think there will be any visible changes to the bag once I do so. If there are, I will post photos. I will condition the leather as frequently as it needs, and clean the canvas with a damp cloth as needed.

I will continue to keep you all posted should any further issues develop with the bag, as well as my wrinkle-removing techniques if they prove successful.

 

[toujours*chic]

I think all things considered, the bag looks good post-cleaning. I would not have been as brave as you to clean so thoroughly but under the circumstances, I understand your motivations. I hope the functionality and remaining lifespan serve your needs.

Now that you have this bag, would you have rather purchased new? You mentioned in your earlier post you went the pre-loved route because you were unsure if you liked this bag for its intended purpose. I have the Noe GM in all sizes and canvases- it is probably my favorite LV classic bag style.

Thank you for taking us along on your vintage LV Noe rehab journey.

 

[dagnypup]

I think all things considered, the bag looks good post-cleaning. I would not have been as brave as you to clean so thoroughly but under the circumstances, I understand your motivations. I hope the functionality and remaining lifespan serve your needs.

Now that you have this bag, would you have rather purchased new? You mentioned in your earlier post you went the pre-loved route because you were unsure if you liked this bag for its intended purpose. I have the Noe GM in all sizes and canvases- it is probably my favorite LV classic bag style.

Thank you for taking us along on your vintage LV Noe rehab journey.

Thanks!

As for your question, I wasn't sure if I would like the Noe GM. I have tried other "bucket" style bags in the past and found them to be a huge black hole -- but I had never used a purse organizer.

The bag that I loved (and sold) was my Hermes Picotin MM. While it was technically a bucket style bag, it was open enough that I could see everything and it also fit everything I wanted to carry with me -- be it a notebook, sweater, or even just my keys and wallet. I no longer wish to carry Hermes for a personal/spiritual reason, so this was what brought me to try LV.

If I like the Noe but wish it were smaller, I may then purchase a new Noe PM or the new NeoNoe -- which looks so awesome!

I also was not sure if I wanted to try the monogram canvas or one of the epi leathers. In the past the monogram never appealed to me, but lately I am quite drawn to it and think it might be a good neutral for year-round use.

 

[chaojixyy]

You are very brave and I admire your courage and hands-on skills. It is really very nice to see noe like getting a new life.

 

[Baglover1982]

In summary:

If you have a vintage bag with vachetta and you are thinking about submersing it in water, please examine the bag closely for any wrinkles or creases in the leather. You have to assume that if there are any, then some of them will crack as the leather dries. In the case of tears (or leather rot), the leather will tear more and the integrity of the bag will be compromised.

I know many of you are probably shaking your head thinking, "Girl, you are CRAZY to have done that to your bag!!" But, again, the. 'ick factor' would have bothered me more than these cracks do. I won't be babying this bag and intend it to be a work-horse bag. I had considered purchasing a new one from the LV website, but decided to go pre-loved because I was not sure I would like the style or size of the bag.

Going forward, I will never wash this specific bag again in this manner. I have not yet conditioned the canvas (with Armorall) but don't think there will be any visible changes to the bag once I do so. If there are, I will post photos. I will condition the leather as frequently as it needs, and clean the canvas with a damp cloth as needed.

I will continue to keep you all posted should any further issues develop with the bag, as well as my wrinkle-removing techniques if they prove successful.

I'm very glad that it has turnt out good for you and that you are happy with the outcome. I hope you enjoy using your bag

 

[toujours*chic]

Thanks!

As for your question, I wasn't sure if I would like the Noe GM. I have tried other "bucket" style bags in the past and found them to be a huge black hole -- but I had never used a purse organizer.

The bag that I loved (and sold) was my Hermes Picotin MM. While it was technically a bucket style bag, it was open enough that I could see everything and it also fit everything I wanted to carry with me -- be it a notebook, sweater, or even just my keys and wallet. I no longer wish to carry Hermes for a personal/spiritual reason, so this was what brought me to try LV.

If I like the Noe but wish it were smaller, I may then purchase a new Noe PM or the new NeoNoe -- which looks so awesome!

I also was not sure if I wanted to try the monogram canvas or one of the epi leathers. In the past the monogram never appealed to me, but lately I am quite drawn to it and think it might be a good neutral for year-round use.

Interesting you mention the Picotin. I have heard so many people say they have left H for similar reasons you mention and I feel I understand. It is a complicated relationship with the house for most. I would prefer not to engage in that dance at this stage of my life.

I too have had the Picotin and sold it because I prefer the Noe for the strap and cross-body wear flexibility and the ability to cinch it closed. The Noe is a workhorse for me and a classic. There are so many options with the Noe these days- I am sure you will find the one that suits you best.

 

[monipod]

Interesting experiment! I have a '96 Noe GM and it's my workhorse. It was my travel bag in Vietnam when it rained pretty much every day, and it got crammed into the front basket of a bike I rode around in Singapore. I kinda think they are indestructible so I'm not surprised that yours survived a wash.

The original Noe was designed as a champagne carrier (5 bottles, 4 upright and one upside down in the middle) so I can't help but think that right up until discontinuation, it was built to carry heavy loads. It certainly has some of the sturdiest base and stitching of all the bags. I can't imagine a current Noe surviving a wash!

 

[chaojixyy]

Interesting experiment! I have a '96 Noe GM and it's my workhorse. It was my travel bag in Vietnam when it rained pretty much every day, and it got crammed into the front basket of a bike I rode around in Singapore. I kinda think they are indestructible so I'm not surprised that yours survived a wash.

The original Noe was designed as a champagne carrier (5 bottles, 4 upright and one upside down in the middle) so I can't help but think that right up until discontinuation, it was built to carry heavy loads. It certainly has some of the sturdiest base and stitching of all the bags. I can't imagine a current Noe surviving a wash!

Thanks for letting me know where noe came from, thanks again, it was fun.

 

[pr3ty]

I just bought a preloved Noe and it had a vintage smell. I have cleaned all the vachetta with saddle soap but I wanted to wash the fabric lining with soap and water. Not sure yet if I will do it but you have surely made me think about it again. I plan to use it as my work bag too and will be putting my uniform in it. I will post if ever I decide to wash my Noe. Sharing my before and after wash with saddle soap.

 

[baghagg]

Looks great! Congratulations! You did a wonderful job. I had one purchased new in 1987. The strap eventually came apart years later, and LV was no longer doing repairs gratis, so I had a shoe repair fix it, but he didn't do a good job. I ended up using it as a beach bag lol. Seeing the pictures in this thread is so nostalgic. I miss that bag so much and the life I had during it's heyday Enjoy!

 

[ILOVENOVA]

I just bought a preloved Noe and it had a vintage smell. I have cleaned all the vachetta with saddle soap but I wanted to wash the fabric lining with soap and water. Not sure yet if I will do it but you have surely made me think about it again. I plan to use it as my work bag too and will be putting my uniform in it. I will post if ever I decide to wash my Noe. Sharing my before and after wash with saddle soap.

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Look very nice. I recently brought a vintage Noe too but I used baby wipes to clean the lining. My just a storage smell and am okay with that. Maybe put dryer sheet inside for a few days to see if that help.

 

[pr3ty]

Look very nice. I recently brought a vintage Noe too but I used baby wipes to clean the lining. My just a storage smell and am okay with that. Maybe put dryer sheet inside for a few days to see if that help.

I did wash the fabric lining yesterday after thinking about it. The vintage storage smell was just too strong for me. I diluted tide liquid detergent in cold water. I used a cleaning brush (from the dollar store) and soaked the brush in the diluted soap and brushed the lining with it, then i wiped it off with damp cloth and repeated it part by part, making sure it doesn’t soak the vachetta leather. After brushing and wiping the whole lining, I then placed it in front of the dehumidifier for the whole afternoon. By night, the lining was dry and smelled so good! No more vintage storage smell! I am so happy!!! I attached a photo of the inside of the bag.

 

[pr3ty]

Look very nice. I recently brought a vintage Noe too but I used baby wipes to clean the lining. My just a storage smell and am okay with that. Maybe put dryer sheet inside for a few days to see if that help.

I did wash the fabric lining yesterday after thinking about it. The vintage storage smell was just too strong for me. I diluted tide liquid detergent in cold water. I used a cleaning brush (from the dollar store) and soaked the brush in the diluted soap and brushed the lining with it, then i wiped it off with damp cloth and repeated it part by part, making sure it doesn’t soak the vachetta leather. After brushing and wiping the whole lining, I then placed it in front of my dehumidifier for the whole afternoon. By night, the lining was dry and smelled so good! No more vintage storage smell! I am so happy!!!

 

[ILOVENOVA]

I did wash the fabric lining yesterday after thinking about it. The vintage storage smell was just too strong for me. I diluted tide liquid detergent in cold water. I used a cleaning brush (from the dollar store) and soaked the brush in the diluted soap and brushed the lining with it, then i wiped it off with damp cloth and repeated it part by part, making sure it doesn’t soak the vachetta leather. After brushing and wiping the whole lining, I then placed it in front of my dehumidifier for the whole afternoon. By night, the lining was dry and smelled so good! No more vintage storage smell! I am so happy!!!

Cool am glad you try. I maybe should too but I will think about it.