“Out, out damned spot!” Even if it takes 2 trips thru the washer!

[katev]

And don’t let Lady McBeth have any more red wine, either!

I recently picked up a canvas and leather Coach bag at the Salvation Army Thrift Store for $12. The bag was filthy and badly stained with ink, dirt, food, and some really nasty red wine stains under the flap. I wasn’t sure if it could be saved but I decided to try and clean it up.

I was very pleased when DemRam authenticated it as a beige and camel Canvas Bleecker Flap because I didn’t have any Bleecker bags in my collection. I did some research and learned that the bag was made in the US in 1999. They used a blend of fine Italian linen and treated the bag to resist stains, but it wasn't enough to overcome the neglect of the original owner! The bag retailed for $350 in 2000.

Here are some before pics; doesn’t it make you mad when someone treats a beautiful bag this poorly?! I will post photos after the first cleaning attempt with the next post.

 

[katev]

I got some advice from dstalksalot and Bebepurse and decided to risk extreme methods to clean up this poor bag. First I used alcohol on the pen marks and I sprayed Shout! on the worst stains, using a soft toothbrush to work into the bad areas and let it sit for awhile.

Then I gave it a bath in warm Ivory suds and kept working on the stains with the toothbrush and I briefly treated the worst stains with straight Clorox bleach! After rinsing I could see that the stains were lighter but not gone so I treated the bad areas with Oxi-Clean gel, put it in a net bag and threw it in the washing machine on "Delicate" using Woolite soap and warm water.

After it dried I saw that most of the dirt and some of the stains were gone, including the pen marks, but although the red wine stains were lighter they were still there. I thought about quitting because I knew that the bag was clean and the outside looked pretty good since most of the wine stains were under the flap; but it didn’t pass my test for a successful rehab which is “Would you personally feel comfortable carrying this bag?” The answer was “No” so I figured that for a $12 investment I was going to keep trying even if it destroyed the bag.

Here are pictures after the bath and first trip through the washer, as you can see it is much better but still not great. I will post pics after the second wash in the next message.

 

[katev]

I again treated the stains with Shout! but this time I let it sit overnight. Then I rinsed and repeated the straight bleach process but I also let it sit a bit longer. After another rinse I put on the Oxi-Clean spot treatment gel again and put it back in the washer with Woolite.

I stuffed the bag with towels to let it dry but I was worried that the leather might crack because of all this rough treatment. While it was still damp I used 2 applications of leather therapy oil on it and after it completely dried I used apple leather conditioner.

Eureka! The stains were gone! But the linen was pretty wrinkled so I had to use a steam iron to smooth out the canvas! It's a good thing that Coach really built these Bleecker bags tough!

Here are some final after pics. I need to get a new hangtag for her but I borrowed one from another bag for this photoshot. She will never be pristine again but I am very happy with the way she looks now; and she passes my successful rehab question, I will be proud to carry her!

I will show pics of the “under flap” trouble area with the next post.

 

[katev]

Here are photos of the under flap area. If I look closely under bright light I can still see a “faint pink tinge” and the canvas is a bit “bleached out” in the center, but she still looks pretty good for a badly abused, 12-year old bag!

 

[CoachCatcher45]

wow still looks pretty good

 

[ArizonaCS]

Wow! The bag looks wonderful now. Great work!

 

[happybag]

AMAZING! I've never seen one of these bags before. What a phenomenal restoration!

What I find interesting, is the wide range of materials Coach has apparently been working with for some time. And I used to think that all Coach made, prior to siggy fabric, were all-leather bags! This little linen number is a cutie!

 

[CoachCatcher45]

beautiful job

 

[katev]

AMAZING! I've never seen one of these bags before. What a phenomenal restoration!

What I find interesting, is the wide range of materials Coach has apparently been working with for some time. And I used to think that all Coach made, prior to siggy fabric, were all-leather bags! This little linen number is a cutie!

Thanks! I remember reading something about Bonnie Cashin - the original designer of Coach handbags and women's acessories - that she loved to experiment with a variety of materials and to mix textures in her creations. I think that Coach has continued in that tradition even after she left the organization.

 

[katev]

Wow! The bag looks wonderful now. Great work!

Thanks!

I didn't get a picture of it but all along the seam - where the flap is joined to the bag - was also stained with red wine. It was a hard area to work on but I am happy to say that it came clean also!

 

[serascarousel]

It really looks amazing!!! You did an awesome job. It's a really cute bag too

 

[JaclynLoosemore]

Wow, ur bag look amazing...it looks like new...great work

 

[Jersey Girl]

My dh and I both just looked at your rehab of this bag!
We could hardly believe the results! He said you are a miracle worker!
Beautiful job!! I think this is a really cute bag too, enjoy her!

 

[scootscoach]

Incredible rehab....the "post treatment" shots do not even look like the same bag! You did a wonderful job! Congratulations- I know you will certainly enjoy carrying her!

 

[cathyfitz]

Fabulous job! You gave that beautiful bag a whole new life.