Patent Leather storage mishap

LifeIsDucky

Member
Apr 17, 2015
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i was doing some long anticipated closet diving when I found a beautiful black patent leather zip zip satchel with Vachetta leather trim. Never used. Tags and wrap still on. Unfortunately it was in the clear plastic bag it was shipped in. When I took the zip zip out of the bag, the clear plastic bag was stuck to it and I have hazy marks on the satchel. Not sure if the plastic took the coating off the satchel or if the plastic bag left a film on the satchel. Funny thing is, it only stuck on one side so I have one perfect side and one hazy side. Kind of a "glass half full" sort of thing. I called Dooney customer service and they suggested cleaning it with a mild soap, distilled water and dry with a soft cotton cloth. I have a hunch the damage is done. Has anyone had this issue? I did do some more closet diving and safely stored the rest of my patents and fortunately all are OK. But I really LOVE the look of the black shiny patent with the matte Vachetta. I don't mind paying for a repair I just hope it isn't too expensive.
 
What a bummer! I hope you are able to restore your bag, LID. I don't have any suggestions for you; I have never had a similar issue. Good luck.
 
i was doing some long anticipated closet diving when I found a beautiful black patent leather zip zip satchel with Vachetta leather trim. Never used. Tags and wrap still on. Unfortunately it was in the clear plastic bag it was shipped in. When I took the zip zip out of the bag, the clear plastic bag was stuck to it and I have hazy marks on the satchel. Not sure if the plastic took the coating off the satchel or if the plastic bag left a film on the satchel. Funny thing is, it only stuck on one side so I have one perfect side and one hazy side. Kind of a "glass half full" sort of thing. I called Dooney customer service and they suggested cleaning it with a mild soap, distilled water and dry with a soft cotton cloth. I have a hunch the damage is done. Has anyone had this issue? I did do some more closet diving and safely stored the rest of my patents and fortunately all are OK. But I really LOVE the look of the black shiny patent with the matte Vachetta. I don't mind paying for a repair I just hope it isn't too expensive.
Sorry this happened. I agree the Dooney patent leather is beautiful, but I have found it to be fragile. It can scratch easily, pick up color transfer, and I've had it develop tiny holes if it came in contact with a droplet of perfume spray. It doesn't take much for the coating on the patent to be marred or eaten away.
 
Sorry this happened. I agree the Dooney patent leather is beautiful, but I have found it to be fragile. It can scratch easily, pick up color transfer, and I've had it develop tiny holes if it came in contact with a droplet of perfume spray. It doesn't take much for the coating on the patent to be marred or eaten away.
Thank you for the tip! I keep most of them in the cloth storage bag, but have now wrapped them in tissue and then placed them in the cloth bag. The zip zip got away from me somehow. They are also in a cool dark room without a lot of humidity. I only use them for a month at a time. I know they are fragile but the colors of patent draw me in every time. They remind me of nail polish which I can't wear so this is the next best thing. I bought my Ivory soap today. We will see how it goes.
 
Thank you for the tip! I keep most of them in the cloth storage bag, but have now wrapped them in tissue and then placed them in the cloth bag. The zip zip got away from me somehow. They are also in a cool dark room without a lot of humidity. I only use them for a month at a time. I know they are fragile but the colors of patent draw me in every time. They remind me of nail polish which I can't wear so this is the next best thing. I bought my Ivory soap today. We will see how it goes.
LID: I'm far from an expert on patent leather. I love the look of it also. I have 3 Dooney patent handbags now. I had 4, but one got in the path of a spray of perfume and developed holes in the coating that went right thru to the bare leather color. Very tiny, but I couldn't look at the bag without remembering, so I gave it away. It was a relatively new handbag, one I lusted after before buying, and I was very upset.
. I use cloth pillow cases (well washed) to store my patent leather handbags.. I don't know if tissue paper is a good thing or not. I've heard some people get special acid free tissue paper to store their leather handbags. The concern I have is that anything pressing against the patent leather could somehow interact with the patent finish. With my cramped storage situation, something is always pressing against my handbags.
 
LID: I'm far from an expert on patent leather. I love the look of it also. I have 3 Dooney patent handbags now. I had 4, but one got in the path of a spray of perfume and developed holes in the coating that went right thru to the bare leather color. Very tiny, but I couldn't look at the bag without remembering, so I gave it away. It was a relatively new handbag, one I lusted after before buying, and I was very upset.
. I use cloth pillow cases (well washed) to store my patent leather handbags.. I don't know if tissue paper is a good thing or not. I've heard some people get special acid free tissue paper to store their leather handbags. The concern I have is that anything pressing against the patent leather could somehow interact with the patent finish. With my cramped storage situation, something is always pressing against my handbags.
Great tip! Thank you! I bought a few pillow cases today. When I get my Dooney room I might still keep them covered - just in case. This will all come in handy as I plan the shelves and drawers for my new room. There is so much to think about - how many can I lay flat, how to display and store the awkward ones with handles that don't fold down, how many need space of their own and room to breathe...

The advice and help on this forum is fantastic. Thank you!
 
Great tip! Thank you! I bought a few pillow cases today. When I get my Dooney room I might still keep them covered - just in case. This will all come in handy as I plan the shelves and drawers for my new room. There is so much to think about - how many can I lay flat, how to display and store the awkward ones with handles that don't fold down, how many need space of their own and room to breathe...

The advice and help on this forum is fantastic. Thank you!
LID: As you make your plans, let me add a few more of my own experiences. Regarding handles.... if they lay down and are pressed against the side of the handbag (either because the bag is tightly sitting next to another bag or wall or because there is another bags on top of it) the sealant on the handle can damage the leather where the handle is pressed onto the bag. Even if the sealant doesn't remove the color from the leather on the side of the bag (and I've had that happen), the handle can leave a indentation mark on the side of the handbag. It's almost impossible to repair these damages. So.... if the handles can be tucked into the bag, I do that. If not, I let the handles stay upright and cover them with tissue paper to prevent them damaging each other.
Another storage idea.... color code the pillow cases to the color of the handbag. I search for close-outs and clearance sales and try to pick up pillow cases (at least 40% cotton, or more). I wash them and then use them for handbag storage. It's helpful to know that the bag in the pink storage bag (pillow case) is some shade of pink, for example. I can't always find all the colors I need, and I don't want to pay more than $4 a pillow case when I'm using it for storage.... but color coding does help the organization. Of course, if your handbag collection is a manageable size, you could make tags to put on the outside of the storage bags with a description and picture of what's inside. That's a much more elegant solution.... but you need space to store your handbags properly. My collection has exceeded that.
 
LID: As you make your plans, let me add a few more of my own experiences. Regarding handles.... if they lay down and are pressed against the side of the handbag (either because the bag is tightly sitting next to another bag or wall or because there is another bags on top of it) the sealant on the handle can damage the leather where the handle is pressed onto the bag. Even if the sealant doesn't remove the color from the leather on the side of the bag (and I've had that happen), the handle can leave a indentation mark on the side of the handbag. It's almost impossible to repair these damages. So.... if the handles can be tucked into the bag, I do that. If not, I let the handles stay upright and cover them with tissue paper to prevent them damaging each other.
Another storage idea.... color code the pillow cases to the color of the handbag. I search for close-outs and clearance sales and try to pick up pillow cases (at least 40% cotton, or more). I wash them and then use them for handbag storage. It's helpful to know that the bag in the pink storage bag (pillow case) is some shade of pink, for example. I can't always find all the colors I need, and I don't want to pay more than $4 a pillow case when I'm using it for storage.... but color coding does help the organization. Of course, if your handbag collection is a manageable size, you could make tags to put on the outside of the storage bags with a description and picture of what's inside. That's a much more elegant solution.... but you need space to store your handbags properly. My collection has exceeded that.
You are awesome! Thank you. Yes, my collection is extensive, too. My husband decided that they needed their own room and since we have two unused bedrooms it made sense. Every time I go through a giant tote I find something I forgot I had. I find myself saying, "Wow! I own that?! It's gorgeous!" Those handles can be tricky especially because I prefer the small rolled handles. It is definitely something to be mindful of. I like the colored pillowcase idea, too. And tags...I plan on having most of them displayed...safe from the sun and dust but I think some will still be covered so the tag idea would work well. I may have to do a seasonal rotation, too. So I will probably still have some in storage. I need a plan to stay organized there as well. It's a fun problem to have. I never thought I would be handbag obsessed but.... I blame my friend. She had a Dooney. It was darling. I bought one and never stopped.
 
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I just had a mini panic when I read this about patent leather. I have an old logo-lock handbag with black patent leather trim and the old leopard print leather that I have never carried. After about 6 or 7 years I figured it was time to use it as a trade-in bag, but I wasn't 100% sure about keeping or trading in an unused bag. At least mine came out of the original plastic without damage and I have time to make up my mind.

It is funny that I liked it when I made the purchase, didn't return the bag and never used it. It never felt like me.
 
I just had a mini panic when I read this about patent leather. I have an old logo-lock handbag with black patent leather trim and the old leopard print leather that I have never carried. After about 6 or 7 years I figured it was time to use it as a trade-in bag, but I wasn't 100% sure about keeping or trading in an unused bag. At least mine came out of the original plastic without damage and I have time to make up my mind.

It is funny that I liked it when I made the purchase, didn't return the bag and never used it. It never felt like me.
Yes, I have a few of those, too...liked, bought, never used. They do make good trades because there is no attachment. I am glad you had no plastic damage so you could give it a second thought.
 
It worked! I used a bar of ivory soap and distilled water and my black patent zip zip looks like new. I am so relieved...and happy.:happydance:
wow!!! This has happened to me, and I just thought the damage had been done, so thanks for this!!! What kinds of cloth did you use? Did you have to do any soaking, etc? I'm shocked (and happy for you:nuts:) it worked!
 
wow!!! This has happened to me, and I just thought the damage had been done, so thanks for this!!! What kinds of cloth did you use? Did you have to do any soaking, etc? I'm shocked (and happy for you:nuts:) it worked!
I used a baby wash cloth. Bought a six pack of them at Walmart for a dollar or two. I wet the cloth, rubbed it on the bar of soap, and carefully and lightly rubbed the bag with the soapy cloth. I made sure I didn’t touch the Vachetta trim which had not patinaed yet. Then using another clean cloth, I dampened it with water and wiped the bag to remove the soap. I did this a few times to make sure I had removed all the soap. To dry I used a third clean dry cloth and the magic happened!

Holding the handbag under bright light I could see the places where I had missed and repeated the process. Such an easy, quick and inexpensive fix. Good luck! I hope it works you. I will admit I was terribly skeptical when she told me to use plain ‘ol soap.
 
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Wow, thanks so much for this info!!! I would have had no idea!!! I haven't used it yet, since every time I look at it it upsets me. Now I can find/clean it- phew!!!
I used a baby wash cloth. Bought a six pack of them at Walmart for a dollar or two. I wet the cloth, rubbed it on the bar of soap, and carefully and lightly rubbed the bag with the soapy cloth. I made sure I didn’t touch the Vachetta trim which had not patinaed yet. Then using another clean cloth, I dampened it with water and wiped the bag to remove the soap. I did this a few times to make sure I had removed all the soap. To dry I used a third clean dry cloth and the magic happened!

Holding the handbag under bright light I could see the places where I had missed and repeated the process. Such an easy, quick and inexpensive fix. Good luck! I hope it works you. I will admit I was terribly skeptical when she told me to use plain ‘ol soap.