Something I did to my bbag, not that you should try it

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LoriB

LoriB

wife, mom, bagaholic
O.G.
Apr 3, 2006
2,852
6
#1
Disclaimer: I am not recommending that anyone do this because I would not want to feel responsible if something went wrong. Having said that............

Yesterday I gave my ink first a luxurious massage with Apple leather conditioner. I let it dry for about an hour, buffed it with a towel, and applied two light coats of Apple Garde' Rain and Stain repellant. It looks fantastic! It is less shiny and more soft and smushy. I did this to my 05 caramel box a couple of weeks ago and it had the same effect, smushy and gorgeous. I would post pics but it is midnight right now and I need to take pics in the daylight.

I am going to carry my ink first another week and then take a pic to post in the "Before and After..." thread.

If anyone else has the balls to try what I did, just be careful not to concentrate too much of any product onto one spot. Other than that, it's pretty easy. I went for it, and I am so glad I did. Not to mention the protection my bag now has from stains and water.
 
#4
Balenciaga NY recommends doing nothing except applying a small amount of lotion ( I guess hand lotion?) to any spots that look worn or dry. That is the official word from them.

My theory, and I could be wrong, is that this newer leather is slightly dehydrated to the point that it needs some moisturizing to plump it back up. Which is why it seems thicker after you condition it. I think dehydrating the leather like this is what helps it looks distressed and veiny. If Bal NY recommends lotion, I see nothing wrong with leather conditioner lotion, its a white creamy lotion type thing.

I know I didn't hurt MY bag....but I wouldn't want anyone to hurt theirs by accident. So I was just sharing......


Edit: If I had a light colored bag, I would not have the guts to try this. Only on a darker colored bag.
 
#6
Wow, Lori, thanks for sharing this. I, too, was scared of using the lotion and repellent spray...I bought some about a month ago but didn't use the lotion until just recently. I was in a very crowded commuter train and was standing near the exit doors by someone with a bike. Well, when that person got up to leave, she rolled the bike past me and hit my bag -- twice! :Push: There wasn't any damage, but I freaked out a little and decided to use the lotion to clean the bag that night. I applied just a touch, but for some reason it seemed to dull the finish...Maybe I didn't buff it enough??
 
#7
this is EXACTLY what I did to my ink hobo as soon as I got it in. I hated how shiny and thin and waxy the leather felt and honestly, if the apple care lotion and rain garde hadn't done what it did to my bag... i would have gotten rid of it pretty quick!!

but it looks fantastic and is sooo soft and thick now! I totally love it and recommend it to anyone who isn't extremely hyper-sensitive about maybe altering the color by a 1/2 shade or so. maybe dont so this technique to a rare bag (obviously), but IMO this last year's leather is so bad anyway... not much worse it can get.
 
#8
LoriB
wow! i'm glad you've done it!!! and you're pleased with the results!!! i'm WAY too chicken to do anything to my bags... i'm just going to leave them to age gracefully! hehehe!
 
#9
LoriB - I slather my B-bags with applegarde too. The only place where I need to be especially careful is the handles. Unless it's dirty, I avoid it completely. The key is buffing it into the leather. I love the results also.
 
#10
I also use the conditioner & spray with nice results on all my b-bags (after reading raves on this board!)

I even used the apple cleaner :amazed: to remove some 'rust' marks left by the zipper on my turquoise bag and it worked great (I rec. you spot test this first & try at your own risk! I know the cleaner is harsh on some colors/leathers—but it worked great on these stains)

The conditioner works great as well to remove surface dirt—I’m just looking for a way to thoroughly clean the handles…Has anyone found a product that works for this?
 
#11
hey lori, sounds great. iam going to try this on my ink city. i was using the apple leather care, but did not use the spray. i will now. one question though, do you cover up the hardware, ie zippers and buckels and stuff, or do you just sort of spray over them lightly?

thanks

t
 
#13
BalenciagaLove said:
LoriB - I slather my B-bags with applegarde too. The only place where I need to be especially careful is the handles. Unless it's dirty, I avoid it completely. The key is buffing it into the leather. I love the results also.
Click to expand...

I did the same to mine yesterday morning and they look great! But can you explain exactly how you buff it into the leather? Do you use the cloth they provided?

Thanks!
 
#14
I had a pair of soft flannel pj pants that had seen better days, so I cut them up into squares and made "handbag rags" out of them.

I use a flannel rag to go over the whole bag and basically just rub it down as if it were wet or something. I don't think I really "buff" it they way you would shine a shoe or something. I just make sure there is no visible lotion or a film of lotion on the surface.
 
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