We’re firm believers in the motto ‘if you love your bag, it’ll love you back.’
Looking after one of our leather products is just like looking after your own skin or watering a plant (or even growing a beard!) – it needs care and love in order for it to look its best. Here’s a few tips from the experts at CSC to help you to care for your bag, from pastel spring shades to darker classic tones – the same rules apply.
The ageing effect
Teddy bears, good wine, white trainers, cheese, George Clooney – some things just get better with age. The patina (ageing) effect of leather is very cherished and admired: it comes from natural wear and tear. We use a stiff leather on purpose, for its strength and durability. Our leather is designed to soften and change over time but like our skin, pollution, hot weather and rain will all try to strip the leather of its natural oils. Keep it soft and supple by taking good care of it. Over time, you’ll be left with a bag that’s personal to you.Embossing helps too.
Take good care
Our coated leather is extremely durable and reasonably resistant to surface damage and, as a general rule, you should keep leather away from rough/sharp, metallic objects and be careful when and where you’re putting it down. That being said, we understand that sometimes accidents happen sometimes and we believe that every scratch tells a story of where your bag has been.
Rain, rain, go away
Much like ourselves, our leather bags hate getting wet (but they ARE British, so they’ve learned to put up with the, sometimes, ‘changeable’ weather!). If your satchel does get wet, it should be wiped with a dry cloth and allowed to dry naturally. Never force dry it with a hairdryer or radiator. You can buy leather water proofing products if you’re going to be in bad weather conditions continuously.
Behind closed doors
Store your bag in a dry and clean place – each one comes with a specially designed dust bag, perfect for keeping it safe and unscratched during storage. If you don’t have a dust bag, an old pillowcase will do!
The inside is just as important as the outside
Keep cosmetics in a pouch, cap any pens or anything that leaks. Get a small pencil case to protect the leather.
Accidents happen
If you spill something on or in your bag, we recommend taking it to a professional cleaner who can assess the damage and clean/waterproof your bag accordingly. If colour runs from your clothing on to your bag (this can sometimes happen with black or dark denim) then don’t panic! We recommend using specially designed leather cleaning products but, of course, speaking to an expert would be the best option.
It’s all about the right products
You can buy leather care products in all of stores which are designed to help you look after your bag properly. Apply every few weeks. + always patch test on a small area and leave for 24 hours. Speak to a member of our in store team for more details on how to look after your satchel.
We hope this information has helped and we hope you and your bag have a very long and happy life together.
If you have any more questions about how to care for your satchel, head in store to speak to the experts or email our friendly neighbourhood customer care team (contactus@cambridgesatchel.com) who’ll be more than happy to help you out.