Sterling & Hyde Handbag Care Guide

Handbag Maintenance Tips “You’ve bought your Sterling & Hyde handbag because you love it! It makes sense you want to keep it looking its best” Follow or at least consider these tips when you use your handbag. Your priority is to keep your bag looking good and stain free, yet to enjoy using it.

Keep your zippers working smoothly by running a piece of natural

bees wax (found in hardware stores) over a zipper’s open teeth.

Be careful when visiting your hairdresser with your bag, as hair products can easily splash onto handbags left on the floor at your feet. Clippings of chemically treated hair can land on the bag and leave marks on your Sterling & Hyde bag.

Handle your bag, especially lighter bags with clean hands.

If you have to store your bag in your desk or filing cabinet at work

check the drawer first for rough splinters or sharp edges that could damage and scratch your bag.

If you carry bottled water in your bag, make sure the top is

screwed tightly to prevent a leak. As leaks can leave watermarks.

Avoid handling your bag after applying beauty products, face

foundations or hand creams.

Try to keep your bags away from excessive, direct sunlight.

Handbag Cleaning Tips

For any cleaning you undertake, I suggest an assortment of quality soft non-abrasive cleaning dusters, plus a roll of quality soft, non-scratchy quilted kitchen paper.

Some people do nothing more than wipe their handbag with a damp cloth.

Leather conditions are also a great idea to help keep your

Sterling & Hyde handbag looking great. Always apply leather conditioners to a cloth rather than directly onto the leather.

However, for light coloured leather bags we suggest you pre-treat your bag with anti stain and waterproof sprays such as Waproo Water and Stain Protector or similar products such as Scotchguard. Only use the rain repellent after firstly conditioning the bag. Then apply the repellent in smooth continuous sweeping motions to avoid concentrated areas of product, which if uneven could stain a bag.

If your bag is heavily stained you want to consider taking it a

specialised restoration handbag service.

Do not use car leather polishes or furniture care polishes on your handbags. These leather polishes has too high a pH and it strips off the finish on some leather bags.

Handbag Storage Tips

Clean exterior leather with alcohol free baby wipes.

Empty all pockets and shake gently to remove dust and debris.

Clean the bags interior bag by gently pulling interior inside out and using a lint roller. If you can’t pull out the lining of your handbag, you can use the fabric brush attachment on your vacuum.

Loosely stuff your handbag with bubble wrap (tissue paper will

attract moths) when not in use. This will help prevent the bag from losing its shape. Be careful not to overstuff the bag because it could cause stretching.

If your handbag has chain handles, stuff inside bag during

storage, which will prevent unsightly creases and the possibility of scratching the hand bag.

For long-term storage, undo strap buckles so that impressions are

not created. Then if you wish to change the strap length, the unbuckling of the straps before storage will stop areas becoming impressed.

As leather is a natural material and needs to breathe. Never

store your handbag in plastic because it encourages the growth of mildew and bacteria and can dry out leather.

Store your handbag in either your Sterling & Hyde dust cover or a

plain white pillow case.

Ideally, handbags would be stored in cubbies built into your closet (but who has those?) instead you can also store them in baskets or bins made of plastic coated wire. Stand them upright or lay them down.

Do not keep your bags in wardrobe for a long time without airing

it once in a while - oxidation takes place faster on bags in stagnant environment.

Care Tips provided by Amy Richards, Creator & Owner of Sterling & Hyde Handbags at www.sterlingandhyde.com.au