Leather backpacks deserve all possible respect. Not only because they’re made to look pleasing to the eye and are indicators of our unmistakable sense of fashion, but also because they always bear so much. Piles of papers, notebooks, wallets, books, a ton of makeup, a bottle of water… And from outside, there’s a bunch of pushing in public transport, accidentally bumping into strangers on the street, leaving it on various kinds of surfaces and all other types of interaction with the environment. Since many of them cost a small fortune, it definitely isn’t out of place to keep them well-maintained and try not to get signs of wear and let them tear quickly but to make them last for years, if possible.
The practicality of this type of bag truly requires a special kind of protection and your greatest efforts to keep it fresh and clean. By following the rules you can read in the following lines, you won’t have to worry about how your baby will look freshly bought – as if you just brought it home.
Hydrate
Not yourself – do it to your bag. Yes, you read this right. Just like we need a decent amount of water and hydration during the day in order to refresh, so does our bag. This doesn’t mean that you should leave it in your bathtub and let it soak or pour it with water – that’s not the type of hydration we’re referring to. What it really needs is a good cream.
The choice is yours – it can be your favorite body milk, a moisturizer, or any type of cream that you won’t regret spending this way – you can even buy a special one for this purpose, it’s highly recommended. Apart from offering a lovely (and huge) collection of irresistible backpacks and bags of any kind, CowboysBag also boasts a pretty cool multi-spray, specially made for treating your leather goods. Before applying it, wipe the bag with a brush or dry cloth to remove a layer of dust or dirt if necessary. Then massage the cream into the leather with light movements and keep doing it until you notice that you’ve completely wiped the entire surface.
Not only this cleans the backpack so perfectly that you can almost see your reflection on it but also protects your bag from unwanted stains. This procedure should be repeated from time to time when you feel it’s necessary – a couple of times per month would be perfect if you ask us.
Take care of what you put in the bag (and how)
Is that a coffee thermos with an extremely unstable and loose lid in your bag? Do we see a foundation and a ton of makeup there, as well? For god’s sake, just don’t do it. Anything that has the potential to spill inside your backpack poses a danger to the leather on its outer part – and not to even mention the consequences it might leave on the lining.
Each of these pieces of makeup can easily create a complete mess inside every time you put them inside In order to avoid such incidents, make sure to put everything in the kit first and then to put the kit in the bag. This way, even if something leaks or breaks, it won’t affect the inner part of the bag. The problem of crumbs, food leftovers, and forgotten chewing gums can easily be solved with a simple vacuum cleaner hose, or a small vacuum cleaner made especially for crumbs.
Also, try not to carry too sharp things like needles, scissors, and knives in it, because not only these items could break the lining, but also the bottom of the backpack. And you can imagine for yourself what that would look like, can’t you?
Pamper the metal parts as well
True, backpacks may not have as many metal parts as handbags. However, the zipper, metal rings that support the handles, as well as potential decorations made of the same material are still there. They also need care, as, well, what is it worth for the leather to be shiny and smooth if these components lose their original color, oxidize or darken? Unfortunately, it’s bijouterie and things like this happen quite often – and once it happens, you won’t have the will to carry it anymore, which is a shame as you probably paid dearly for it.
This is really simple to solve by making a certain type of coating for them. Women usually use colorless nail polish for these purposes – a topcoat or a base coat, whichever you prefer. All you have to do is coat each of the metal parts with it. This will make these sections of your backpack more resistant to external influences such as moisture, air, rain or snow, and other factors.
In case they’re dirty, the problem disappears with the help of baking soda, from which it’s necessary to make a mixture that looks like a paste by adding water. Thoroughly rub the metal until a shiny surface is back again. It may seem like a bit of a tedious process, but believe us – this detail can fundamentally change the look of your backpack.
Simply put – be careful
Exactly. Just take care. It’s not so difficult, really.
Just think for a second – once you arrive at home and put your bag away, do you just throw it carelessly in the corner of the room or you hang it somewhere safe? If the answer is the first option, it’s definitely time for some changes. If you don’t want your backpack to look like complete rubbish and lose its shape quickly, you need to store it properly in a safe, dry place. If there’s any hat stand or a spare handle you can use, feel free to take advantage of it – the only thing that matters is not to push the bag or make it susceptible to damage in any sense.
If not, place it neatly on a shelf or hang it somewhere where there’s a lot of space between it and other things, as leather needs to breathe. It also needs not to get scratched or torn. Do you think you make it? Hell yes, you can!