How to Clean Thrift Store Purses | Thriftanista in the City

3.20.2015

How to Clean Thrift Store Purses

This post is sponsored by TriNova -- maker of environmentally-friendly and non-toxic leather care products. I received products to facilitate this review.

I can't resist a good thrift store score especially when it comes to leather purses and bags. Over the years, I've accumulated quite a few vintage and designer bags. Shoes, belts, skirts and pants too. A good leather bag usually comes to the thrift store with some miles on it. You will likely need to do some cleaning and provide some tlc to restore the bag and keep it healthy. Spring is the perfect time to gather and spruce them all up.

How to clean and restore thrift store leather purses


Step 1: Remove Odors You can insert a dryer sheet and zip the purse up overnight just to freshen it up. For a stronger odor you can pour baking soda inside a sock and tie it off to create a satchel. Leave it overnight or just sprinkle a little baking soda directly in interior pockets. For tougher smells, try kitty litter in the sock instead.

Step 2: Clean Use a leather cleaner to clean the exterior. Leather Nova Leather Cleaner is a new premium cleaner that deeply penetrates leather pores to remove dirt, grime and oil. It's safe on all types of leather, vinyl and plastic surfaces.

Cleaning and restoring purses with leather nova
My experience: The smell was a bit strong but it does a good job on stains and general debris. I was shocked to see dirt on the cloth as I have cleaned all of these bags before. I liked that it was as easy as spraying and wiping with no soaps to rinse off.

Step 3: Condition Treat the bag to avoid future staining and cracking from dryness. Leather Nova Leather Conditioner provides safe and durable protection for leather and vinyl surfaces by using high grade polymers which restore the leather to its original sheen. Monthly use maintains its natural suppleness and restores a rich leather fragrance.

cleaning thrift store purses
My experience: The oil is very light and easily worked into the leather. I enjoyed seeing a nice sheen return to these old school bags. The tan coach darkened a bit after application. I wasn't expecting that but I liked the new darker shade. I would test a small hidden section before applying the conditioner to the entire bag. It does restore the leather smell which is way better than thrift store scents.

Step 4: Store It's easy for leather purse to form permanent creases so if you're going to put it away for any length of time, keep it stuffed with tissue paper or t-shirts. Those t-shirt tops from the necklace diy would be great here. Keep it wrapped in a dust cover or more scrap tees! 

How do you care for your leather purses?

how to clean and care for leather bags and purses

***in other news***

Have you entered the $20 Walmart gift card giveaway? Just tell me how you're getting ready for Spring.

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