Designer handbags are great! Wonderful quality and they last forever. But when something lasts so long and you use it a lot, it does require some cleaning attention.
What to do? After doing some research, I believe you have four options-
1. Check with the store from which you bought the purse
2. Pay a professional (Be careful, not all drycleaners will work)
3. A do it yourself cleaning concoction
4. Use the Coach recommended cleaners
1. Store Service
Some stores which carry the Coach brand also offer purse cleaning as a follow up service to the customer. Nordstrom is one of these stores. Call the store from which you purchased your purse to see if this is a possibility. This follow up customer service can also be considered when making your purchase. If you are planning to keep your purse for a long time, then you may want to purchase from a place that provides this service to its customers.
2. Pay to Have Your Purse Professionally Cleaned
Professionally cleaning a purse is different from dry cleaning garments. If you are looking to your local drycleaner to do the cleaning, you need to ask if the company has experience cleaning purses. I would also suggest a reference or two from satisfied customers before you hand over your designer bag. Purse cleaning needs to be done manually so make sure the drycleaner will clean your bag in this manner.
3. A Do It Yourself Concoction
Yes, it is true you can find solutions to just about anything online. There are lots of people with lots of opinions and suggestions. This vast array of information is a great benefit to the ever-evolving Internet. You can find out all kinds of ways people have tried to clean their purses at home. For the cloth bags, using a light colored cloth, warm water, and a gentle soap was the most frequently found solution. A light colored cloth is to be stressed! Try a small test area with anything you try. Shout wipes were also used for a spot stain. The forums referenced suede cleaners found on eBay, but none was specially stated at being the best. Coach does make suede cleaner. Others washed their bags in the washing machine. The washing machine approach makes me very nervous, but I guess it works for some people.
4. Coach Recommended Cleaners
The Coach Company sells cleaners specifically for each type of its handbags. These cleaners cost when purchased directly from the Coach store. In reference to the amount you spend on a handbag, a cleaner to keep your handbag looking great seems like a real deal to me. Replacing your bag because of a botched do-it-yourself experiment will cost much more. On the official Coach website it gives you instructions on how to clean the different types of bags.
I hope this helps. Keep your Coach bags clean and looking great!
