CARE AND CLEANING

Based on years of experience in handcrafting and handling these leather bags, we have compiled here a few guidelines for you to keep your beautiful bag in its best possible state and retain its stunning, antique look even after many years of usage.

Managing leather odour

The leather used in this bag is not treated with any chemical and is naturally sun dried. There is a possibility that you might find its smell a bit too much when its brand new. But there is no need to worry because the more often you put the bag to use; the quicker the smell will fade away. We have been told by our customers time and again that the smell almost disappeared within couple of weeks of usage and airing. Some quick tips below to help you resolve this sooner:

Use febreze fabric classic odour eliminator. Spray this inside the bag and the odour effect will diminish in no time. Febreze can be found in all major retail outlets. In addition you can also learn more about it at www.febreze.com

You can also apply baking powder on the inside of the bag and leave it for the entire night. This powder will take in any moisture hence help in reducing the unpleasant smell (this can however leave some temporary marks on the inside of the bag as traces of white powder might be left behind).

Alternatively, take few drops of your favourite scented oil such as lavender, lemon, etc on a tissue paper and gently smear on the inner and outer sections of the bag. This will give your bag an adorable scent immediately.

Handling a wet leather bag In case your bag gets wet, ensure it is completely dried up before next usage. You can leave it out in the sun if that’s a possibility or near a room radiator taking care not to allow any contact. Also consider squeezing in scrunched up newspaper into the bag and its pockets. This will make the bag dry faster and in shape.

Restoring/Re-waterproofing a dry leather bag

Your leather satchel can at times dry up and may feel a bit rough when touched. This condition could be a result of the bag being wet a few times or frequent changes in humidity levels in the atmosphere. This means some natural oils have eroded off hence the need to substitute them. We coat all leather bags with two layer of sunflower oil which makes them water resistant. This also ensures that the leather remain nourished, soft and shiny.

If you want to nourish your leather satchel then just sponge it gently with vegetable, baby, rapeseed or sunflower oil until it develops a light layer. After that, leave the leather to dehydrate in a warm and aerated place such as an airing cupboard for a day. While drying up the leather colour will become darker but will get lighter as the drying process continues. You can always do this whenever you feel that your leather satchel is dry and requires some special attention.

If you are not comfortable with applying oil to your bag we recommend using leather care products available in the market to treat your bag:

Renapur Hi-Shine It is great product in taking care of your leather item and will make your satchel extremely shiny. In addition it has a pleasant scent too. This leather care product can be found at www.renapur.com.
Lincoln Lanolised Conditioning Soap - general all round leather conditioner and very good value at only $5 per tub. Available at www.amazon.com

Mending leather scratches

All Rustic Town leather bags are tough and remain in good condition for long. A scratch here and there adds to their great vintage look. However if a scratch persists even after rubbing a few times with your finger, then consider applying sunflower, baby, vegetable or rapeseed oil on the affected portion using a cotton wool.

We hope that the above guidelines are helpful and you do enjoy using this beautiful bag..

Best wishes

Rustic Town Team