Tutorials

Lol… wanna know where I got my mahjong paper that I used in my “ Loving your bags means protecting them” tutorial video? Well, I stole it from Louis and Emmie!

Here’s the video of the behind the scenes.

A little break away from my KL postings to bring you yet another bag care tutorial! I’ve covered How to Clean your Leather Bags and How to Condition your Leather Bags in my last two video bag spa tutorials.

In this latest video segment, I will show you how to protect your leather bags.

Watch the video to see how I use Apple Garde to protect my bags from rain and stain.

Remember that leather is a natural material and should never be stored in plastic because it encourages the growth of mildew and bacteria and will ruin the leather. Always store leather in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight. Since I live in a very humid country like Singapore, I even go the extra mile and put moisture absorbers such as “Thirsty Hippos” or silica gels in my bag storage areas to discourage molding.

Moisture barriers are extremely crucial in preventing rain or other liquid hazards from damaging leather. It also helps prevent stains from perspiration, body oil, wine and grease.

You’ll need a piece of mahjong paper/towels or any kind of surface coverings and a leather protector.

I’ll be using Apple Guard rain and stain repellant as it allows the bags to breath and it’s also usable on non-leather surfaces such as fabric, canvas and metal. Perfect for those LV monogrammed canvas bags.

You may get Apple products from http://www.lovingyourbags.com and as a special treat for my readers, just use the discount code LYBRENZZE to get a 5% off plus free local mail! ( They are the sole official distributer of Apple Leather products in Asia Pacific!)

First, lay your working area. I’m using a piece of mahjong paper as it’ll be much easier to dispose off later on. You may use towels or rags or any sort of surface covering to protect your working area.

It’s best to do this indoors, away from direct sunlight in a well ventilated area.

Shake well then hold the can at least 6 inches away from your bag and lightly mist your bag in an up down motion. Make sure you get the leather trimmings as well. Your bag seems darker but that’s normal. It will revert back to its original color once it’s completely dry.

Spray one side and let it dry overnight or longer till almost all the liquid has dried off. Wipe off the residue and flip it over to spray the other side. Again allow 24 hours or more to dry before wiping the bag down.

If you are in a hurry, instead of waiting overnight, you can let the bag dry for 20-30 minutes before wiping off the remaining residue.

It’s that easy! And you don’t have to worry about soiling your thousands of dollars investment anytime soon! The best thing to do is to spray a bag protector like Apple Garde every time you have a brand new purchase so it will always be as perfect as the day you bought it.

Don’t forget to check out Loving Your Bags festive offerings in December for even more specials!

We covered the how-to of cleaning your leather bags in a previous tutorial. If you’ve missed the tutorial you may review it at Loving Your Bags – Leather Bags Cleaning.

As the 2nd part of the leather bags care tutorial series, I’m going to cover how to condition your leather bags.

Here’s the video tutorial.

It is best to condition your bags right after cleaning them as leather cleaners can be quite drying. Leather needs to be lubricated every once in awhile so that it will maintain its suppleness and would be less susceptible to cracking or peeling.

If your bag is relatively clean and you would like to skip the leather cleaner, then just wipe your leather bags with a damp cloth and dry it well with a dry cloth before you start to condition your leather.

I’m using Apple Leather Conditioner. You may get Apple products from http://www.lovingyourbags.com and as a special treat for my readers, just use the discount code LYBRENZZE to get a 5% off plus free local mail! ( They are the sole official distributer of Apple Leather products in Singapore!)

If you are using another brand of leather conditioner, be sure to check that it does not have wax or silicon in its ingredients as this will prevent your leather from being able to breathe. Avoid any petroleum or mineral oil products as they will change your leather over time.

You will need:

- one or two clean soft cotton cloths

- a leather conditioner

First, shake the leather conditioner well.

Use a clean soft cloth and apply the conditioner.

Let it dry for a couple of minutes and then buff the surface gently with a soft cloth.

Now the leather is supple and soft! Almost as good as when you first bought it!

If you really want to love and protect your precious leather bag investments then you should always use a leather protector such as Apple Rain & Stain Repellent so that your bags will always remain pristine.

Sometime last year, I wrote a post about “Tips on taking care of your bags”. It was a rather short article but since then I’ve received emails ever so often asking me about the care for bags, especially the expensive brand name ones.

Thus, when LovingYourBags which is the first designer bag care boutique in Singapore and the sole distributer of Apple Brand for Singapore and Philippines, approached me for an advertorial I was really interested.

I’ve been really busy and haven’t had time to test and review all the products in their line but I did manage to try out the Apple leather cleaner. The basic 3 step process to care for leather bags is to clean, condition and then protect it from moisture.

Here’s my video tutorial on how to clean your bag well.

We often buy luxury bags but we don’t take as much effort to protect and care for our expensive investments. It’s really not difficult to clean, condition and protect your precious leather bags from the daily wear and tear.

Just treat it as giving your beautiful bags a day spa treatment to prolong its life span so you can carry them for even more years to come.

Let’s start by cleaning your leather bags.

You will need:

- A soft white eraser (optional)

- one or two clean soft cotton cloths

- a leather cleaner

There are several brands of leather care products on the market but I trust Apple Leather cleaner on my bags as their leather care products are free of waxes, oils or additives and help preserve the natural composition of the leather.

You may get Apple products from http://www.lovingyourbags.com and as a special treat for my readers, just use the discount code LYBRENZZE to get a 5% off plus free local mail!

If you’re using other leather care products, make sure your product does not contain any lanolin oil, mink oil, animal fats or alcohol. Lanolin oil or animal fats causes the leather to rot and destroys your bag. It may also darken your leather. Alcohol content in the cleaner may also cause your color to fade. So be sure to choose a leather cleaner that has been tried,tested and meant especially for leather bags.

First, take a good close look at your bag to see if there are any obvious stains that need more work. I usually use a soft white eraser to remove any ink marks along the leather surface. Don’t rub too hard or you might rub away your leather’s color!

Shake the bottle of leather cleaner well. Then pour a little amount of leather cleaner on your cloth.

First find a hidden area to do a small patch test. Do not skip this step. Check how your leather reacts to the leather cleaner before proceeding to do the entire bag. This is especially important for leather bags with special surface coatings.

Remember to rub gently in circular motions. If you have very stubborn stains it may take a few rounds.

Wipe off excess cleaner and leave the bag to dry for 4 hours or more. It will be best to use the leather conditioner right after cleaning as the cleaning process can be a little drying on your leather. I will post a tutorial on the leather conditioner once I have the time to work on the video.

It’s that easy to get your bag clean and stain-free and if it’s just for general maintenance, it’s so much cheaper then sending your bag to a professional cleaning service.

After cleaning and condition is is crucial to protect your bags with a protectant such as Apple rain and stain repellent so that your bag will be well guarded from water stains and it will make your cleaning much easier the next time round.