How to Clean Your Handbags

Life’s little messes happen, but it’s always unfortunate when they affect your beloved possessions, like your clothing or your handbag. Cleaning handbags is not always a straightforward process, so educating yourself on the best methods for cleaning and washing your purse before you start is important. 

Purses and handbags can be made of numerous different materials, meaning that what is right for one handbag is not always right for another. Cleaning women’s handbags can also vary depending on the affected area. 

For instance, the process to clean the inside of a purse is different than how to clean a handbag on the outside. For all these reasons, understanding the why, how, and how often of cleaning and washing your handbag is essential. Here’s what you need to know.

What Makes Handbags Dirty?

It’s difficult to pinpoint the exact cause of handbags being dirty enough to clean, because usually there’s not just one. It could be a catastrophic milk spill while eating cereal at your morning breakfast, sure. But it could also be the product of numerous small instances throughout the life of your handbag. 

Through commutes on public transit, tossing it in the back seat of your car, setting it down at a hotel counter, and all of life’s other little moments, your handbag is bound to pick up grime and dirt. 

Bags used as travel bags or work bags may pick up even more grime. Whatever is the cause of making your handbag a bit dirty, it’s important to learn the proper ways of cleaning that bag without damaging it.

How Should I Clean the Inside of a Purse?

If the inside of your purse has gotten dirty or grimy, there are a few steps to follow to clean the inside of a purse. First, take everything out of your bag. Women’s handbags can accumulate rubbish rather quickly, so throw out all the old receipts, tickets, and other trash you may have in there. Then, organize your belongings.

Put back the three tubes of lipstick that have ended up in your bag, return the book you finished reading to the library, and so on. Then, pull out the lining of your purse as far as you can, and wipe it down with a damp, warm cloth with a small amount of soap. If you have any stains on the inside of your handbag, try rubbing them down with a bit of dishwashing liquid and warm water to remove them.

How Should I Clean the Outside of a Purse?

When cleaning the outside of your handbag, it’s important to take extreme care not to damage the exterior. When cleaning, it’s especially important not to get leather bags too wet. There are specialty cleaners you can use to clean the outside of real leather bags. 

For faux leather, vinyl, nylon, or canvas, there are other things you can do. For a purely canvas tote with no other embellishment or trim in an alternate material, you can usually machine wash them on a gentle cycle and hang to dry. 

However, not all bags are washable. For other bags, mix a small amount of laundry detergent with warm water in a sink or basin. Then, use a soft cloth or muslin to wipe the bag with the detergent mixture. 

Make sure you either hang to dry or use paper towels or newspaper to keep the bag’s shape while it stands to dry. Do not use a tumble dryer, hair dryer, or even direct sunlight to dry the bag.

How Often Should I Clean My Handbag?

When it comes to cleaning the inside of your handbag, it’s a good idea to clean it out at least once a week. At least pulling out your belongings and shaking any dirt or dust out of the bag is enough for a weekly clean up. This can also help you stay organized and ensure that you do not lose important or valuable items in your bag. 

You may want to clean the inside of the bag whenever you have an inciting incident that causes a stain, or when you are doing a routine cleaning of the outside. As for external cleaning, you could either choose to clean the handbag on an as-needed basis, or opt to do an in-depth cleaning two or three times a year.

Our bags go with us everywhere, so it’s integral that we take good care of them. However, little incidents like spills and drops can happen, as can filth from months and years of use. Learning the best way to clean your purse both inside and out is a great way to invest in the maintenance of your purse, and it’s much more economical than having to buy new handbags each time your bag gets too dirty. 

Especially if you have a high-quality, chic handbag, like the women’s handbags from Koltov Handbags, you want to make sure you’re investing thoughtful care into your purse. If you take good care of your everyday crossbody bag, tote, backpack, or handbag, you can have a reliable, attractive bag for a long time!