Leather care
5 min readby Elena Kroll
Banana peel, body lotion, acetone? The weirdest leather care tips on the internet, why they harm your bag and what actually works.
We think about the leather, you think about the care. That's it for this blog post, just google how to keep leather looking good.
Mmmmhhhh, better not google it.
There's so much sadness and devastation out there when it comes to leather care that the chances of you destroying your sty.ma are way too high for our taste.
And because we're nice people, we'll tell you what to do. (Smiley).
Of course, you don't have to do what we suggest. Sure, our tips come from reliable sources, years of experience, the wish to make you feel that your 400+ € were well spent, and our attachment to our own personal sty.mas… but hey, if you'd rather keep rubbing banana peel on your bag, go ahead.
Banana peel, you say? Yup, banana peel.
Who doesn't want to carry around the aroma of an old banana? Nobody does, except the Minions.
You really do find this tip on the internet. Apparently it gives leather a special shine.
Before we get to the serious tips, let's have a little rendezvous in the land of horrible and ridiculous tips that are guaranteed not to work.
If you don't have time for this kind of fun, use the menu below to get straight to the point.
The bad tips
Before you dive into this collection of tips, I should mention that we're not against household remedies in general. I'm quite the eco type myself: no fabric softener, no store-bought skin products (hello, aloe vera plant in my kitchen), and I make my own shampoo.
But some things need special care because of the way they are made. I'll explain why a dyed leather bag is one of them in the next part.
Here are the "tips" (screenshots from German websites):
"If that doesn't help either, grandma's bag of tricks recommends starch or potato flour, applied to the stain and gently massaged in with circular movements. Then remove it thoroughly with a brush – this also gives flattened leather its typical look back."
"…gently dab it on with a cotton cloth. Citric acid works just as well and also helps with coffee or tea stains. In both cases, though: never rub hard, that only drives the stains deeper into the leather! Stubborn stains, such as ink, can be removed with acetone from the DIY store."
"Body lotion. Depending on the size of the piece of furniture, you should have at least one full bottle of body lotion in reserve. The brand of body lotion doesn't matter at all."
"If that doesn't work because the stains are too stubborn, use a leather cleaner for smooth leather from a specialist shop or drugstore. Alternatively, you can dissolve a little hair shampoo in lukewarm water and use it to get rid of the stubborn stains."
"You can also use banana peels for leather care. Rub the leather thoroughly with the inside of the peel, and it will become nice and smooth and shiny."
Why household products are not suitable for leather care
Two short, logical considerations: what is leather, and what are the products above actually meant for?
1. What is leather?
Leather is animal skin that has been treated with plant-based or chemical agents to make it durable, hard-wearing and beautiful. This process is called tanning.
What would happen to an animal skin (and the animal it belongs to) in nature? It would be broken down by microorganisms and eventually disappear completely. On its way into the "bacteria's stomach" it would become smelly, shrivelled, dry or floppy. To stop a leather shoe or a leather sofa from ending up like that, the skin is tanned. After this process, it is made "attractive". Lacquered, dyed, impregnated or printed.
The result is a product that is durable, yet beautiful. But the skin remains dead and no longer gets any care from the animal. That's why it needs regular care from the outside.
2. What are body lotions and shampoos meant for?
For living skin. A material that still has a metabolism, absorbs fatty acids and proteins and converts them. Dead skin can't do anything with them. Leather is dead skin. So leather can't do anything with shampoo and hand cream. You get grease stains, because the lipids aren't absorbed and distributed but simply stay where you put them.
2a. What about bananas, potato flour and other foods?
They are also digested by microorganisms or oxidise in the air (everyday example: apples and bananas turn brown). Exactly what tanning the leather is supposed to prevent! So how are perishable substances supposed to help? If you're lucky, the surface smells and feels sticky. If you're unlucky, you get stains or the leather's protective layer even gets damaged.
So please leave the food in the kitchen.
2b. Vinegar, citric acid, acetone…
What??? Common sense already tells you: acetone removes nail polish, citric acid and vinegar remove limescale.
Do you have limescale on your bag? No.
Do you want to risk ruining the colour of your leather? No.
So just leave these things alone.
I hope it's clear now why household products are unsuitable for leather goods.
Now we finally come to the last point: what can you use to give your beloved bag a new shine?
Special leather care products. Surprising, isn't it?
You can get them at any drugstore, from the shoemaker, in small repair shops, online… Pay attention to quality and you won't have any major problems.
Our tip
Quality, you say? How are you supposed to know what to look out for? I see…
I don't like repeating myself, buuut since we at sty.ma are nice people, we offer you not only a theoretical but also a practical solution.
You can buy a set from us right away, with cute little bottles full of precious miracle care.