Getting Stains Out of Your Leather Handbag

There are many different substances that can stain your leather handbag and cause potentially permanent damage. If you follow this advice, you will have a better chance of getting rid of the stain before it permanently sets. For best results, treat the stain as soon as you possibly can. If the stain is stubborn and won't come out, you're best bet is to take your handbag to a leather-cleaning professional. For:

• Water stains- allow the bag to dry naturally, keeping it away from artificial heat sources. If needed, condition bag with leather conditioner.
• Gum- place ice cubes in a plastic baggie and rub the gum with the wrapped ice; this should harden the gum and allow you to easily remove it. If gum remains on the bag after trying this, heat the gum with a hairdryer on a low setting and rub the gum off with a cloth.
• Salt stains- make a mixture three parts vinegar to one part water and rub solution on stain with a cloth.
• Ink- a difficult stain to remove, but sometimes spraying the ink stain with a bit of hair spray and then wiping it off with a cloth will do the job.
• Discoloration in general- purchase a leather spray that matches the leather color of your handbag and use it to re-store color.

Suede Handbags

Suede handbags are extremely stylish and can usually dress up any look. Even canvas bags or bags manufactured with other types of fabric often have some sort of suede detailing or decoration. The downside to suede is that it can become dirty very easily and the material is difficult to clean. For the best results when cleaning your suede handbag:

• you should bring it to a professional dry cleaner. Even then, the cleaner may not be able to make your bag look like new again so you should always take extra care to keep your bag clean to begin with.
• If you want to clean your suede handbag on your own, buy a special suede cleaner sold at many designer handbag stores. Ask a store employee if you need help choosing the best one.
• Never use a leather cleaner or protector on your suede bag.
• for an easy, quick cleaning of suede details, try rubbing the material with an eraser. This will not do a perfect job but may help to lessen the staining her discoloration.

Beware of Illegal Knock Off Designer Handbags

Knock off designer handbags are extremely popular among those who love expensive handbags but aren't quite able to afford them. Though you probably want your knock off bag to look as authentic as possible, remember that fake bags carrying brand names are illegal. Company names and logos are copyright protected and cannot be placed on bags by third parties. You can, however, buy knock off designer handbags that look like the real deal and are perfectly legal. Beware of whether or not the item you're purchasing seems to be breaking any copyright laws.