What can you do to a leather or suede handbag,
purse or backpack that cannot be cleaned and restored to its'
original or near original condition?
Answer: you might want to consider re-dyeing
it.
Consider this Prada alligator leather handbag, for
example.
Our client found this $3,000 handbag in her
sister's closet and convinced her sister to allow her to bring it
to RAVE FabriCARE for "cleaning".
Upon examination, we identified two major
issues:
* The alligator skin had significantly
darkened over time due to the accumulation of soil and grease, due
to contact with a strong light source, or both.
The extent of this darkening can be
seen in the following photos that juxtapose the inside ofone
zippered pouch against the outside:
pic pic
* The leather lining was heavily
stained with ink. Ink is one of the two most difficult stains to
remove from leather or suede (the second is protein stains).
The issues were quite clear: could the alligator
skin be restored to it's original lighter color and could the ink
be removed from the leather lining using hand cleaning
techniques?
After testing both skins using various cleaning
techniques, we reluctantly concluded that the answer was
"no".
So what could be done to "save" this $3,000
handbag? We suggested that the handbag be cleaned to the extent
possible, reconditioned to restore the suppleness of the skin, and
then re-dyed to match the color of the four olive-brown
zippers.
The client agreed. Two weeks later the client
stopped by to pick up her sister's handbag and was delighted with
the results. And the cost? $225.
The results of the transformation can be seen in
the before and after photos below.
BEFORE
AFTER
Note:
When considering re-dyeing a leather or suede
handbag, purse, backpack or wallet, please bear in mind that each
item must be individually evaluated to determine the feasibility of
achieving the desired results.
For example:
* If the lining was made of canvas,
the canvas could not be re-dyed;
* If the handbag displayed contrasting
stitching, the contrast could not be retained;
* If the outside leather or suede
becomes worn in places (for example, on the four bottom corners),
the original color could show and would then have to be
re-dyed.
How can I help you?
To comment on this post, please use the comment
section below.
To ask a question relating to any of your garments
or accessories, please email us.
What can you do to a leather or suede
handbag, purse or backpack that cannot be cleaned and restored to
its' original or near original condition?
Answer: you might want to consider
re-dyeing it.
Consider this Prada alligator leather
handbag, for example.
Our client found this $3,000 handbag
in her sister's closet and convinced her sister to allow her to
bring it to RAVE FabriCARE for "cleaning".
Upon examination, we identified two
major issues:
- The alligator skin had significantly darkened over time due to
the accumulation of soil and grease, due to contact with a strong
light source, or both.
The extent of
this darkening can be seen in the following photos that juxtapose
the inside of one zippered pouch against the outside:
- The leather lining was heavily
stained with ink. Ink is one of the two most difficult stains to
remove from leather or suede (the second is protein stains)
The issues were quite clear: could the
alligator skin be restored to it's original lighter color and could
the ink be removed from the leather lining using hand cleaning
techniques?
After testing both skins using various
cleaning techniques, we reluctantly concluded that the answer was
"no".
So what could be done to "save" this
$3,000 handbag? We suggested that the handbag be cleaned to the
extent possible, reconditioned to restore the suppleness of the
skin, and then re-dyed to match the color of the four olive-brown
zippers.
The client agreed. Two weeks later the
client stopped by to pick up her sister's handbag and was delighted
with the results. And the cost? $225.
The results of the transformation can
be seen in the before and after photos below.
BEFORE
AFTER
Note:
When considering re-dyeing a leather
or suede handbag, purse, backpack or wallet, please bear in mind
that each item must be individually evaluated to determine the
feasibility of achieving the desired results.
For example:
- If the lining was made of canvas, the canvas could not be
re-dyed;
- If the handbag displayed contrasting
stitching, the contrast could not be retained;
- If the outside leather or suede becomes worn in places
(for example, on the four bottom corners), the original color could
show and would then have to be re-dyed.
How can I help
you?
To comment on this post, please use
the comment section below.
To ask a question relating to any of
your garments or accessories, please email us.