You'll want your Longchamp bag to always be in good condition, which means that at some point you'll have to clean it up. Longchamp has an official way to clean its products, but there are also a few ways you can use it.
Step
Method 1 of 3: The Official Way from Longchamp
Step 1. Apply Longchamp's colorless cream to the skin area
Apply this cream or any other colorless leather cleaning cream to the leather parts of your bag.
- Use a soft brush to gently brush the leather parts of the bag with the cream.
- After cleansing the skin, wipe off the excess cream with a clean, soft cloth. Use small circular motions to buff the bag.
Step 2. Wash the canvas with soap and water
Some Longchamp bags are also made of canvas. Clean this material with a soft cloth or brush together with a little warm water and a neutral soap.
- Use a mild soap that is free of dyes or fragrances.
- Try not to get water on the bag made of leather. Water can damage the skin.
- You can clean the outside and inside of the bag with soap and water. Make sure the contents of the bag are completely removed before you clean it.
Step 3. Let dry
If you cleaned the canvas from the bag using soap and water, place the bag in a well-ventilated area for a few hours to dry completely.
Hang the bag by the handle. Keep the bag upright by using a coat hanger and place it in a place exposed to the sun to dry quickly
Step 4. Protect the skin with a water-repellent product
Since water can damage the leather, it's a good idea to apply a leather moisturizer to the leather parts of your bag after cleaning.
Pour a small amount of water-repellent product onto a clean, dry cloth and gently rub it into the skin using small circular motions. Keep scrubbing until everything is evenly distributed into your leather
Method 2 of 3: Alternative Hand Washing
Step 1. Clean heavy stains with alcohol
For stains on the surface of the bag that can't be cleaned with a cloth, such as ink stains, buff the stains with a cotton swab moistened with alcohol.
- Many stains, such as oil stains, will disappear when you clean the entire bag with soap and water.
- Dip a cotton swab in rubbing alcohol and then rub the surface of the bag until the stain is gone. Only rub the stained area.
- When finished, wait for the bag to dry.
Step 2. Remove heavy stains with a cleansing cream
When dealing with stains that seep into the fabric, use a paste made of cream of tartar and lemon juice.
- Heavy stains include stains from blood, wine, and stains from various foods or drinks.
- Combine cream of tartar and lemon juice in a 1:1 ratio and stir until it forms a thick paste. Apply a generous amount of this paste to the stained area and leave it on for 10 minutes.
- After the paste has been allowed to soak in, wipe it off with a clean, dry cloth.
Step 3. Make a mild soapy water mixture
Mix 2 cups (500 ml) of warm water with a few drops of a mild, dye-free soap.
- This soap mixture can be used to clean dirt that is not too attached to leather bags, or bags with leather components once a week.
- Use soap as lightly as possible to minimize the risk of skin becoming dry or damaged.
Step 4. Use a soft cloth to gently rub the bag
Dip a soft, clean cloth in the soapy water. Squeeze the cloth slightly and then gently wipe all the dirt from the bag.
- Use this mixture to clean the outside and inside of the bag. Make sure the bag is empty before you clean it.
- It's okay if the leather part of the bag is slightly damp, but don't soak it.
Step 5. Scrub until dry
Use a dry, soft cloth to scrub the surface of the bag while the surface is still damp. Keep scrubbing until the surface feels dry.
After drying the bag with a rag, wait for it to dry for about an hour, especially if you cleaned the inside as well. The inside of the bag must be completely dry before you refill it
Step 6. Use the vinegar mixture to rejuvenate the leather components of your bag
To keep the leather components of your bag from drying out or cracking, you'll need to moisturize them. You can make a moisturizing paste with white vinegar and flaxseed oil.
- Moisturizers also make leather materials more resistant to blemishes.
- Mix white vinegar with linseed oil in a ratio of 1:2 and mix well. Dip a soft, clean cloth in this mixture and rub this mixture all over the leather surface of the bag. Do it in small circular motions.
- Allow this mixture to soak into the skin for 15 minutes.
- After the mixture has absorbed, rub the leather part of the bag with a dry and clean cloth.
Method 3 of 3: Machine Wash
Step 1. Put the bag in the washing machine
Take all the contents out of it and put it in an empty washing machine.
You can wash the bag alone or with other items, but make sure the items you put in the washing machine don't smudge or damage your bag
Step 2. Add a mild detergent
You can use regular liquid detergent, but if possible, look for one that is free of dyes and fragrances.
- The detergent should be as light as possible to minimize the risk of damaging the bag.
- If you don't want to take the risk, replace the detergent with a more natural cleaning product like Murphy's Oil Soap or liquid castile soap.
- Use 1/4 cup (60 ml) of soap for this process.
Step 3. Set the washer to the lighter option
Both the rev and the set temperature should be light so choose the lightest setting on your engine and set the water temperature to "cool" or "warm." After setting, turn on the washing machine.
- The "wool" option on the washing machine works, but the "delicate", "gentle" or "hand wash" spin options are better.
- The water temperature should be cold, around 4 degrees Celsius.
Step 4. Let the bag dry
After removing the bag from the washing machine, hang it by the handle on a clothes hanger and wait four to five hours or until it is completely dry.
- To speed up the drying process, you can put the bag in the dryer and set the machine on the lowest heat setting. Make sure there are other items in the dryer, such as large towels, to reduce heat exposure. Allow the bag to dry in the machine for five to ten minutes and then hang the bag for about an hour.
- You can also speed up the drying process by hanging it out in the sun.
Step 5. Apply a leather moisturizer
Pour a small amount of leather moisturizer onto a clean, soft cloth and rub it into the leather components of your bag.
Moisturizer makes skin soft and protects it from blemishes and water damage
Warning
- Water can damage leather so you should be careful when using water on or around Longchamp bags or other leather bags.
- The only way to clean is the official way. Alternative methods of hand washing and washing machines are usually safe, but are more likely to cause damage so you are at your own risk when using this method and should be careful.
