CARE GUIDE: Keeping Patent Handbags Shiny And New!

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PATENT CARE GUIDE

Lovely to look at, Pretty to hold, disaster if soiled. Such is the story of the patent handbag. It shouldn’t always be the case. A few precautionary steps and your patent handbag can remain sparkly like new.

• Patents bags are not vampires, they can take some sun. Although leaving them to sunbathe under the hot afternoon sun maybe a bit too much. Also, leaving your bag inside your car while it’s parked outdoors will surely bake the color off your prized bag.
• Patent is allergic to ink. Keep the Parker pens and Vogue Italias away.
• Denim Jeans are usual culprits for staining patent bags. You may want to rethink your outfit on days you want to carry your vernis purse.
• Always keep your Patent bags in their dust bags during storage. Prolonged contact with any dyed, printed, or painted surface may facilitate color transfer.  

After use, it is also advised that you clean your Patent bag with Esquire Patent and Patina Cleaner. This proven safe formula can remove dirt while keeping the luster on your patent bag. This little bottle of love may also remove light scuff marks from your purse.  Lucky for LV vernis carriers, this product may be used for the Vachetta handles too!(Check out special post on keeping bag handles clean) Get one now at the Purse Prime shop.

The cleaning solution for your loved LV Vernis

VASELINE FOR YOUR SKIN, ESQUIRE FOR YOUR BAG.

Only use cleaners specially formulated for patent, doing otherwise may cause the bag material to be sticky. Same goes for Vaseline and Alcohol. You already made a sizeable investment on the bag why risk cleaning it with just about anything you can find in the medicine cabinet? Newsflash, it’s not the 80s anymore.

On the dreaded the event that you do find a stain on your patent bag, time is most crucial. Try to have the stain removed as soon as possible, the longer you let it set the more likely it will become permanent. Some say a white rubber eraser from the bookstore can remove ballpen marks on your bag. A better alternative would be to use a few drops of Esquire Cleaner on a cotton ball and rub on the stained area.

ONLY HAPPY WHEN IT RAINS

With just a little more care, carrying your patent bag should not be a disaster waiting to happen. Oh and before we exchange buhbyes here’s a lil Purse Prime tip: Use your Patent bag on rainy days! Not only will it brighten up a gloomy day, its waterproof material can withstand a stronger drizzle than your usual everyday leather bag.  Now ain’t that smart?

Purse Partner Care Guide : SCHOOL OF SATCHEL

Satchels are described as sturdy and structured making it the ideal bag for people on-the-go but this certainly doesn’t give satchel owners an excuse to not take care of their bags!

For all the owners of School of Satchel bags, Purse Prime has got a treat for you!  As our Purse Partner for June, here is your very own School of Satchel Care Guide made especially for your prized satchel!  By following these steps, you not only keep your satchel leather in great condition but you are also assured of keeping your bag beautiful for a much longer time.

So to you, School of Satchel owner, we bequeath your care guide!

You will need:

• AppleLeather Kit (includes the Apple Leather Cleaner, Apple Leather Care Conditioner and Shine Cloth) 
• AppleGarde Rain & Stain Repellent
• Horsehair Brush
• Artist Tape

Before Cleaning

• Always wash your hands before you start cleaning.
• Always shake the bottles well before using.
• Wrap bag hardware (such as zippers, buckles, etc), anything that is not leather, with artist tape to prevent it from coming in contact with the product which could lead to rusting 
•  Avoid the edges near the zipper because it may stain it.

Read First

• Apple Leather Cleaner is an aggressive cleaner that will quickly remove dirt and grime from leather that was not pre-treated. 
• It is often necessary to use Apple Leather Cleaner multiple times for particularly stubborn stains which is why it is ABSOLUTELY necessary to follow up with Apple Leather Care Conditioner to reintroduce emollients that have been lost due to intense cleaning. 
• It is highly recommended that an application of the Apple Garde Rain & Stain Repellent as a follow up after you have cleaned and conditioned your bag.  The repellent acts as a barrier against water and stains which makes future cleaning so much easier.

STEP 1:                  APPLE LEATHER CLEANER

• Always do a test patch in a hidden area of the bag

o   DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP.  While products have been tested on School of Satchel leather, this helps ensure that the cleaner is fully compatible with the leather.  This step is required before cleaning any bag.

o   This is especially important fir leather bags with special surface coatings.

• General Cleaning

o   Using a clean, white cloth, apply Apple Leather Cleaner in pea-sized amounts to the leather

o   Rub gently in circular motions to remove dirt or grime

o   Wipe off excess product and buff gently with dry soft cloth before leaving the bag to dry for at least 4 hours

• Removing Stubborn Stains

o   Using a clean, white cloth, apply Apple Leather Cleaner in pea-sized amounts to the stain

o   Rub gently in circular motions to remove stain

o   You may need to repeat this step several times for particularly stubborn stains

o   Wipe off excess product and buff gently with dry soft cloth before leaving the bag to dry for at least 4 hours

STEP 2:                  APPLE LEATHER CARE CONDITIONER

• Shake Apple Leather Care Conditioner well before use
• Use a clean, soft cloth and apply Apple Leather Care Conditioner liberally to the bag and let dry for about 20-30 minutes
• Your shine cloth should ideally be white and not colored to avoid color transfers to your bag

• Buff gently with soft brush

STEP 3:                  APPLE GARDE RAIN & STAIN REPELLENT

• Shake Apple Garde Rain & Stain Repellent before use 
• Hold the can AT LEAST 6 inches away and spray mist over bag in an up and down motion 
• Make sure you spray the entire bag, including leather trimmings

o   For EXPRESS Spray : Let the bag dry for 20 minutes before wiping the remaining spray off the bag

o   For DELUXE Spray : Spray one side of the bag and leave to dry with the sprayed side facing up for 24 hours.  Repeat the above process for the other side.

STEP 4:                  ADMIRE THAT HAPPY SATCHEL!

•  Slowly take out the artist tape from the bag hardware before storage or use
• Give yourself a pat on the back for a bag cleaning session – well done!

Now, your satchel is more than ready to be paraded around town!  Don’t forget to print out your own School of Satchel Care Guide and remember that your bag can only be as pretty as you take time and care enough for them to be!

PLUS, don't forget to visit Purse Prime via facebook (http://www.facebook.com/purseprime) or multiply (http://purseprime.multiply.com/)and order your Satchel Care Products now!  

ON TOP OF THAT, for all the School of Satchel customers, a special discount awaits you!  Get in touch with School of Satchel now to get your Purse Prime discount coupon. 

Take Care Purse Pals!

LV bags: Leather Love

Caring For Louis Vuitton Handbags

From the Speedy to Artsy, Louis Vuitton is a sought after brand by most bag collectors. For its timeless design and superior display of fashion, ladies do not think twice about investing on a  Louis Vuitton. Together with the appreciation of the fine craftsmanship that goes into each and every purse, LV lovers across the globe are finding ways to take care of these leather handbags.

Following the fundamentals of leather care combined with time tested practices of LV purse owners, we have compiled a short care guide on how to take care of leather LVs.  This Care Guide may be used to treat LVs with the following material: Monogram Canvas, Monogram Multicolore, Watercolor, Damier, Epi, and Suhali. Not Applicable for Monogram Denim and Vernis.

PRIMING

 We at Purse Prime couldn’t stress enough about the importance of treating your bag with rain and stain repellent especially prior to first use. If left unprotected, constant contact with oils and liquids may leave your bag with stains or dry out the leather. Our preferred brand: Apple Garde is safe enough to use on ALL types of LVs, even on the delicate vachetta handles.  Apple Garde keeps your bag from absorbing unwanted moisture such as sweat, perfume, make-up, and food spills.

MAINTENANCE

Regular cleaning and conditioning of your leather bag can surely extend its lifespan. We recommend conditioning “slouchy” bags such as the Mahina line once a month; while more structured bags like the Epi line should be conditioned every other month. In such a warm country like the Philippines, conditioning your leather is very important as it keeps the material supple and prevents it from drying and cracking.

Leather cleaning should be done sparingly as most leather cleaning products, even the best ones, strip bags of emollients needed to keep it lithe. Determine the frequency of cleaning by the amount of time the bag is actually used.  Always condition the bag post cleaning. Since discovering the Apple Leather Cleaner and Apple Leather Conditioner combo in the Purse Forum, we let no other products touch our LVs.

LV Leather Care Package

Purse Prime has put together a complete set of priming and maintenance products tried and tested to keep Louis Vuitton leather articles in good condition . The LV Leather Care Package  contains a bottle of Apple Garde for priming, A leather care cleaner and conditioner kit for maintenance, a bottle of esquire patent and patina cleaner for the Vachetta handles and 2 Horse Hair Brush for buffing. That is all you will need for a proper bag care session.  :)

All Purse Prime products have accompanying care guide to detail its proper use and application. Prior to use of any leather treatment always do a patch test in a discreet area of the bag.  Get the LV leather care package and give your bag some LoVe.  Visit us at Purse Prime on Facebook to Order.

Rain-proof Your Handbag

(c) Halliedaily on Chictopia

Waterproofing is on top of the list of bag care basics. Most of material used for handbags such as leather, suede, fabric, and canvas need to be waterproofed prior to use in order to prevent stains and discoloration.  Unexpected rains do not only cause hassle to traffic around the metro, it also sets bag hags to dashing for cover. If your leather handbag is not waterproof we suggest you do the same thing!

Why the panic right? It’s just water. How bad can rain damage your leather bag? Thing is the leather used for bags contain emollients that helps keep it supple. Soaking it in water drains out the emollients leaving you with an over dried purse. Water may also wash out the dye used to color the leather. This could leave bags with watermarks or a botched color job. Depending on the type of leather and the amount of water soaked, damage may be as minimal as water spots or as horrifying as a dry shrunken bag.

PROTECTION

Bag rain coat on  Hermes

I don’t know your take on this, but we at Purse Prime are not taking our chances. We love all our bags equally (ummm well maybe for some, a lil more than the others, lol.) and wouldn’t want to see it damaged in any way.  To avoid such a catastrophe, just spray on some handy dandy Apple Garde Rain and Stain Repellent. Why risk being caught unprotected in a downpour when spraying some bag water repellent will only take a few minutes . Some bag hags also put on a bag raincoat for extra protection. It can be helpful but we're not so sure about the aesthetics (hihi).

POST RAIN RANDEZVOUS

Just in case you read this blog too late and you’ve already been drenched together with your loved bag, these few little tips may help prevent permanent damage.

• ·         Dry your bag a.s.a.p. with an absorbent cloth. Preferably a white cloth to avoid color transfer.
• ·         For heavily drenched bag, you may use hair dryer (set on warm) to evaporate excess moisture. Wave the dryer in long swift strokes across the bag to avoid “baking” spots.
• ·         When the bag is fully dry, use a leather cleaner specific for your bag material. This will help balance back the Ph level of the leather.
• ·         Follow up with a good leather conditioner to restore lost emollients from the bag. This will help keep the bag supple and prevent it from shrinking dry.
• ·         Please learn from the experience and spray Water and Oil Repellant on your bags before you use it again.

Should you discover that your bag already has permanent water stains it’s best to consult a trusted leather artisan for expert repair.

Next time you have a bag care concern, do send us a note and we’ll try our best to be of some help.

Keep dry Purse Pals! 

Spotted: The Mommy Diaries Expo

The Purse Prime Booth at the Mommy Diaries Expo

Purse Prime took part in its first ever bazaar and it was at the Mommy Diaries Expo held last May 28-29, 2011 at the NBC Tent, Fort.

It was a pleasure to have met fellow bag enthusiasts like us and share bag care stories.  We most enjoyed having the opportunity to help out bag lovers with their bag care concerns from basic cleaning to stain removals to proper bag storage! What a thrill, right?

Plus, it was heartwarming to hear about their feedback regarding the products and care guides and how they are trying to be more conscious about taking good care of their bags.  Really, a discipline for bag care is a lot like taking baby steps and step 1 is always about wanting to get educated.  We hope that you don't forget, that here at Purse Prime, we never tire of bag care education!

We hope to see you at our next bazaar stint!  Also, follow our blog so you can keep posted about our bazaar discounts and freebies.

Toodles!

All the different brands and products we carry and guaranteed to make bags everywhere happy!

Day 2 with the Purse Prime Duo, L.A. and K-wey! See you at the next bazaar.

Handle with Care (Keeping Bag Handles Clean)

Most purse lovers know that sweat, perfume, lotion don't mix well with their beloved bag.  With that in mind, just how will you carry these beautiful things around without worrying that your lotion or pasmado (sweaty) palms won’t discolor the leather? You can hassle yourself by carrying it on your wrist or save yourself the trouble and just PRIME your bag.

By using water and oil repellent to prime your bags (especially the handles) prior to use will protect it from stains and discoloration caused by food, cosmetics, and even rain. Priming every two weeks, should be sufficient.

Like your doctor always say, prevention is better than cure. Thus, we swear by Apple Garde Rain and Stain Repellent in protecting our bags. It keeps water and oil from seeping thru the leather. It is safe enough to use on all kinds of bag material be it an exotic skin, leather, canvas, or fabric. It's also been tested safe for untreated leathers like the Vachetta lining of Louis Vuitton bags. Rather than avoiding rain like a gremlin or going psycho over the tiniest spills, we just spray our bags with Apple Garde and we could carry our bags in peace.

Handling with LoVe

As I've mentioned, LV bags are known to have those super sensitive Vachetta handles. Vachetta is an untreated cowhide leather that patinas over time. Patina is the darkening of untreated leather caused by oxidation and accumulation of dirt and oil.

Some LV aficionados appreciate the beauty of the patina on their handles as it can complete the look of an AUTHENTIC Vuitton. While others, especially those with light colored LVs, dread this gradual and unavoidable darkening.

Us in Purse Prime only have one thing to say about patina and that is.. we like it even! For as long as the darkening is even all across the vachetta surface then we are happy lil bag hags.  Producing an even patina is a science to itself and would probably require a longer blog post.  An easier way we found to help produce an even patination is by cleaning the vachetta handles and trim with Esquire Patent and Patina Cleaner. This minimizes dirt and oil that are concentrated on a particular spot of the vachetta surface.

Isn’t that easy? A no sweat way to keep your bag handles in perfect condition. Oh and a last tip before we end this post: Don’t overstuff your bags. Overstuffing your bags can overstretch the handles causing it to unravel. So next time, try not to overload your entire make-up armada in your purse alright? 

Purse Partner for JUNE : School of Satchels

TADA!!!

Time for a meet and greet with your Purse Prime Partner for the month of JUNE and its no other than... SCHOOL OF SATCHEL!

The S.O.S Distinction

Fused Leather vs. S.O.S Leather
Some leather brands achieve their near ‘perfect’ finish by using fused leather, which means that these are small fragments of scrap leather fused together and then heavily retouched and painted to create a smooth finish. Instead, S.O.S uses full pieces of hide in order to create the panels of the bag and keeps the color retouching to a minimum. Fused leather products are still promoted as ‘genuine leather’, which is true, but in reality it’s genuine scrap leather.

Unique like a thumbprint
S.O.S understands the natural properties of leather and we do our best to minimize ‘correcting’ the leather. If you look closely, you can still see traces and patterns of the original hide in each S.O.S product. Each hide is as unique as a thumbprint and no two S.O.S products are exactly alike.

Pinoy premium
It is sometimes frustrating to look for good quality products locally (especially leather products). Many choose to buy imported brands only to find out later on that itis ‘Made in the Philippines’. S.O.S joins the league of other local brands that have set the standard for manufacturing Pinoy premium items and making them available locally. Don’t you just feel better buying proudly Pinoy items? And at reasonable prices at that.

Handmade with love
S.O.S products are made by skilled leather craftsmen in the Philippines with very particular attention to detail. The process involves days of research, development, creating prototypes and then testing in order to create the bag that you now love. In our humble opinion, it’s all worth it. What do you think?

Materials: 100% genuine cow leather

Hardware: Antique

Made in the Philippines

Sizes and Prices

• Small - PhP 3500 - 11" x 8 " x 2.50"
• Medium - PhP 4200 - 13" x 9 " x 3.25"
• Large - PhP 5100 - 15" x 10 " x 4" (size suitable for men as well)
• Large with Handles – Price TBA

Colors available

• Oxblood
• Tan
• Black
• Navy
• Plum (new color)

Care instructions
Store in cool, dry place and clean with a slightly damp cloth and finish with Apple Leather Conditioner.
(test your conditioner first on a small spot on the bag, not all conditioners are created equal).

For hard to remove stains, clean bag with the Apple Leather Cleaner.  Detailed Care Guide available upon purchase of Purse Prime products.

   

For more information, contact  Ms. Bianca S. Donato at 09178411698.  You can also drop her a line at theschoolofsatchel@gmail.com.  

Don't forget to visit:
Facebook :School of Satchel
Online store: School of Satchel
Available at Heima Store Cubao Expo and Heima LRI Design Plaza, Nicanor Garcia.

The Launch of the Purse Partner

Purse Prime is thrilled to introduce to everyone the newest addition to the growing Purse Prime Family... our Purse Partners.

What is a Purse Partner?
Each month, Purse Prime will partner with a renowned bag label or bag designer and feature their products.  Their bags will come with the recommended bag care products from Purse Prime to help those who have purchased or will purchase from the brand take care of their bags and keep them in mint condition.

Discounts and Freebies Awaits!
To our valued Purse Prime friends, you get amazingly big discounts when you buy from our featured Purse Partner for that month.  PLUS, our Purse Partners will also give you an added discount if you buy their products AND any Purse Prime product.

Awesome?  We think so too!  Stay tuned to our official Facebook page for a live update on our Purse Prime Partner for the month of June.  Also, follow our blog and get a chance to win bag care freebies from yours truly.

Toodles!
L.A. & K-wey