How to Remove Wrinkles in a Leather Bag?

How to get Creases out of a Leather Bag? 

Prevails a common misconception amongst shoppers that because leather is so tough, it will not get damaged or wrinkled. This could not be further from the truth.
While it is true that leather is, in reality, an extremely durable material, it can still face the consequences of excessive wear and tear, especially when extra care is not shown towards it.
Even the most high-end, top-quality leather bags are susceptible to the problem of creases and wrinkles.

Before learning how to get creases out of your bag, it is important to know what to do to avoid getting them in the first place. Because after all, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!

How does your leather bag get wrinkles?

1. Storing your bag improperly when not in use: A leather bag when crammed into a closet or a drawer with other stuff will develop many wrinkles which will prove to be a headache to get rid of.
2. Lack of usage: Sometimes a lack of usage of your leather bag might also contribute to its developing creases. Even if your bag is not in use, taking it out once in a while would help to reduce the chances of deterioration of its appearance.
3. Frequent use: This is a common problem for men and women who carry their bags with them regularly. The only way around this is to alternate using the bags you own.
   Now that you know how to avoid getting these creases in your bag, let's learn about how to get rid of them.

Now that you know how to avoid getting these creases in the first place, let's learn about how to get rid of them.

Getting rid of the wrinkles

1. Hanging your bag

As surprising as it might seem, hanging your leather bag just might seem to do the trick in some cases.

What you’ll need:

• Hanger
• Laundry Clips
• Empty space for hanging

Attach the clips on all sides of your bag so that it is stretched all the way (but not beyond its limit). Insert the hanger into your bag and hang it in an open space where it is not in contact with any other object.

However, one thing to be made sure of is that the bag should be out of direct contact with sunlight to avoid the deterioration of the quality of its leather.

Let the bag hang for a few days to a week. The weight and shape of the bag would help pull the material back into its original form & remove any creases and wrinkles.

2. Steaming with a Steamer

Steamers are a great way to get wrinkles out of leather. Not only do they work for garments, shoes, or even furniture, but essentially any leather product.

What you’ll need:

• A fabric steamer (either upright or hand steamer)

And that is actually about all you need for this process!

After starting your steamer, allow it to heat fully in a medium-cold setting. Before moving onto the next step, make sure that the steam it is emitting is, indeed, warm as cold steam allows for quick condensation on leather, which causes damage to it.

Hang your bag vertically, preferably from a hanger.

Using the steamer, apply an even coat of steam over all the wrinkled parts of your bag. This should be done whilst the steamer is held at least 3-4 inches away from the bag to avoid any possible damage. If possible, both the inside and the outside of the wrinkled areas should be steamed to ensure maximum coverage possible.

Steam should only be applied for a few seconds at a time, moving the steamer all over your bag like that of ironing a garment.

Whilst doing this process, if you notice any moisture condensing on your bag because of the steam, wipe it off with a clean, dry cloth while gently drying off any excess moisture.

After doing this for some time, you will eventually notice your wrinkles disappearing. If the wrinkles do not relax on their own even after steaming, gently pull on them with light force. This will surely do the trick!

3. Ironing your leather bag

(fair warning: this is best done by a leather repair specialist; yes, they exist!)

What you’ll need:

• A regular steam iron
• Heavy brown paper/100% Cotton cloth (to use as covering)

Before going on, you should know that leather is not at all made to be ironed. Thus, ironing it poses an inherent threat of damage to the leather’s quality. To avoid said threat as much as possible, the iron should always be set to the lowest available setting on it.

Make sure that the steam well of your iron is empty to avoid any chance of spillage and potential water damage.

Next, place your bag horizontally to make sure that its surface is as smooth as possible. This will help make the ironing process easier and will help in avoiding any discrepancies during ironing.

Once you have your choice of covering, place it on top of the horizontal leather surface of your bag. Never make the mistake of using lighter fabrics or papers, as direct contact with the heated iron will lead to the cover being burnt.

You should iron your leather in a quick motion coupled with a light hand. Never hold the iron in one place or move it slowly across the leather. This applies to even those areas that might seem to resist the iron’s motion. Failing to do so might leave permanent damage by causing the leather to burn.

Once ironed properly, hang your leather bag away from contact with anything else if you have no intention of using it right away. This will help it to retain its crispness after losing all its wrinkles.

Once your bag is free of its creases, use products like leather conditioners or lotions to help it to retain its “good as new” condition.