How to clean LV Vachetta handles/straps/piping’s that turned dark brown?

I need a cleaning agent/solution for LV vachetta handles/straps/pipings that turned dark brown. I want to lighten the vachetta leather.


The first picture is how my bag looks as of today.
#1
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n...h/SF-LV1-7.jpg


The second picture is the point that I want to restore it to. This picture was taken the day I bought the bag which was in March 2010.
#2
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n...h/SF-LV2-7.jpg


The third picture shows the whole bag and how the leather has darkened on it.
#3
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n...h/SF-LV3-7.jpg


The rest of the pictures just show how the bag has darkened in the time that I've had it. The front of the bag shows how spotty the leather looks, as it looks like it has a lot of rain drop stains on it, especially on the strap in the middle, but this bag has never been carried out in the rain.
#4
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n...h/SF-LV4-7.jpg


The bottom trim on both sides of the bag are darker than they appear, and there is a stain on right side from a Dirty Martini spilling on it in June 2010.
#5
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n...h/SF-LV5-7.jpg


Stain towards the top on the right side
#6
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n...h/SF-LV6-7.jpg


Back of the bag
#7
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n...h/SF-LV7-7.jpg

Picture #1, #2, #3 & #7.
The darkening effect may be due to the following reasons. Vachetta leathers behave just like our skin that is tanned by the present of UV light and turns darker; unlike aniline dyes that fade.

Picture #4
The result of spotty appearance from atmospheric exposure described is the possibilities of inherent impurities not thoroughly stripped off during the tanning process to remove some of the surface tan and superficial dirt or grease that might be with it.

Picture #5 & #6
This stain will be easily eliminated by the cleaning process.

Here’s the recommendation:

1] Restorative Cleaning
A restorative cleaning is to remove surface contamination and even out the appearance if possible with Prep-4.4 > Cleaner-3.8 > Rinse-3.0

2] Hydrating
This structure hydrating process will help wick up excess tanning to produce a much even appearance with Hydrator-3.3.

3] Fatliquoring
Without fatliquor the leather will be stiff out; vachetta leathers is fatliquor thirsty and the appearance will take up a deeper hue more than picture #2 with Fatliquor-5.0.

4] Acidic Bleaching
Bleaching only reduces the color from the tannin that browns, that may not be possible to reduce the deeper hue effect from the fatliquor.

Kit V3 is the recommended kit for Vachetta leathers.

http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n...achettaKit.jpg
Leather Doctor® Vachetta Leather Care Kit-V3

With d’Tannin-3.5 as an add-on

http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n...tyRemover8.jpg
Leather Specialty Remover (8)

Leather Doctor® d’Tannin-3.5
This is a pH 3.5 aqueous leather-safe tannin stain remover for bleaching Vachetta leathers.


Roger Koh
[email protected]