Dooney & Bourke Florentine Satchel - recovered from stolen, but soaking wet...help!

My beloved bag was stolen from my car a week ago. I was leaving the next day on a cruise and a bridesmaid in a wedding the same day, so didn't have as much time as I needed to search for it. I figured the kids we suspected of breaking into my car had long trashed it and it was gone. I returned from the cruise this weekend and my neighbor decided to dig in the woods behind is house again after hearing a description of the purse....and he finds it!! The only problem is it is soaking wet from a week of rain storms. Is there any hope for it?

I've rinsed the dirt off of it...dried with a towel and have left it drying upside down in my bathroom with the dehumidifier going. Should I take to the dry cleaner? Attachment 1367

Here is what it looks like now...the above image is the original color.Attachment 1368

Is the picture showing the bag still wet or completely dry?

If it is dry, with darkening effect the leather could possibly be vachetta type and a higher pH value of the water could have darken it.

Ways to remove the Darkening Effect:
1. If this is due to pH value of the solution that affects the leather, the entire leather has to be saturated with a pH 2.0 acidifier (with Acidifier-2.0).
2. If the darkening effect is due to the tannin destabilizing and resurface, the entire bag could be treated with a d'Tannin-3.5 spray.
3. If not too sure follow above 1 then 2.

Stiffening of the leather:
In most cases when leather is wet and dry again, they often becomes stiff. To rejuvenate the leather for softness when dry is to first hydrate the leather for an even appearance prior to fat and oil replenishing it. This is done with Hydrator-3.3 follows with Fatliquor-5.0.

For your information kits available are:


Attachment 1369
Leather Doctor Kit A3.ws – Aniline Leather Water-Stain Remover Kit
Leather Doctor® Kit A3.ws, aniline leather water-stain remover kit is designed to remove water stains as the results of destabilizing the leather pH equilibrium. The side effect of alkaline overexposure manifests as marks and rings behaving like litmus paper. The darkening rings are leather constituents that breaks bond with the protein fiber and migrate forming the outer ring. Acidifier-2.0 is a pH 2.0 leather pH stabilizer to neutralize the alkaline overexposure recharging the protein fiber ionic positive to re-attracts the ionic negative leather constituents. The leather is saturated and dwell up to 72 hours for extreme cases to facilitate redistribution and wicking up foreign contamination. A paper towel covering without airspace helps trapped foreign particulates instead of remaining on the leather surface when dry. Watermarks are cleaned with Cleaner-3.8 to remove surface residue prior to Acidifier-2.0. Hydrator-3.3 helps to redistributes the inter-fibrillary water movement; helps reduce surface tension for a more even appearance prior to fat and oil replenishing. Fatliquor-5.0 rejuvenates and imparts leather with softness and suppleness when dry. Protector-B+ enhances a non-stick rub-resistant protection with a buttery-feel that shield against sticky soiling. Note that the mentioned product suffix number denotes its pH value in this holistic leather-safe aniline leathers pH stabilizing system to eliminate water stains. Leather protein fiber is an amphoteric material while the other leather constituents like the tanning agents, dyestuffs and fatliquor are not. The iso-electric point (pI) of leather averages pH 4, water averages pH 7. Between pH 7 and pH 4 there is an ionic difference of 1000 (one thousand) times. Foreign pH influences below the pI charges the protein fiber ionic positive while above the pI causes the protein fiber to shift ionic negative. The ionic leather constituents and the protein fibers behave like magnets, unlike poles attracts.


Attachment 1370
Leather Doctor Kit A5.ns – Aniline Leather Tannin-Stain Remover Kit
Leather Doctor® Kit A5.ns, aniline leather tannin-stain remover kit is designed to remove cellulose stains such as coffee, tea, wine and other stains that derive from plants will probably be removed with d’Tannin-3.5. It is a waterbased leather-safe tannin stain remover. Surface residue is removed with Cleaner-3.8 follows by Rinse-3.0 and let dry prior to d’Tannin-3.5 treatment. As most stains are penetrated on aniline leathers, an inter-fibrillary water movement is further facilitated with Hydrator-3.3 to move suspended stains to resurface prior to fat and oil replenishing. Fatliquor-5.0 imparts leather with softness and suppleness when dry. Protector-B+ enhances a non-stick rub-resistant protection with a buttery-feel that shield against sticky soiling. Note that the mentioned products suffix numbers denotes its pH value in this holistic approach to removing vegetables and plants derived stains from aniline leathers. Visit www.LeatherCleaningRestorationForum.com for a detail discussion. Email [email protected] for reduce shipping weight cost in concentrates or trade price.

You may pick a kit that best matches you situation and add-on necessary products.

When you have decided on what you may need, we can further discuss how best to do it.


Roger Koh
[email protected]