Can I restore my Coach handbag?

Dear Leather Doctor,

I ruined my Coach handbag by not cleaning it properly.

I just started using this pretty Coach handbag one year ago. Last Sunday,
I found that there were some dirty spots in the surface of the bag, I cleaned the dirty parts with a brush and mild soap, and rinsed the parts with water. After it dried, I found it looked awful. I applied some leather cleaner and repeated the cleaning process again. Then I found the color faded. The next day, I applied leather skincare lotion and it did not help anything. When I just applied the lotion, the color came back for a while. But afterwards when it dried, the color faded again. From the pictures you can see that the parts I cleaned were really white and ugly. I am so sad that I ruined my beautiful bag.

I attached the pictures of the poor handbag after it was cleaned by me. The real one looks even worse than the picture!

Hope this can give other viewers a lesson.

I am wondering if the color can come back again, if not, can I dye it to a similar color?

Thank you!

Springmoon

Dear Springmoon and viewers.

Re: You can restore your COACH® handbag by Leather Doctor® System.

First let us examine this bag leather type.
There are usually no labels to tell you the leather type neither the cleaning instructions, so here we go.

Leather Identification:
1. Mono-Tone Red suggests that this is a pigmented leather
2. Pigmented leathers are usually coated with pigment or other opaque solution.
3. It can be non-absorbent, semi-absorbent or even absorbent.
4. The absorbency depends partly on the binder that carries the color pigment.
5. Color pigment composition in most pigment coatings is commonly at 25%.
6. Wet-Rub resistance depends partly on the binder quality that adhere the leather surface by anchors into the pores.
7. It imparts the physical - the color and the filling to the leather surface.
8. This color coating is also known as the basecoat.
9. It does not appear that there is a secondary color coating (antique, metallic, pearlescent, chameleon, etc.).
10. The permanent top coat seals the color basecoat, which also determines the gloss level and the final appearance.
11. It has the decisive influence on the physical properties of the leather too.
12. The maintenance feel conditioner enhances the leather further.
13. The color basecoat, permanent clear topcoat, feelcoat and sealercoat are generally known as the leather finishes.

Spot Identification:
1. Where there are spots on leather in future, it is best to identify before removing them.
2 Always test cleaner on a hidden area for “leather safe” prior to the actual application.
3. By the way, is the spot gone completely?

Agitation:
1. Always use a horsehair brush for cleaning smooth leather.

Mild:
1. Mild could be alkaline or acidic mild, average healthy leather has a pH value of between 3 and 5.
2. Leather is Mildly Acidic, just like our skin.
3. Safe leather cleaners should have a pH value of between 3 and 5.
4. Why?
5. Consider the following leather processes in the tannery.
6. Pickling @ pH 1 – 2
7. Chrome-Tan @ pH 2 – 4
8. Vegetable-Tan @ pH 2 – 5
9. Acid Dyestuff @ pH 3 – 4
10. Fatliquor @ pH 4 – 6
11. Therefore to work in harmony with the above acidic ingredients in the leather, the safest leather cleaning products should also be acidic and within the range of between 3 and 5. Otherwise pH outside this range should be neutralized with an acidifier or a basifier.
12. Mild alkaline cleaners having a pH of 7.1 to 10 and beyond may destabilize the pH balance and are detrimental to the leather including the finishing too.
13. Cleaning streaks or discoloration on pigmented leather is a clear sign of alkaline over exposure.

Soap:
1. Soap, after it has done its work, leaves behind a scum, similar to those found on basin, bathtubs and shower.
2. This soap scum remains on the leather surface and will attract soil like a magnet which make it more difficult to clean the next time.

Result of Cleaning:
Is the awfulness due to discoloration where the surface is smooth or rub-off finishes where the surface is not as smooth?

Leather Cleaner:
1. pH value of leather cleaner is an important “safe” factor to consider.
2. Not all leather cleaners are safe especially with ingredient of alkalinity and solvency.
3. Safe leather cleaners should have a pH value of between 3 and 5.
4. Alkalinity in the leather cleaner may be the cause of this discoloration.

Tips for Preparation Cleaning:
1. Spotting:
Apply SuperSpotter4.6™ using a leatherBrush1™ to the affected areas and where there are excess leather skin care lotion.
Let dwell 5 to 15 minutes for the spotter to work a little while.
2. Preconditioning:
Mist spray SuperCleaner4.0™ to the entire bag and agitate with the same brush.
Let dwell another 5 to 15 minutes and before it dries, extract the soil off with dry absorbent white towel.
3. Cleaning:
Mist spray Cleaner3.8™ to the entire bag, agitate and extract with clean absorbent towel.
4. Rinse:
Mist spray Rinse3.0™ to the entire bag, and extract with clean absorbent towel until squeaky clean.
5. The objective is to remove all foreign soil off the leather surface to prepare for good adhesion of the new finishes.
6. Poor cleaning preparation will not achieve proper and good adhesion.
7. Note the pH values of the above product are between 3 and 5 for “safe” cleaning.
8. Cleaning “effectiveness” depends on the surfactants’ concentration or polarity of the products and not the pH Value.

Surface Prep:
1. Sand deteriorated finishes with 1500 grit sandpaper. Use good judgment for smoothness and be careful not to remove the surface grains of the leather.
2. A 1200grit or 1000grit sandpaper can achieve the same purpose too.

Color Matching:
1. This red color looks like a combination of Maroon02 and ChromRed17 ratio 70:30 up to 95:5 is a possible to match.
2. Red has poor coverage than Black, White, Oxide Red or Oxide Yellow.
3. Therefore any stains darker than red have to be blocked off with a white mix as a covering base coat before applying red.

Application:
1. Best result will be by airbrushing with Paache model 70039, with air compressor up to 100psi.
2. Adjust the air mix to semi dry for a better control application and especially detailing.
3. Alternatively, application by foam brush or velvet brush as shown on the previous thread “Clean Brass on Leather” for another COACH® bag.

Top Coat Matching:
1. Top coats come in Matte, Satin or Gloss.
2. This bag sheen looks like satin or matte, rather than gloss.

Feel Coat:
1. leatherScent’B™ Recommended to enhance the leather with leather-scent, buttery-feel, non-stick, rub-resistance and squeak-reduction.

The above tips provide a glimpse of the possibility to “Do It Yourself”.
Products are available and I can help!
Further questions post or contact me direct.

Roger Koh
IICRC#942 LCT MTC MSR
Leather Doctor® System
[email protected]