How to Care for and Clean Louis Vuittons?

Whether you’re the owner of a neverfull, damier azur canvas or speedy knowing how to take care of and clean your bag can extend its life by decades.

You’ll find that most of the classic Louis Vuitton bags are made with a combination of vachetta leather and PVC or canvas.

But what are these materials and how do you take care of them?

Many of our clients feel lost when it comes to looking after their Louis Vuitton bags and often come to our workshop seeking advice on leather care.

Some might be looking for a leather conditioner or cleaning product, other might be concerned about darkening, discolouration or staining to the vachetta leather.

 

What is PVC and Vachetta Leather?

As mentioned above Louis Vuitton bags are made from a combination of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and vachetta leather.

PVC is cotton canvas coated with PVC – a durable plastic coated material used for the external body of the bag.

Vachetta leather is a soft natural cowshide leather used for the trimmings, zip tag, straps and handles.

These materials complement each other elegantly but can also be thought of as opposites in terms of their physical properties.

While PVC is a sturdy and water resistant material, vachetta leather is a highly sensitive leather susceptible to water stains and discolouration.

As such while PVC is relatively low maintenance the vachetta leather will require some upkeep and care.

How to Care for Vachetta Leather?

Vachetta is an untreated cowhide leather. Unlike normal leather vachetta is “natural” in the sense that it hasn’t been dyed or treated with preservation processes.

The leather will age naturally and develop a patina over time. A patina is a sheen created by oils and elements from the environment that will darken the leather.

With regular use your Louis Vuitton will acquire a a honey golden colour or rich amber patina, which is unique to your bag.

The tradeoff of this aging process is that vachetta is not coated with any sealants that usually provides leathers with a degree of protection from the elements or substances.

And this is what makes vachetta leather susceptible to discolouration and water stains.

We’ve provided a general guide below for taking care of vachetta leather below.

Vachetta leather care guide

• Apply a silicon-free waterproofer or have it done professionally by a leather specialist. This will provide a barrier to stains absorbing into the leather and assist with cleaning the vachetta.
• Use vachetta friendly leather conditioners – this keeps the vachetta supple and prevents drying. We suggest looking at our products or consulting our team.
• Avoid silicon and petroleum containing water protectors, polishes and conditioners – this may dry out the leather and can even leave dark marks or blemishes.
• Store in a breathable dust bag and in an elevated position. Improper storage can lead to mould and a subsequent musky smell arising from your bag.
• Sunlight exposure for prolonged periods can cause the vachetta leather to discolour, dry out or crack.
• To clean your bag use a damp clean cloth to gently wipe the surface of the vachetta leather and canvas. See below for professional cleaning advice.

 

How to Clean Louis Vuitton Bags?

While vachetta leather will develop a natural patina over time and some darkening is normal, your bag may accumulate excessive oils and stains which compromise the appearance.

First we’d suggesting determining whether your bag is just showing signs of ageing gracefully or requires a restorative approach.

If you feel your Louis Vuitton looks worse for wear our recommendation would be to consult a leather specialist about products or having your bag rejuvenated.

We’ve listed below the most common Louis Vuitton cleaning questions and the restorative options offered by our workshop.

Vachetta leather

“How do you clean vachetta leather?”

Most of our clients ask this question in relation to excessive darkening or general staining to the vachette leather.

In such cases we recommend against “washing” the leather as this could leave or intensify water marks or stains. Alcohol based wipes or household remedies are also likely to stain the leather.

A few of our clients have used “magic erasers” on the vachetta to lighten the colour with detrimental results. This works by stripping back the vachette compromising the structure of the leather fibres and destroying the natural patina.

Depending on whether the bag has been water protected or not our team will can either extract the stained and professionally clean the leather or spot refinish the colour.

Patina refinishing is a specialist recolouring service we offer for severely stain or discoloured vachette that restores the finish while preserving the structure and character of the leather.

Vachette handles

“How do you clean vachette leather handles?”

Discolouration and wearing of handles is the most common query we receive when it comes to cleaning or restoring vachetta leather.

This is unsurprising given that handles are constantly in contact with sweaty hands, which transfer oil and grease marks to the leather.

As mentioned above try to resist the temptation to use a product that strips the leather back to lighten the vachetta as this destroys the fibres and is not a long-term solution.

Our team provide a specialised handle degreasing and refinishing service for restoring difficult to clean vachetta handles.

Any stains are extracted before the patina is refinished to rejuvenate the natural patina of the vachetta and give a lighter appearance to the handles.

Interior or Lining

“How do you clean the interior or lining?”

The most common interiors or linings for Louis Vuittons include canvas, microfiber, cross-grain leather, and vuittonite.

Leather linings can be cleaned, recoloured and refinished, a process which will restore the lining to its original condition.

In contrast material linings with stains, dye or ink marks are sometimes difficult to clean.

For material linings we usually provide our clients with the option of a deep cleaning or spa service but also recommend relining the bag as another option.

The latter option involves changing the lining completely with a matching leather or material while retaining the original LV brand marks, hardware and zip tags.

Monogram canvas

“How do you clean outside monogram canvas”

As described above the external body of the Louis Vuitton is made with polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Unlike vachette leather PVC is not in fact leather.

PVC is a plastic coated cotton canvas which makes it extremely durable, water resistant and hence easy to look after.

We don’t recommend any specialist products for PVC – it can usually be wiped down with alcohol-, detergent-, and fragrance-free baby wipes or a damp cloth.

It can also be washed with a leather shampoo and scrubbed gently with a nylon brush – provided you avoid washing the vachette leather and hardware.

Cracks and tears are a common issue we see in PVC so avoid exposing your bag to the sun for prolonged periods.

Our team usually repair these bags with internal patches using original monogrammed PVC material.

Louis Vuitton Cleaning and Reservicing

For most people a Louis Vuitton bag is a significant investment and with some care and cleaning you can extend its life for years.

You can also enjoy the beautiful patina as your bag ages and the vachetta develops a darker vintage look, which becomes unique to your bag.

If you require any restorative work for you bag our team specialises in Louis Vuitton bag cleaning for both vachette leather and PVC canvas.

Our restoration processes preserve the bags patina and provide a new lease of life to darkened or discoloured bags.

Feel free to send photos to our team and we can provide a quote for your bag.