Looking after your bag

Césaire Paris Sac créateur cuir fabriqué en France

Caring for your Césaire bag

The high-quality leather we use for our bags is a living material. By paying attention and giving it special care, your faithful companion will resist wear and tear and look more beautiful as time goes by.

General recommendations :

To care for your bag properly, it is essential to know what leather it is made in. You will find the reference on your bill.

When not using it, store your bag in its original pouch to prevent it from accumulating dust and also keep it away from heat and light. In tropical countries, keep it in an air-conditioned room and take it out of its pouch regularly. Always stuff your bag so it will keep its shape.

The horn buckle of our bags are purely decorative, handle it carefully and don’t try to open it. Once a year, you can nourish it with a rag and a little bit of almond oil.

You don’t have to waterproof your bag: our leathers have already been treated for dampness. If your bag is wet because of the rain, don’t ever use a hairdryer on it but instead wipe it with a cloth and let it dry in the open air.

Do not use wax or other oily products.

First test the advice given below on a small area of the bag. Then always clean the entire bag but pay special attention to the stains. Don’t rub them but instead tap them lightly, this will help the leather maintain its uniform look.

Caring for your bag based on the leather

Saddle calfskin, grainy baby bull, smooth calfskin, grainy lamb and kid
Clean the entire bag with a neutral, colorless gel or baby lotion using
a soft cloth.

If your bag is stained, clean it delicately with a damp sponge and a soft soap such as black soap before wiping it with a dry cloth. To remove an oil spot, put talcum powder on the spot and massage it a few moments before letting it sit overnight. Clean it off the next day with a damp sponge.

Nubuck
Brush your nubuck bag regularly with a soft, hairy brush to remove dust and raise the nap.

If the stain is from the rain, rub the leather with a dry cloth or brush it with a crepe brush so the stain fades away.

To clean your bag more thoroughly, you can also sprinkle talcum powder over it to clean it. Let the product react overnight and brush the nubuck the next day.

You can also wash the whole bag with a sponge and leather soap, rub it with a dry cloth and then let it air dry. Repeat the operation numerous times if necessary. Once your bag is dry and clean, you can “sand” your bag with a crepe eraser or even very fine sandpaper. Always waterproof it after you have treated it.

Lambskin
For regular care, use a soft cloth like chamois. Delicately massage the bag’s entire surface with uncolored neutral gel, baby lotion milk or even a gel for soft lambskin and then let it dry. Then polish it with the clean chamois cloth.

Python leather and snakeskin
These leathers are sensitive to water that risks puffing them up and detaching the scales. For regular care, clean your bag with a soft cloth and a neutral, uncolored gel or baby lotion using gentle motions that follow the direction of the scales. You can also shine it by delicately applying vaseline or glycerin, leaving it on all night and then shining it with a chamois cloth.

Canvas
For our canvas bags or linings, clean them using a brush with soft hairs and natural soap.

To remove an oily stain, place talcum powder on the stain, massage it for
a few moments and let it sit over night. Clean it the next morning with a
damp sponge. For other spots, you can use a standard spot remover (such as Eau Ecarlate in France).

If you are cleaning a canvas lining, be sure to remove it from the bag so it doesn’t stick to or dampen the bag leather.

Raffia, straw
For regular care, brush your bag using a brush with soft hairs. To remove a stain, delicately rub it with a slightly damp sponge and soap before wiping it immediately with a dry cloth to prevent the raffia from puffing up.

Woven leather
For regular care, use a soft cloth to apply an uncolored, neutral gel or baby lotion. To remove a stain, delicately rub the woven leather with a slightly damp sponge and one of the recommended soaps, then wipe it immediately with a dry cloth so the weave doesn’t puff up.

Pony
To eliminate dust, brush the pony skin delicately in the direction of the hair. You can also clean it with a slightly damp sponge before letting it air dry.

Different types of stains and how to remove them

 Rain spots on nubuck
These are not really stains, the nubuck hair has simply been flattened by the rain. Just rub it with a dry cloth or crepe eraser to bring back the nubuck’s wonderful smoothness.

Oil-based stains (lipstick, cream, vinaigrette …)
Put talcum powder on the stain, massage it a few moments and then let it sit overnight. Clean it the next morning with a damp sponge.

Pen and ink stains
It is imperative to act immediately to prevent the stain from becoming permanent. Dab the spot with a cotton ball drenched in white clay stone or a Q-tip dampened slightly with lemon, white vinegar or water and black soap. If the stain doesn’t come off, add a drop of 70° alcohol. Don’t let the product you use get on the unstained area of the leather. Then use a slightly damp sponge to remove the product and wipe it with
a dry cloth.

Paint spots
Clean the leather using a damp sponge with a soft soap before using a damp cloth, then wiping it with a dry cloth.

Drink stains (coffee, soda, tea …)
Sponge up as much of the liquid as possible with a paper towel, then use
a rag soaked in makeup remover with a few drops of white vinegar. If the stain remains, replace the vinegar with rubbing alcohol.

Blue jean stains
Use a sponge impregnated with black soap or white clay stone on the bag’s entire surface, rubbing harder on the stains. Then brush it, first with a damp microfiber cloth, then with a neutral gel. Finally, polish it with a soft cloth.

You will find advice in this notice on how to clean your bag regularly.
 If you have any doubts, contact a leather professional.
Don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions about
caring for your bag:

contact@stephaniecesaire.com