Definitely, nothing last forever, even though we all wish they could. But, we can significantly increase the lifespan of our precious items by taking good care of them. Leather accessories are to die for, and in our world today, there is hardly anyone without a leather item or two. They may even be the most basic of items like a pair of earrings; nevertheless you may need to thoughtfully care for your luxury items to give them a fighting chance at lasting a lifetime.
Below are 5 ways you can make this dreaming a reality.
- Store your Accessories properly– There is no novelty in the saying that if you want your accessories to last for a lifetime, you need to be intentional in storing them. They cannot be stored away haphazardly; neither can they be stored away in a manner that is not appropriate for leather accessories.
To run through the safe storage ways quickly, here are some safe ways you may need to store your accessories to make last for a longer time.
- Store them in a paper bag, if this is not available; store them in a used pillow case.
- Never keep them on the bare floor, rather store them safely on the shelves or other wooden material in the home.
- Do not expose them directly to the sunrays or other harsh lights in the home that may cause them to peel and lose their beauty and luster.
- Periodically, It may be a good idea to air them outside, but never under the direct rays of the sun.
- Never expose your leather accessories to moisture or water.
- Polish them Often– Imagine your favorite pair of shoe going on for days, weeks and even months without being polished, it would be quite a nasty sight to behold. On the contrary, imagine your favorite shoe looking glossy and neat, this will definitely be a better sight that than the first imagery. Apart from for the purpose of aesthetics, polishing can also help in improving the lifespan of our accessories by protecting the leather from wear and tear.
For the record, I just made the example with our shoes, this is not to say that these are the only leather items that can be polished. A whole lot can be polished like our bags, earrings, leather bracelets and so on.
- Avoid Moisture– leather, especially genuine leather is water absorbent, because it is made from animal skin. This type of leather absorbs and retains moisture from spillage or when it is washed. It does not repel water. Overtime, this accumulated moisture may lead to the buildup of mold that is harmful to the leather accessories.
A great way to prevent this is to make sure that your leather accessories are kept far away from water and incase of any mishap, it is best to dry them immediately under the fan to prevent further damage.
- Apply Conditioner to your Leather Piece– This may sound strange but it is absolutely true. Applying a suitable conditioner to your leather accessories is a good way to ensure that your accessories last a lifetime.
Conditioners not only make your leather accessories look beautiful, it also helps in preventing damages to the leather accessories. Studies have shown that leather accessories that are conditioned regularly stand a better chance of not being affected by humidity and other adverse weather conditions.
To apply conditioner to the leather piece, all you need is a pair of gloves, an old dry cloth or napkin and a good conditioning serum. The next step will be to apply a generous amount of serum on the leather, rub on it gently till it is well saturated and then you leave it to air dry in a well-ventilated room. - Keep your Leather Piece Clean– It is true that dirt can affect your leather accessories. Dirt’s from dust due to prolonged exposure, stains from ink, makeup and others, leftover food particles and mud stains. While dirty accessories can be very unsightly, they also have the potential to damage our precious items by encouraging the buildup of fungi and in the long run the formation of mold