To my dearest:
So you’ve recently purchased a long coveted item on your wish list! It’s finally in your hands! What should you do with it now? It’s so sparkly new and that leather just feels so good on the hands – absolutely luxurious! But, you’re afraid to take it out on a spin because you want it to stay beautiful like this for just a while longer.
I’m sure we all feel that way, but you buy something to use it! It has a purpose to fulfill! It would be unfair for you to just leave it in it’s packaging for it to collect dust. Use it well and love it more. However, you paid a good price on it and consider it an investment. Of course you would want it to endure the test of time. So before you take it out for a spin, you can take some easy steps to protect your new beloved. This can work for leather, calfskin, lambskin and certain exotic skins. You can use it on your new bag, small leather goods, or even shoes.
First, you want to condition your items. They have some sort of skin – be it leather or something more delicate like lambskin. Since it is skin, you can expect that it needs nourishment like your own to keep it from drying and cracking. There are many options out there that can do the job. If you google “leather lotion” you will find a long list! But fear not! I’m here to give you the best! I always do plenty of research before purchasing anything, so I’d like to call myself a smart buyer. For a good leather conditioner, I would go for the Cadillac Boot and Shoe Leather Lotion. It’s name implies “boot and shoe” only, but when you read it’s description. It can actually be used on practically anything leather!
- WIDE RANGING USE: Cadillac Boot and Shoe Leather Lotion is the perfect solution to revitalize handbags, purses, shoes, boots, jackets, coats, couches, sofas, car upholstery, wallets, belts and more.
- WAX FREE FORMULA: Cadillac Select will not harden your leather products. Our wax free formula is perfect for keeping leather in its optimum state for a better look and feel overall.
- EXOTIC LEATHERS AND REPTILE SKINS: Effectively cares for all types of exotic leather and reptile skin. Alligator, Crocodile, Caiman, Snake, Lizard, Ostrich, Elephant, and many more!
- MADE IN THE USA: All of Cadillac’s products are made entirely in the United States. We take pride in our manufacturing process as well as our customer service.
- GET RID OF WATER SPOTS AND PREVENT LEATHER CRACKING: Once applied, Cadillac Boot and Shoe Leather Lotion will work to restore or enhance the overall look and feel of your leather shoes, boots, furniture, hand bags, purses, and other leather goods.
It boasts a lot, but I’ve used it on plenty of things. From my Celine to my Chanel – from the most delicate lambskin to durable embossed leather. I coat everything with this and there has been no problems. I’ve had minor cracks near the stitching areas of my Celine wallet, which is lambskin. While, it did not cause the crack to go away, it did smooth it out. I also find that the cracks never got worse than what it already was, so that’s a plus in my books. It works great even on my lambskin Chanel and they’re known for their delicacy and ease of scratch. I’ve used this and have not gotten any noticeable scratches on my lambskin Chanel and I’ve used it frequently for a month. So don’t be afraid. Go ahead and use this on your delicate skinned items! Just take a soft cloth, squeeze a quarter size amount and rub in circular motion by section. The price is also unbeatable for less than $9 USD on Amazon. I also know many luxury boutique S.A swears by this product so that’s saying a lot. Not to mention, this product is also perfect for massaging away minor scratches!
GET IT HERE from AMAZON: Cadillac Boot and Shoe Leather Lotion 8 Fl Oz – Conditions, Cleans, Restores, Protects and Polishes all Colors of Leather – Works on Footwear, Furniture, Handbags, Jackets, Wallets and More.
Now, second and final step before you take your baby out for a spin. Do not forget a water repellant spray! I can not stress this enough. Water stains are the worst to get out of leather goods! And you know, that wine or soda you may accidentally spill on it at your next cocktail party. Or God forbid, the waiter just knocks over something on his way over. There’s too many unforeseen circumstances for you to be hanging out with your new baby unprotected. Spraying on a good coat of water repellant will also help to some degree with color transfer. The one I recommend would be Collonil Classic Water Stop Spray + UV Protection.
This does the job to repel water and protect against UV rays. We understand the water part, but why do we need to protect against UV rays? Simple. UV rays will cause color change in the long run. If you have a vibrant red bag, in due time, the color may fade due to being overexposed to UV rays. And it’s a nightmare because like beach tans, they turn out uneven. What you’ll be left with is an uneven colored bag. This spray is so awesome because it kills two birds with one stone by doing two chores in one simple spray. And guess what? This is actually the brand Mulberry recommends to use on their bags. And it’s usually less than $15 USD on Amazon. Just make sure to spray evenly and let it dry. It typically takes only 15-30 minutes to dry.
GET IT HERE from AMAZON: 
Both products are worth the price for the amount. You can use it multiple times on multiple items. Remember, this is not a one time protection process for your items. Make sure you check the condition of your items as you use them and redo these steps accordingly. I typically do this process every season, so every 4 months or so.
I hope this will help you confidently take your baby out with less fear. I’ll write back with how to protect suede and velours soon! Will post a link below when it’s ready! Write back to me and let me know if you swear by any other products! I’d be happy to know what else works! Or if you have used this, what are you experiences with it? Do share!
Thanks again for reading!
For reference, I am 5 feet 2 inches. I typically wear XS/S or 0-4 for apparel and 6.5-7.5 for shoes.
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Great article thank you for the tips. I’ll make sure to grab both. I like how you have the product links right in your blog. Makes it so much easier to find/buy them.
Author
You’re very welcome! I was hoping it’ll be convenient and Amazon is by far the cheapest place I’ve seen these products. Though price does fluctuate time and time and varies by seller.
Such good tips! Definitely worthwhile
Enclothed Cognition
Author
Yes definitely. It’s not very expensive and a little goes a long way!
Protecting your expensive goodies is so important! Whether it’s leather or suede, gotta protect them! I will have to check these products out on Amazon!
Author
Yes! Absolutely! They’re my go to products!
Yes! Love this! If i’m going to spend a lot of money on a great bag or pair of shoes then taking care of them with leather spray is so important!
Ellie | http://www.scotchandstilettos.com
Author
yes i agree <3 it's worth the money. under $25 to ease your heart!
what a helpful article! i have plenty of leather shoes and bags that need extra lovin! xo, sharon
http://www.stylelullaby.com
@stylelullaby
Author
glad this helped you! <3
I need to invest in these! My Balenciaga bags have gone through the wringer, that’s for sure lol!
Author
yes! the best part is, you can use this for anything leather and exotic skins! very multi-functional!
YOU ARE AN ANGEL THANK YOU HAHAHA I HAVE A VICTORIA BECKHAM HANDBAG CRYING FOR SOME ATTENTION!!
Author
Give it some TLC 😉
OMG! I need this for all my boots. I am always wanting to wear all my leather boots when its raining then they get ruined! This is such an inexpensive option to protect my stuff!
xx, Tessa
http://www.tessatailored.com
Author
Yes agree! Glad you found it helpful <3
This product would def come in handy with a lot of items I have, Ill have to try them out! Thanks so much!
XO-Lisa
http://www.thatssodarling.com
Author
Yes! I use it on EVERYTHING. Bags, Wallets, Small leather goods, Shoes…. etc!
Great article, and great tips! I know I have been lusting after a pair of leather boots I saw at a local shop, so if I give in I’ll be sure to follow these steps!
Britt | http://alternativelyspeaking.ca/
Author
Yes! It’ll save you cleaning fees in the long run !
great ideas, i always let my things get beat up and worn in quicker than i’d like–will give this a try (:
Author
Yes! This will spare your heart of pains caused by ruining your stuff!
Hmmm I think my comment was auto-marked as spam or deleted as I try to put my links in there 🙁 Hope you can unmark me my dear!
Anyway I just said this is a great leather care tip though I don’t really have much leather stuff. Good to know. And thanks also for visiting my blog and commenting on my New Wash post. Really appreciate it 🙂 I won’t put links here anymore hehe. But to recognize me I put my blogspot id below without the link. Hope this gets thru …
chenmeicai blogspot com
♥ Chai Chen ♥ @chenmeicai
Author
Hi. You should be able to put links. If you scroll down, it seems other people can? Maybe because it was awaiting approval. I personally check all my comments so I can approve them and reply back to them. Thank you for dropping by! Keep in touch, and will visit your blog! Let me know if you have bloglovin’ 🙂
These are wonderful + super useful tips! Thanks for sharing,xo!
Author
You’re very welcome! Glad you enjoyed it!
this is so helpful! def bookmarking it
Author
Awesome! Bookmarking it is good. Can always go back to it when you need in the future!
I always make a point to keep my leather items cleaned and oiled (although I usually make my Fiance do the oiling 😂
Allison from http://www.mercuteify.com
Author
haha it’s so awesome you have a personal helper! he’s super sweet! what a keeper!
Great ideas. I have a leather purse and wallet that I need these things for. Thanks for the suggestions.
Author
Yes! Very useful for everything leather! If you are wary, spot-test it somewhere first!
Great stuff, always important to know. This way you get lots more wears out of pricey leather items, and they keep looking good for longer.
This looks like a good product, I need it for my bags!
http://www.busyandfab.com
These is so helpful.. i need to save this post for future reference.. would you like us to follow each other on gfc?
Glowyshoes’s blog
this is useful information! Thanks for sharing.
https://closettostreet.com/
I need to get better at protecting my leather goods! Thank you for sharing these tips!
Jill
Doused In Pink
Really great tips! I got couple of designer bags that need some love!
These tips came right on time. A waitress spilled some food on my Coach bag recently, and I need to protect them better.
Its important to keep things looking nice. I will try one of these.
Definitely going buy some from Amazon! My leather items always ware down so easily!
I did not realize that leather needed a water protectant. I guess I’m going to need to get some for my new shoes!
Great tips! My hubby have leather shoes and I have leather bags, and since we have invested in them we better protect them!
I definitely could use something to protect some of the leather items I have. I will be taking a look at this most definitely.
Ooh! These are all good tips! I will have to start taking care of my leather bags! Going to check those products out from amazon!
xoxo,
Molly
allaboutgoodvibes.com
I don’t have any designer leather items (because I couldn’t be trusted!) but this is the kind of thing you would need. Worth protecting!
Great article! such an useful information! thanks for sharing
I didn’t know a product like this existed? Why does everyone throw our their leather couches then? I don’t have leather products in my home, but if I know someone who is going to throw something out, I will recommend.
These are such great tips. I’ve never worried about how to upkeep the leather products. I’m going to have to try these with some of my bags.
It’s really important to take good care of our leather accessories and clothing. It’s not like other types of materials that you can just keep washing and that’s it. I think these products will definitely help! Perfect for people who adore leather.
Great tips! I’m not sure why I never think to do this but I really should!
These are great tips I can share to a friend. She’s very OC when it comes to her leather bags and accessories and she’ll surely find these tips beneficial.
Great products review, though I am not much of a leather person. I did not know there was such a spray that protect your leather from harm
Do you use the leather lotion first and then the waterstop when you receive a new bag? Or just the waterstop and the leather lotion later on when bag looks dry?
Author
Hi. Yes. I just leather lotion first. Then waterstop on new bags. I would repeat these steps every couple of months. The waterstop needs to be reapplied as well! So I just do it all every 4-5 months.
Leather accessories is very expensive so all product are use carefully is important. Your blog share the how to protect leather goods information. I read your blog and i agree with your blog. Thanks for sharing right and valuable information.