Cognac Leather Purses

A new Coach purse or a vintage Coach purse can be a great addition to any woman's accessory collection. With their well-made designs, quality stitching, and classic styling, these purses can serve women well into the long term. Of course, the natural wear and tear of regular use can leave even the best purse looking a little worn after time. Learning a few key tips for refurbishing a Coach purse can go a long way towards extending the life of these popular accessories. Consumers may also wish to get to know the best retail options for purchasing the products needed in this process. Traditional brick-and-mortar vendors may have some products available, but eBay can offer a much wider selection.

Refurbishing a Coach Purse

Refurbishing a coach purse is a multistep process that begins with cleaning and may involve rip repair and covering cracks and discolorations. The majority of Coach bags are natural leather, meaning that they require special and delicate treatment.

Cleaning a Coach Purse

As an initial step to a comprehensive repair job, Coach purse owners should give a leather Coach bag a thorough cleaning. The natural leather used in these bags is as sensitive and prone to damage as one's own skin, so average household soaps and cleaners are far too harsh for these materials. Saddle soap is a great cleanser for this type of natural leather. Coach also makes its own range of leather cleaners that work well on these bags.

Cleaning with Saddle Soap

Using a soft, lint-free cloth, Coach owners should rub to saddle soap gently into all surfaces of the purse's exterior leather components. The saddle soap lathers on its own, creating a frothy solution. Coach owners should then rinse this solution from all surfaces using warm water and a clean cloth. It is important to rinse all of the solution from the bag. Coach owners should then leave the bag to air dry naturally, making sure that the bag is in its natural shape. Stuffing it with newspaper can help a purse dry in its natural shape.

Cleaning with Coach Cleansers and Moisturizers

Coach's leather cleaner works in much the same way saddle soap does; however, consumers should just wipe away the solution with a dry cloth and not a wet one. This helps retain the natural shape of the bag. Coach also makes a leather moisturizer that consumers can apply after cleansing to leave the leather soft, radiant, and supple. For those people who own a Coach bag with fabric components, Coach also produces a fabric cleaner. This solutions works well on Classic Signature, Mini Signature, Optic Signature, Signature Stripe, Signature Sateen, and Op Art Sateen Coach bags.

Repairing Tears in a Coach Purse

With vintage pieces, coach owners may have an occasional rend in the leather with which to deal. Leather liquid stitch repair gel can help repair these tears, adhering the edges of the leather together in a relatively invisible seam. This technique works best with L-shaped rips with a clean line.

Repairing Discolorations

Since Coach uses natural, untreated leather to create their bags, the leather can fade or discolor in time. A leather touch-up kit can provide paints that consumers can use to color on these faded sections. Matching the color of the leather on the purse is, of course, essential. Most leather touch-up kits come with a range of standard colors, including black, brown, white, and red.

A coach owner may wish to experiment with a shade on a hidden section of the bag before using it for overall repairs. Coach owners can also mix colors to try to match the color of their bag. Leather touch-up kits typically come with a paintbrush and a sponge. The paintbrush allows consumers to apply color to small, detailed areas, and the sponge serves as a way to spread color evenly on a larger section.

Polishing Hardware on a Coach Bag

Coach bags often feature metal hardware around the bag, such as at the clasp or on the strap. Consumers can use a jeweler's cloth to buff and polish these metal components. Jewelry cloths typically have a cleaning side and a polishing side. Coach owners can use the cleaning side to remove any stains, and the polishing side to buff the hardware to a bright shine.

How to Buy Leather Repair Products and Cleansers

eBay carries a wide range of leather repair and cleaning products, including customized methods, such as Coach cleaners and traditional products like saddle soap. To begin searching for any of these items, first find the search interface available on any page on the site. Enter a keyword term describing this item in detail or run a search for a general term, such as " leather repair kit." Click on the title of items in the resulting list that seem relevant and review the item's details. Vetting sellers by clicking on sellers' names and reviewing their feedback can help streamline the purchasing process. With eBay's diverse options and a few easy steps, any Coach purse owner can refurbish a bag and get it looking like new.