Leather Care of your BURKELY bags
Congratulations on the purchase of your unique BURKELY bag!
Our bags are sustainably and humanely made from high-quality leather. We think it is important to contribute to a better world in this way. This way our products can last for years with good use, with the bag coming to life and taking on character with each experience. Good maintenance does not have to be complicated and can be easy if you follow these steps!
Precaution and maintenance
Prevention is always better than cure. Leather remains a natural product that, just like your own skin, reacts to factors such as (sun) light, water and dirt. To keep the leather beautiful for as long as possible, we recommend the following three steps:
- Step 1: Protect (make dirt and water repellent);
- Step 2: Care (feeding, coloring and possibly scratch-free);
- Step 3: Cleaning (removing stains)
Step 1: Protect
It starts with good protection to prevent external influences such as water and dirt, but also (sun) light. Before using the bag, we therefore recommend that you impregnate it well with a dirt and water-repellent spray.
Invest in the right sprays, such as the Collonil Carbon Pro spray for suede & nubuck or the Collonil Carbon Wax spray for smooth & wax leather. In addition to protection, the Collonil Carbon Wax spray also provides nourishment to the leather due to the different wax types in the spray.
How to use these products:
- Spray your bag at a distance of 30 cm;
- Then let the bag dry for 30 minutes (if necessary, rub it out for shine);
- Repeat regularly for the right protection (1 x every 30 days, depending on the use).
Step 2: Care
We believe that leather gets more beautiful the more it is used. But to prevent dehydration and/or to take care of traces of use, we recommend that you regularly care for the leather with a nourishing cream. In addition, this also ensures that the original color is retrieved.
With wax leather, the Collonil 1909 Wax Leather tube is a nice tube because it contains valuable ingredients such as high-quality waxes & caring oils. It keeps the original look of the bag (removes scratches and restores the color).
Use: apply thinly & evenly with a dry cloth or brush. Withdraw well. If necessary, buff out for shine.
We recommend the Collonil 1909 Leather Cream tube for smooth leather. This tube also contains valuable caring oils but also has a mild cleansing function (ideal for light colours). This product makes the leather shine again.
Use: apply thinly & evenly with a dry cloth or brush. Leave on and buff out for shine (and remove stains).
For roughening faded spots & the color of suede & nubuck, we recommend the Natur Crepe Brush. This gives it back its original structure. The friction of the brush creates heat, which means that this brush also has a cleaning effect.
Step 3: Cleaning
Did you spill something all over your bag? It is best to remove this by first cleaning it dry with a clean cotton cloth or with a brush.
With wax leather & smooth leather, grease, oil and moisture stains gradually disappear. If you find the stain disturbing, the Collonil Clean & Care bottle can help to reduce its visibility. It is important to treat the bag completely with this product to prevent color difference.
Use: apply with a dry cloth or brush and let it soak in. Repeat if necessary.
Then treat the bag again with a nourishing cream to pick up the color again and then protect it with a dirt and water-repellent spray such as the aforementioned Collonil Carbon Pro spray for suede & nubuck or the Collonil Carbon Wax spray for smooth & wax leather .
Use caution when removing stains on suede and nubuck. Because these are vulnerable types of leather, we recommend that you dry clean them first with the Natur Crepe Brush as mentioned earlier. If the stain is more harsh, you can try the Collonil Clean & Care bottle. Make sure that you treat the entire bag to avoid color differences.
Use: apply with a dry cloth or brush and let it soak in. Repeat if necessary.
Then roughen well again with the Natur Crepe Brush and then protect with the Collonil Carbon Pro spray.
If the stain is severe and seems impossible to remove, please feel free to contact us for further advice.
Tips & tricks
Try to avoid your bag from getting wet. If your bag does get wet, let it dry naturally and never use a heater or hair dryer as this can dry out the leather. If you want to store your purchase for a longer period of time, it is best to do so in a cotton bag. Do not put your bag in a plastic bag. Leather is a natural product and must be able to breathe. Stuff the bag with old newspapers so that it retains its shape.