Cleaning old Mulberry bag

[Filiboom]

The Mulberry thread on here reminded me that I have a beauiful red Mabel bag that's about ten years old. I haven't used it for a few years as it's a bit battered and has an ink stain. I'd love to start using it again though, not least because there's not a hope I'll be able to get an expensive bag like that again for a while!

I looked at the Mulberry website and they seem only to do repairs etc and not cleaning. They won't recommend people who can clean them.

Does anyone know of a good place to take a bag for cleaning? I know there's a risk of damage, but I don't use the bag as it is so I'm prepared to take a risk (but would rather pay a bit more for a good place!). I'm based in SE London.

Thanks very much.

I'm sure I've seen an advert for somewhere that restores bags and gets rid of ink stains in the back of vogue magazine. I'm sorry I can't find the number etc - I threw away all of my back issues last weekend!

I just googled 'handbag restoration' and there are a few options there.

Thanks for this. Have you every tried any of them? I've had a look at a couple of the nationwide ones and the prices are over £100. I suspect they're very good and this is standard cost, but I'm sort of hoping for a much cheaper, smaller place, but one that will do as good a job....

Word of warning - I used The Handbag Clinic and had a terrible experience. They did a bad colour match on my bag, which was annoying enough, but then had absolutely dreadful customer service when I tried to resolve the issue with them. I know others have had a great experience with them though, so feasibly I was unlucky both in work standard and customer service.

I was quoted an astronomical price (way more than Mulberry charge) to repair a corner of my Bayswater by the Handbag Clinic so I would avoid them too.

Mabel is a beautiful bag, it's eye catching yet simple and a great functional design and in red it will be wow.

I have no idea about independent handbag restoration, I've always had any handbag repairs done with the company who made the bag but I know Mulberry won't be able to do anything for a stain on the leather unfortunately. I actually could do with a recommendation as I've a suede bag that has a lot of colour transfer from jeans that I'd love to get cleaned. I've seen those adverts in magazines too, I suppose it's a question of trying to get a recommendation at a good price.
Is the ink stain very bad? Sometimes a good bit of tlc at home can work wonders on an older bag. Stuff it to get the shape right when you are not using it. Get a renourishing cream and start to really buff it in, do a good few layers. Mulberry use Collonil products which you can buy on Amazon too. But any brand of leather cream/spray will work and should start to nourish the leather. Apply the nourishing cream applied in a few layers in small circles with a lint free cloth, really working it in and then really buffed up. After then spray the bag with the Collonil water protection spray. A few applications of this routine really brings leather back to life.

A word of warning though - check the leather on your Mabel, as not every leather can be used with these products, maybe ask to be sure. I've had a quick look online and the red ones I can see are from goats leather (will wear fantastically) and you can apply the products I mentioned liberally. I seem to remember a Mabel in a waxy leather, maybe blue/pink which I think you might need to be careful about getting the right product for. Most will be fine but, for example, never spray or apply the cream on a patent bag (they use a special product for those)

Whereabouts is the stain? If you didn't want to pay a fortune to get it cleaned, maybe serious tlc at home might help and then just use it and see the stain as part of the bag - marks/stains/wear are just what happens to a well used bag. I remember a limited edition Bayswater which was specifically designed to look ink stained...

Sorry- I've been out all day, but I want to say thanks very much Serinite for all your advice. Really helpful. The stain is a big one on the front of the bag, but even just a general clean up of the leather will help (can always turn the bag round when wearing it) and has to be a good starting point. It is (or was!) a beautiful bag.

Thanks also to this who said avoid Handbag Clinic. It was one of those that came first in the Google search so good to know to avoid. Any word on Handbag Spa?

Thanks again all.

Hello, although this thread is old I thought I would jump on to warn people from using The Handbag Spa. I have had the most awful experience over the last 7 months having sent my Mulberry Bayswater to them for repair. Not only was the bag returned in arguably worse condition than it went in (I am sure they would claim otherwise but I have photos to prove it) but their manner of dealing with my complaint has been most upsetting - very defensive and at times unpleasant. Finally, they had my bag for over 5 months in total. Please beware and do not trust them with your treasured bags.