OH MY GOD Mould is growing on the outside of my stunning designer bag

[JessiCake]

I have a stunning Celine bag that I bought in a sale in Milan pre-kids.

Two house moves and a child later and I finally took it out of the back of a cupboard tonight. DD is starting school I feel like I am getting the old me back style-wise, and I wanted to start using my gorgeous bag on a more regular basis, like I used to, rather than the crappy old bags filled with DD's pencils and half-eaten snacks that I've been carrying around for 4 years.

To my utter horror (and stupidity, though sleep deprivation may have played a part) when I put it away when DD was about 2 months old, belatedly cottoning on that my old life would have to take a back seat for a bit, I'm pretty sure there was some chocolate or something left in there.

It's made the lining manky, obv, which I'm hoping is relatively easily fixed. But worse is whatever vile fungus it now is, it has spread from inside to one outer corner (kind of where one of the 'feet' of the bag is, if that makes sense)

It's white/grey and furry and about a 2 inch square patch.

Is this salvageable, do you think, and if so how?

It was about £500 when I bought it, reduced from close to £1k, so it's worth spending to try to fix it. And I will kick myself very very hard and repeatedly for evermore if my carelessness has ruined one of the nicest and certainly the most expensive items I've ever owned.

Fuck I was thinking first world problem but I would actually be really upset about that.

Specialist cleaners maybe?

Google in your area about specialists handbag restoration, we have a place locally who make old handbags look good again, and refurbish old handbags to sell on. Can't remember the name at the minute, but I am sure they have a few branches.

Take to dry cleaners or one of those shoe cobbler/key cutting places?

LEM I know, in the grand scheme yes, my God, it;s definitely a first world problem. Couldn't agree more.

But I'm still kicking myself for stupidity and I loved this bag and the WASTE of a beautiful and expensive item if I can't fix it is gnawing at me...

Wine, have just googled... handbag clinic...? Anyone tried it? I live in London so could get it to them.

Anyone know anything about removing manky greying fur from stunning supple leather...? ie is it even possible?

There is a bag shop where I am and they repair bags, is there something similar near you?

I had a nice bag that I had been given as a gift, nothing near as expensive as yours and as it was material, I used to wash it in the washing machine.

Anyway, the base of the bag got a bit worn but I still loved it, and I brought it into them to fix.
they cut the entire base off the bag off and replaced it with black leather and it was actually nicer than the original. (Which was grey)

Maybe something like that could be done if you really really love it.

The handbag clinic are amazing and have repaired one of my chanel bags and one of my Mulberry's. Contact them online or over the phone. Celina is beautiful!

Show us the bag!

Thanks everyone, and thanks too for not pointing and laughing at my utter stupidity :(

FuckyDuck, thanks will try handbag clinic in the morning. Emergency call!!

3luckystars, wow that sounds amazing and has given me hope.

GOD, I'm an idiot. Keep staring at it and wondering what the fuck I was doing leaving (I think) unwrapped chocolate in a Celine bag. Pre-DD I looked after stuff so nicely!!

The handbag clinic destroyed a Chloe bag of mine. It's now unusable and I'm still sad about it! I used to live in a very tropical climate and apparently mouldy bags was a fairly common issue. A professional.cleaner should be able to help you, just be careful who you use!

3luckystars, trying as have photos of the depressing mould I've just taken for handbag clinic!! Rubbish at this - not sur ehow to attach to here...

Ooooh, might have just managed to... is it linked here...?

THat's the depressing mould :(

Thanks Jenny, will bear that in mind. Will ask at posh local dry-cleaners too.

Removing white/grey mould from real leather is definitely possible. I did the same with my near £200 boots and was horrified but managed to get them as good as new again. I would however recommend a specialist (I used a nice local cobbler because it was boots) I've googled handbag clinic and they look good to me. Give them a ring in the morning and ask but there is definitely hope.

This is the bag from the non-manky side - not a great pic but it's a quilted tote and the leather is staggeringly soft.

I've ballsed it up, havent I?

Thanks for the message of hope StupidSlimyGit. Appreciate it!

there are dire things happening in the world so I am trying to keep this in perspective.

But still arrrrrrrggghhhhhhhhhhhh

Can you contact Celine direct? As in the manufacturer, not Ms Dion.

Sorry huge cross post, looking at it i think you stand a good chance of something being able to be done with that, but maybe not handbag clinic in light of jennys experience.

Staples - ha! Love the idea of Celine Dion baffled at a request about mould...

Could do, hadn't thought of that. Worth a try perhaps, yes.

Thank you.

To be fair to Handbag Clinic I had an entirely different repair... wanted the corners which had lost their colour to be retouched and for some reason they covered the whole bag in a new dye which seemed to ruin the texture of the leather.
Overall they have very good reviews and giving the bag a thorough clean and treatment is probably an easier process.

Thanks for the additional info Jenny, much appreciated.

Have just emailed Celine customer services so thank you Staples, that could be a good lead.

Thanks all. Will update if (please Lord) I get anywhere good with this...

I don't have any experience of Celine bags (LV and Mulberry fan) but I would recommend contacting Love Lolo - google them- about their colonil cleaning products. They are amazing for refurbing bags.

I would wipe the mould off and then use saddle soap. Sorted my mildewed leather sofa...

Thank you Chinny, massively heartened to hear of mould/leather success stories... Looking at it more closely (OK staring at it in despair) describing it as 'furry' isn't quite accurate, it's more sort of plaque-y if that makes sense?

Think I need to send it somewhere professional as the lining is utterly fucked on one side too, not actually mouldy but caked in dried-on melted chocolate that is now unrecognisable and has stuck random pennies and a pen lid to the fabric.

Granite, thanks for that hint, might email them to ask if they have a cleaner they rceommend using for bag repair.
Hugely grateful thank you.

I don't know if its helpful or not.... One of the specialist Car cleaning forums I am on use furniture clinic (furnitureclinic.co.uk) and LTT Leather Care (lttleathercare.com) for automotive leather repair and I have seen pictures of some of the repairs they do to really badly damaged leather. Each company are active on the forum and are really helpful. Perhaps one of those companies can assist you?