Help! My handbag got caught in the crossfire of a particularly rough and vomitty ferry crossing

[bran]

How can I remove the stains? Baby wipes were the first thing that came to hand but the leather is still marked.

Hoxty - if you're out there, I think I may be needing another handbag shopping trip (every cloud etc ).

It's the smell you need to worry about as well. Get some bicarb on / in it asap. I have a ruined Mulberry pochette which still stinks of sour milk / baby vomit.

Fortunately it doesn't smell, it just looks horrible. I don't think there was any milk in the vomit at all (I could give you an exact run-down of what the DC and I had eaten if it's any help ).

My mum has suggested using shoe polish on it, but I'm worried that it would rub off on my clothes.

Any other ideas before I resign myself to ditching the bag. I do like it. Hoxtonchick took me shopping to buy it because I don't really understand bags and I've never had such a comfortable, attractive, strokeable bag.

threadcrash - hi bran [ waves] how are things with your family?

sorry about your bag tragedy

Things are great thanks Kristina. We had a really good summer as I am one of those much reviled mothers who send their child off to holiday club to have fun rather than keeping them home to be bored and whingey as a proper mother should. They are both getting on very well now and we are even considering whether to take DD's sibling if we are offered her.

How are things with you?

Since it's a clean it or throw it out situation you could try cleaning it with Saddle Soap - it can work wonders on leather, but you would need to clean the whole side rather than just the stains to avoid water marks when it dries out. After that you might need to polish it with shoe polish - wiping it over afterwards with a damp cloth should remove any excess. Good luck!

Mulberry do a special bag cleaner spray / cream. They are always trying to sell it to me. It cleaned up my bag, but sadly didn't get rid of the smell! So this might be worth investigating if you have no smell problem and really want to keep the bag. I guess other leather shops would do something similar if you're not near a Mulberry outlet.

wonderful news bran, I'm so pleased for you all

what age is DDs bio sib? surely you get first refusal?

I'll investigate that, thanks MrsSB. I guess any upmarket shoe and handbag shop or John Lewis might be able to recommend a product. Failing that I'll try saddle soap, thanks ft.

Sibling is currently about 4 mo Kristina, I'm not sure when they'll make the decision about permanant placement but it should be soon-ish. There's a possibility that birth mum may be able to keep this one, or the extended birth family may be considered. After that I think we have first refusal, but I imagine we won't be offered until all the family possiblities have been investigated so I'm guessing it wouldn't be until next spring at the earliest.

seems so long, what a shame they cant get their act together a bit quicker. its not like the family situation is not known to SS. how sad for the baby to be in foster care for a year while Ss " think about it".....

hope it works out for you and DD . Ds will be expert big brother by then