How to Clean a White Leather Bag (or any Light-Colored Leather Accessory)
A member of the Wardrobe Oxygen community reached out asking me how to clean a white leather bag. They had purchased a winter white leather purse and they loved it, but noticed it was looking a bit dingy. She wanted to know the best way to clean a white or light-colored leather bag, how to remove stains, and if there are any products on the market or hacks to keep a white leather bag clean.
I remember I answered this very question a few years ago on Wardrobe Oxygen. So I returned to the archives to revisit my original advice for cleaning a white leather bag, did some research to see if any new hacks, tools, or products on the market have improved the leather bag cleaning process, and decided to update my advice!
I used to own a gorgeous off-white leather bag from Banana Republic, got it for an insanely low price on eBay. A year later I was embarrassed to carry it because it was so dingy and stained, mainly from propping a newspaper on it during my Metro work commute, but also from denim dye transfer and a few splashes of coffee. I even had some streaks of ballpoint pen, and with having a young child at the time, there was an unknown sticky pink something on the strap.
I used this off-white leather bag as a testing site, trying out a range of methods I found online, heard from friends, and found in books about cleaning most anything. Some worked better than others, and as you will read below, some did more harm than good. Learn from my experience, so hopefully you will have great success in cleaning your white leather bag.
How to Clean a White Leather Bag
My tips below for cleaning a white leather bag are specifically for leather. I have not tried these methods on suede, nubuck, or faux leather. I cannot guarantee good results on such materials.
Learn From My Experience, Do a Spot Test First
Before I share my tips on how to clean a leather bag, I stress the need for you to do a spot test. Not all leather bags are created equal, nor are they colored in the same manner. Some leathers are dyed, some are painted, and some have a finish or treatment on top of the dye or paint, and all of these factors can determine how the color will react to cleaning products and methods. Please try it on the underside of the strap, or if your leather handbag has a bit of white or light-colored finished leather on the interior, try it there.
I say this because as you read my tips below, you'll see I had a few that did affect the finish of my leather bag. I want to help, not hurt your situation so please, it's tempting to go all in but do a spot test, let it fully dry, and touch it, brush against it before proceeding with a more visible part of your beloved purse.
Methods I Tried to Clean a White Leather Purse
Soap and Water
A bit of dish soap (I used Dawn, which is so useful and is part of my favorite stain remover recipe) diluted in warm water can be applied to leather with a soft cloth if quickly blotted dry. I have also read that Castile soap can be used but have not tried it myself. I used well-used dishrags that were soft, and free of lint, or any abrasive finish. I dabbed one into the diluted dish soap solution and then patted it on the leather and had another in the other hand ready to immediately blot away any leftover moisture. I did this several times in the same spot to get the stain to release.
I found this method most successful with fresh dirt or stains. For example, I got newsprint on my bag on my commute home and that evening I used diluted dish soap and soft cloths and it took off all the newsprint. However, I had no luck with it taking off set-in stains, or harder to remove stains like ballpoint pen.
Soap and water, when erring on the side of too little soap, and not getting the bag soaking, did not damage the finish or dye of my white leather bag.
Hairspray
I read on many message boards that hairspray is a great stain remover. Just recently, I went to my hair stylist and ended up getting a bit of hair dye on my cream cotton jumpsuit. He sprayed it with hairspray, I threw the jumpsuit in the wash as usual and was floored to find the entire stain was gone, not even a shadow of it was left! I found this also works on leather.
Just like with the soap and water, you don't want this left on the leather. Have a soft absorbent cloth at the ready and spray and immediately blot the liquid away. I found this to be extremely effective on small and difficult stains. Hairspray took out ballpoint pen, but it wasn't as effective with allover dinginess or dye transfer from jeans.
Toothpaste
Another hack for cleaning white leather is toothpaste. You want the kind of toothpaste that is white. No gels, no blue, no nothing. Apply a small amount and use a well-worn or a child's toothbrush (the softer the better) and gently polish in small circles then remove the paste with a damp cloth.
While this is super effective on ballpoint pen, blood, Sharpie, and other stubborn stains, I found the toothpaste hack damaging to the finish of my leather bag. I am glad I tried it on the inside as even with a soft toothbrush and being gentle, the leather was lighter where the toothpaste was used. This may be better for truly white leather products.
Rubbing Alcohol
Like hairspray, rubbing alcohol is a popular product to use to remove stains from leather. Using a Q-tip, you tap around the edges of the stain and work your way in, to prevent the alcohol from making the stain bleed. Use clean Q-tips to clean up the liquid.
I tried this, and it totally ate away the finish of my white leather bag. It was dried out (which is to be expected using rubbing alcohol), but the center the finish was worn away so much that even with a leather conditioner, there was still a spot.
I think the rubbing alcohol method would work better on natural colored leather, or distressed styles where a subtle spot slightly lighter or darker wouldn't be so obvious.
Chamberlain's Leather Milk
Speaking of leather conditioners, I already had a bottle of Chamberlain's Leather Milk and used it all over my white bag after my science fair project of stain removers. I had used this product before on thrifted leather coats, our leather couches, and boots with success and knew it wouldn't make the condition of my white handbag worse. I also like that Chamberlain's is natural, non-toxic, chemical free, and smells nice too.
While Chamberlain's Leather Milk won't remove the heaviest of stains, it did gently clean my entire white bag so it looked newer, fresher, crisper, while also making it softer and hiding any damage from the less-successful stain removing hacks.
Do know that when applying Chamberlain's Leather Milk, your light-colored leather items will look darker. If the leather is older and has been exposed to the elements or oils for a while, it may naturally darken. However, I found that when the product dried on my year-old bag, it did not darken the white leather at all. Just spot treat as with any other stain-removing product and know that older leathers may slightly darken with use.
Other Methods for Cleaning a Stained White Leather Handbag
Since writing this and testing out cleaning methods on my white bag, I have learned other methods for removing stains. Some of them sound pretty great, so I thought I would add them here. If you have tried any of these, let me know the results of your experiment in the comments!
- Equal parts Cream of Tartar and lemon juice (fresh lemon juice seems to be gentler and doesn’t smear as much as bottled) gently rubbed into the stain, left for 10 minutes. Use a rag damp with diluted soap to remove and buff dry with a soft cloth. This is a great method for removing scuffs from white shoes and smudges on white leather bags and other accessories.
- An alternative I've seen is baking soda instead of Cream of Tartar. This doesn't seem as widely recommended, so if you choose to go this route, spot test in a very inconspicuous place.
- DIY leather conditioner: Mix one part linseed oil, one part baby shampoo, two parts white vinegar, and eight parts warm water in a spray bottle. As with the soap and water method, dampen a soft cloth with the mixture and apply it to the leather. Then, use a separate dry soft cloth to buff away the mixture. This can be used to clean and refresh leather bags, boots, and furniture.
- Methylated spirits and shoe polish: I appreciated this tutorial from 84th and 3rd that shared how they restored a white leather handbag with these two ingredients.
What Not To Use to Clean a White Leather Bag
Now that I've shared a variety of products that you can use to clean a white leather bag, I want to warn you of some products that may seem logical but can really cause damage.
- Baby Wipes. Baby wipes can dry out leather, and the scents and moisturizers can actually cause damage. Keep the cleansing wipes to the faux leather and microfiber bags in your wardrobe.
- Bleach. Bleach will not whiten white leather, it will only dry it out and yellow the finish.
- Magic Erasers. Magic erasers, even when used gently, can be too harsh for leather and eat away the color and finishes.
- Hair Dryer. A hair dryer will not speed up the drying time of a leather conditioner or any cleaning method; it will dry out the leather and cause it to crack. Patience is a virtue!
I hope this helps! If you have a hack for cleaning white leather bags that isn't mentioned here, please share in the comments. I also look forward to hearing from you if you have tried any of these methods and whether or not they worked for you. Good luck!
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For real leather, saddle soap followed by mink oil (or plant-based alternative like the one sold by Duckfeet) is an excellent way to condition. It removes minor marks and makes stubborn ones less apparent. If you follow the instructions on the labels and take the time to rub the products in, the leather will absorb the moisturize, making it GLOW and preventing transfer onto clothing. (That said, do pay attention if you are wearing this bag next to oil-reacting fabric like silk or Tencel.)
This is the old school way of keeping leather goods in use for years. Do a spot test–I find that the oil does slightly darken the color of the item at the outset. IMO the radiance induced by the conditioners more than compensates for this.
Not that I love the term, but beautifully conditioned leather goods that are clearly of high quality AND a certain age are a solid way to achieve an understated old money look.
To echo a previous post about old Coach bags–I have one my mother gave me for my high school graduation. 37 years later it still looks great.
Thanks for this! I recently bought some vintage backgammon sets that have discoloration and age on white leather…could you recommend the best method for this type of leather product? One set has faded, dingy white or cream leather on the entire exterior, and the other has disocloration on the points inside the game (so, small triangles of leather sewn down into velvet…). I’m thinking the Chamberlain’s or Soap & Water methods you mention above might be the best…any insight?
I’d try the soap and water first!
I bought my daughter a vintage Coach bag in winter white. I cleaned it as I have several vintage Coach bags: immerse the bag in blue Dawn and lukewarm water and soak it overnight. I then use a washcloth gently on any interior or exterior marks. Rinse well in more lukewarm water. Let the bag sit for about 15 minute in the wash basin, then shape with rolled cotton towels, hang and let dry. When the bag is fully dry, I condition the leather. I don’t know if this works for other leather bags, but for the old Coach bags, the results are amazing.
Thanks for all the great suggestions; I have some for cleaning the interior of a bag.
I thrifted a pre-owned Kate Spade bag, and the lining was filthy. I used Folex Carpet Spot Remover (spraying lightly, blotting, repeat).
The results were amazing except for a large pink spot — no idea what it was. For that stain, I used Grandma’s Secret Spot Remover, basically as a last resort. I dampened the stain and blotted with facial tissue. It worked instantly. Hope these suggestions are helpful to others.
which method worked best with denim transfer? I bought a Pom Pom London bag this summer in white that I love but have ended up with some dark denim transfer on the back side after a recent trip. The jeans were a year old and had been washed many times so I was surprised at the transfer. I used a damp cloth as recommended by Pom Pom but still have some residual “blue”.
I have a pale grey leather bag and found applying apple cider vinegar with a cotton bud (q-tip) worked actually pretty well! Like with the other treatments I’d wipe it straight off afterwards but it seemed to lift a lot of the denim transfer.
The Chamberlein’s did the best job with the denim transfer, though I had tried the area first with hairspray which did remove some of it.
What about cleaning white shoes, especially white tennis/athletic shoes? Will these methods work?
Thanks!
Allie has an entire post on this! Use the search bar to find…
For white tennis shoes I have done the toothpaste trick, the hairspray trick, I have also used a Magic Eraser, white shoe polish (Amazon has a Kiwi brand), and plain soap and water.
I’ve used hairspray pretty successfully for years — esp on ballpoint pen ink, as you noted. The key is — it has to be aerosol spray, not some health food store essential oil-laden stuff in a pump. I keep a very old can of VO5 around solely for this purpose — not for my hair, but for my accessories! (PS. I was cringing when you said toothpaste! But it does work perfectly on all my jewelry.)
Thank you so much. I bought a MK purse at a thrift store and hairspray got the only stain out.