A leather briefcase is a necessary tool for several professions. The briefcase accompanies you on a daily basis and you rely on it to hold all of the important papers you need for your job. It gets tossed in the backseat, the meeting floor and any other handy place. And it gets dirty. If you take good care of your leather briefcase, it will continue to look good no matter where you toss it. Does this Spark an idea?
Daily Care
Be careful where you set the leather briefcase down. You may be in a hurry and not notice the spilled coffee or icing from someone's doughnut. If you set the briefcase down on something, take the time to wipe it off. Even if you only have a wet paper towel, that is better than letting the liquid or sticky substance dry into the leather.
If you are caught in the rain and your briefcase gets wet, dry it off immediately with a soft cloth. Use a paper towel from a restroom if you have to--just do not leave it wet. Just as you don't want the leather to dry out and crack, neither do you want it to stay wet. This may cause unsightly spotting on the leather and will cause the stitching to rot away or the hardware to rust.
Routine Care
Your leather briefcase will occasionally need some routine care and cleaning. How often your briefcase needs cleaning depends on the use it gets. If you are hard on it, tossing it here and there, it will need cleaning and conditioning more often. Even gently used briefcases should be cleaned well once or twice a year to keep them looking good and lasting longer.
Clean the case with quality leather cleaner. Make sure it does not leave a greasy residue behind. If you do not have a leather cleaning solution, wipe the leather down with a soft damp cloth and then dry it thoroughly. Look for stained areas as you wipe it down.
If the case has any mildew from getting wet, you can remove this with a solution of 1 cup water and 1 cup rubbing alcohol. Apply the solution sparingly with a cloth. You can also use mild soapy water, but be sure to rinse and dry well.
Rub the clean leather briefcase down with a commercially purchased leather conditioner. This helps to keep the leather soft and supple. Apply the conditioner by following the directions on the container. Be sure to rub it in well, using a very soft lint-free cloth.
You should follow up this thorough cleaning by water treating the leather briefcase. You can purchase a moisture barrier solution at any leather store. Apply it as the last step in cleaning and preserving your case. Allow it to dry well before using your leather briefcase again.
Inside the Briefcase
Briefcases have many different types of linings on the inside of them. Soft-sided cases usually have cloth linings and separations. Hard-sided cases may have felt linings. While you are cleaning the outside, don't forget to give the interior some attention. Empty the case out and dump it upside down to remove any small debris that might have collected.
Wipe the inside down with a damp cloth. Do not saturate the inside, as it may mildew when you close it back up. Just give everything a good wipe down, discard papers you don't need and organize things you do need.
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