Vintage handbags and luggage are among my favorite things to find and sell. I love sturdy, structured bags in a whole rainbow of colors. I recently acquired two bags that needed just a bit of love. I thought I’d share the fixer-upper process!
I found this small brown doctor-style bag and grabbed it immediately, only noticing days later that it had a bit of rust damage. I showed the bag to Daisy, since she knows a thing or two about metal and fixtures. She steered me toward this great list of rust remedies, with the hope that one of them would work and I wouldn’t have to replace the rings that attached the handle to the bag.
I tried the method of removing the rings and placing them in vinegar overnight. I used a shallow bowl and just a bit of ordinary white vinegar; I covered the bowl to keep the felines away.
The next day, a quick rinse showed that much of the rust had floated away. The rings were no where near the shiny fixtures they originally were, but the crusty, orange rust was gone and I was left with a smooth piece of metal. All I had to do was use a pair of pliers to secure the rings back onto the bag.
Yay for pliers and a quick fix! Not so enthusiastic about Judyboy prancing around the kitchen counter while I tried to work. That’s not helpful, buddy. Cats belong on the ground.
Another latest greatest bag is this mustard brown carry-on from Samsonite. It’s an exact match to the larger yellow suitcase I was toting around this summer!
It was not exactly the cleanest. (Yes that’s Judy in the background again.)
I’m not sure why the inside has this bubbly appearance, but the integrity of the bag is intact and it can handle a good haul of stuff. No one’s going to look at the inside unless they’re pawing through your stuff, right? So I decided to make the outside pretty and clean.
And the ID tag has never been scrawled on! Fresh ID tag! Pristine! (A little faded.)
For vinyl and other plastic-y surfaces, I often turn to ordinary household surface cleaner. But while a paper towel will suffice for small areas, a dishrag works better for larger areas or wiping down a whole suitcase or bag. The texture of the dish towel helps ease the old dirt away, and when you’re done you just toss it in the wash.
Good as (nearly) new!
Got any vintage cleaning tips to share? I’m always looking for a good homemade method!
This is such a great post, who knew that vinegar would remove rust!? I’m not going to lie I’m rather jealous of your mustard colored Samsonite bag, it’s so perfectly vintage! I can’t wait to see you jet off with your matching luggage, how chic!
I don’t have many great vintage cleaning tips but if you ever need to get blood or another really dark stain out of a garment lay it flat (if possible) cover stains in hydrogen peroxide and then top with kosher salt. Eventually the salt will soak up the stain and you can just brush/sweep it off your garment!
I love your tip! Is there any concern about the hydrogen peroxide bleaching the fabric, or am I thinking of the wrong chemical compound?
Vintage bags are one of my weaknesses as well! Just love em. I usually make a little liner for smaller bags that are rough on the inside with some inexpensive quilters fabric. I like that you can add a little whimsy to your bag with a funny print inside. For larger bags like the Samsonite, I use a baggu bag as a liner.
Also, I LOVE that Judy is in the pictures. (says the crazy cat lady!)
xoxox kat
I try my best to think of him as an accomplice instead of a nuisance! I like the fabric idea a lot, I’ll have to try it! The yellow Samsonite already got snatched up, so…next time a see a bag that needs love!