SOS:Saving your bag — Ines Peyret

A nasty biro stain is ruining your beloved leather It bag and you are torn between screaming and fainting. Forget both, take a deep breath before trying to assess the situation. If the unfortunate victim is your Hermès bag, do what Carole did: use the siren and speed to the nearest Hermès shop where the professionals will take care of the poor wounded arm candy.

For bags with no after-sales service, time is of the essence, so act as quickly as possible. Each stain is an ordeal and a big challenge you have to face with fortitude, sometimes in tears, with the tools at hand in your cupboards. Fresh blemishes, properly identified and treated immediately after they happen, aren’t so tough when you attack them from the right angle. And they are always easier to erase than old set in ones.

Before hitting that spot, make a small biro mark on the inside of your bag to test the products you plan to use. You want to make sure they are not going to make matters worse.

To attack this extremely stubborn ink, heat up – but don’t boil – some milk and dip a very soft cloth in it, to delicately rub the disaster area. If the ink is willing to dilute, you’ve won the battle. Start rubbing lightly in a circular motion, moving from the outside to the inside of the stain, to avoid spreading the damages. Repeat till the leather is back to its normal beautiful self. Rinse with a damp cloth, dry, polish and waterproof your bag to avoid further disasters.

You can also mix a few drops of white vinegar in a tablespoon of baby lotion. Dip a cute cotton cloth in the mixture and lightly rub the stain. Rinse with a damp cloth. Repeat as often as necessary. Polish, shine and waterproof.

If it doesn’t work, dip a cloth in hot water, wring it and put a drop of washing-up liquid on it. Rub lightly until the stain vanishes, rinse, dry, polish and waterproof.

In case of extreme resistance, an ink lifter for leather can work miracles. When the ink has vanished, dab the spot with a cotton bud dipped in rubbing alcohol. Dry, polish and waterproof your sweet survivor and all its brothers to protect them from sorry stains and spills.