Owning a luxury handbag is more than just a style statement—it’s an investment. Their value can increase over time, but only if they’re well cared for. Whether it’s a classic Hermes Birkin or a trendier Loewe style, designer bags all require proper care and storage. In this post I’m sharing how to store luxury bags to help preserve their shape, leather, and overall appearance so that they remain as beautiful as the day you bought them (and so you can cherish them for years to come).
How to Store Luxury Handbags
I’m often asked how I keep my bags in good condition, and while I take very good care of them while I’m out and about, a big contributor to keeping them looking like new is how I care for them when they’re not in use.
Here are seven essential tips for maintaining your designer handbags:
1. Keep Them Clean
Keeping your designer purse clean is the first step to preserving its beauty and longevity. Dirt, dust, and oils from your hands can accumulate on the surface and cause damage over time. To avoid this, try these external maintenance tips:
- Regular Cleaning: Use a soft, lint-free cloth to gently wipe down your bags after each use. This helps remove any dust or dirt particles that may have settled on the surface. When I’m out all day, especially in the city, I like to do this before putting my purse away or before I swap it for another style.
- Spot Cleaning: For stains like water or beverage spills, use a damp cloth to wipe your bags. I only do this on my leather bags, and I never use cleaning products, just water. Be sure to test a small, inconspicuous area first to ensure the soap doesn’t damage the material. Make sure your bag is completely dry before storing it.
- Professional Cleaning: For more aggressive stains or for delicate materials like suede, canvas, and exotic skins, find a professional cleaning service that specializes in handbag care. Professionals have the tools and expertise to clean your bag without damaging it.
It’s also important to prevent color transfer onto your purses to keep them looking new. Unfortunately, lighter bags are always prone to color transfer, and it can be difficult to remove. As a rule, I never wear a light bag with dark jeans for this reason.
2. Always Empty Your Bag Before Storing
Every time I store one of my luxury bags, I empty out whatever I have inside it. This means everyday essentials like my wallet and sunglasses, but it also means everything else like loose papers, change, lip gloss, and even crumbs.
Be sure to empty the contents of your bags before you store them to prevent internal color change and staining from ink, spills, or leaks that can transfer from your items over time.
3. Fill Your Bags to Keep Their Shape
Luxury bags can lose their shape if not stored properly, leading to creasing and deformity over time. To maintain their original form, filling them is essential.
Use acid-free tissue paper or purse pillows inside your luxury bags.
I’d personally avoid bubble wrap and newspaper to stuff your bags. Plastic bubble wrap isn’t a great material to let your bags breathe, and newspaper ink can easily transfer onto your bags and stain the interior.
You want to make sure you have just enough to retain its shape but be careful not to overstuff it as this can stretch the leather or fabric and lead to permanent damage.
For my Hermes Birkin and Kelly bags, I use these purse shapers. You can select the size you want based on the Hermes bag you own for peace of mind that you’re not overstuffing it. They’re made with moisture-absorbing material to help protect against humidity, while also retaining the original shape of my bags.
4. Mind The Hardware
Metal hardware on luxury handbags including zippers, buckles, and clasps can tarnish over time or scratch your bag. Wrap any exposed hardware with acid-free tissue paper. If you bag has removable straps or charms, quickly wrap them in tissue paper, then store inside your bag.
5. Use Dust Bags
There’s a reason why luxury handbags all come with a dust bag. They protect the bags from dust and dirt, as well as artificial lighting, which can cause fading and degradation over time.
If possible, store your bag in the original dust bag it came with, since they’re designed to fit the bag perfectly and offer optimal protection.
However, if you don’t have the original dust bag, don’t worry! You can purchase extra dust bags for your purses, just take note of the size you need. Opt for cotton dust bags or breathable silk dust bags that allow air circulation and prevents moisture build-up.
I know there are plastic dust bags out there, but never store your bag in a plastic bag – it can trap moisture and lead to mold and mildew.
If you have the space, it’s also not a bad idea to keep the bags in their dust bags within their box for added protection. However, I know most of us are limited in space, so I’d reserve this for your most special bags only.
6. Air Bags Out Regularly
Air circulation is just as crucial for your maintaining your luxury handbags as the actual storage of them.
Be sure to periodically take your purses out of their dust bags and let them breather for a few hours so that they don’t get musty or moldy.
I like to do this at the start over every season or whenever I do a major closet cleanout.
7. Store Bags in a Cool, Dark Place
A cool, dark place is ideal storing your handbags. Luckily for most, this is usually your closet!
You want to be sure to avoid direct sunlight, so if your storage space has any windows, be sure your bags aren’t by them. Sunlight can fade colors and warp materials.
Additional Tips for Storing Handbags
Avoid Hanging Your Bags
While it might seem convenient and a way to save space, hanging your bags isn’t the ideal way to store them. Hanging them can cause the straps to stretch out, distort, or crack the leather.
Instead, use your closet shelves. Make sure to give them enough space so they aren’t crushed and deformed. To help with this, I use shelf dividers between each of my bags.
Invest in a Dehumidifier
If you live in a particularly humid environment, investing in a dehumidifier can help maintain optimal humidity levels in your storage area.
Consider a portable dehumidifier and keep the humidity level between 40% and 50% to protect your bags from excess moisture.
Rotate Your Collection
As much as its important to store your bags properly, your bags are meant to be used! Be sure you don’t get so caught up in keeping their pristine condition that you don’t take them out and use them.
Regularly rotate your bags throughout the weeks, months, and seasons. This will ensure they get the fresh air they need, and you’ll get to enjoy them as they were intended.
