Cleaning and restoring handbags: Removing dye transfer stains from jeans

Our clients love their blue, navy, black and red jeans. And it makes no difference whether it's an off-the-rack indigo jean or a custom made red jean.

One on the most common stains we encounter on handbags, purses, wallets and backpacks is dye transfer from those jeans.

Here's the problem...

Were you to soak a pair of brand new jeans in a bucket of water, you'll notice that the water will turn blue, navy, black or red quite quickly. In other words, if you don't remove the excess dye through multiple soaking and/or rinses prior to wearing them the first time, that excess dye will "transfer" to or rub off on your garments and accessories such as handbags, purses, wallets and backpacks.

At RAVE FabriCARE, we've achieved excellent results removing dye transfer from handbags, purses, wallets and backpacks that are leather, suede, nylon, nylon/leather trim, canvas and canvas/leather trim.

When it comes to handbags, purses, wallets and backpacks that are PVC coated canvas, the results are, in many cases,  achievable but less predictable. Examples of PVC coated canvas handbag, purse, wallet and backpack is a Louis Vuitton blue and cream Damier Azur or brown monogram, a Gucci GG supreme or a Burberry nova check.

When it comes to handbags, purses, wallets and backpacks that are patent leather, we can say with reasonable certainty that the odds of success are pretty close to zero.  

Blue/navy dye transfer transformations

Please note: Any perceived color change in the photos below is a result of non-studio lighting and my non-professional photography.

For even more BEFORE and AFTER photographs on the transformation of this handbag, please view our slide show below:

To view this slide show on a full screen, hit the X button with the arrow tips.

Red dye transfer transformations

For even more BEFORE and AFTER photographs on the transformation of this handbag, please view our slide show below:

To view this slide show on a full screen, hit the X button with the arrow tips.

The takeaway

The takeaway from this post is simple:

High-end handbags, purses, wallets and backpacks should always be cleaned by hand. And, then, only by a cleaner who

• specializes in cleaning and restoring handbags, purses, wallets and backpacks,
• employs full time handbag cleaning specialists and
• completes all work in-house (does not ship the work to unknown, undisclosed, out of state subcontractors).

In Arizona, there is only one cleaner who meets these 3 criteria: RAVE FabriCARE in Scottsdale.

By the way, if you don't live in the metro Phoenix area, all is not lost. We ship throughout the USA, Canada and selected other countries.

Send us your photos for a free, no-obligation evaluation and price guesstimate.