Handbags, Purses, Wallets & Backpacks
Caring for handbags, purses, wallets and backpacks
You know how to transform an outfit with the right accessories. Which is why you’ve invested the time, energy and financial resources selecting and acquiring your handbags, purses, wallets and backpacks.
And you want to maintain those pieces in the best condition possible, especially given today's replacement cost of high-end accessories.
The problem, of course, is that, despite your best intentions, handbags, purses, wallets and backpacks can easily soil, stain, scratch and abrade.
The degree to which a handbag, purse, wallet and backpack can soil, stain, scuff, scratch and abrade depends on a number of factors, including:
- the nature and combination of skins and materials used (leather, exotic leather, suede, patent leather,
vinyl, PVC coated canvas, cotton/denim, linen/canvas, nylon, etc.), - the colors, the dyes, paints and finishes,
- the frequency and nature of usage,
- the conditions of storage, etc.
RAVE FabriCARE has the in-house techniques, skills, equipment and experience necessary to restore your favorite handbags, purses, wallets and backpacks to their best technologically achievable condition.
No matter where you live in the USA, Canada or other selected countries.
We offer no-obligation evaluations
Many of our clients and potential clients know exactly what they're looking for: Clean and condition the handbag inside and out; clean, condition and refinish (think "re-paint" or "re-dye") the exterior; replace the torn lining; replace the damaged or missing hardware; etc.
Others are not so sure.
That's why we offer no-obligation evaluations.
Bring in your handbag, purse, wallet or backpack, identify the issues, and our in-house technicians will evaluate the accessory and provide you with our assessment as to the results/improvements you can reasonably expect and the estimated cost within a reasonable range.
Our facility is open Monday through Friday from 7:00 am to 6:00 pm and Saturday from 8:00 am to 3:00 pm.
Our in-house technicians, however, are only available Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. During those times, we can provide you with an evaluation and cost estimate while you wait. Evaluations can take anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes, so please budget enough time.
If you come into our facility outside of that Monday through Friday 9:00 am through 5:00 pm timeframe, we can take in your accessory and call you with our evaluation once our technicians have had the opportunity to examine it.
We specialize in high-end brands
At Rave FabricCARE, we specialize in high-end brands such as:
Trusted by Arizona's high-end handbag retailers
RAVE FabriCARE is trusted by numerous upscale department stores and boutiques in the metro Phoenix area to care for
- store inventory that has become soiled in some manner, and
- customer owned goods that clients return to these stores for cleaning, conditioning, refinishing and/or repair.
Knowledgeable upscale retailers and custom clothiers trust RAVE FabriCARE
What we do
At RAVE FabriCARE, we offer an array of services designed to protect your investment in your accessories.
Every handbag, purse, wallet or backpack typically involves a unique combination of issues.
So we generally recommend that clients tailor the services they desire to the specific issues associated with each handbag, purse, wallet or backpack.
Cleaning, conditioning and refinishing services
Our cleaning, conditioning and refinishing services could include a combination of two or more of the following:
- Neutralizing noticeable odors (smoke, mustiness, fragrance, pet excreta, etc.)
- Removing specific stains (please note: we do not offer “spot cleaning” of handbags, purses, wallets and backpacks)
- Hand cleaning the outer surface
- Hand cleaning the interior lining
- Disinfecting the interior lining with a virucide (kills bacterial and viral pathogens that are present in almost every frequently used handbag, purse, wallet or backpack)
- "Touching up" the color caused by minor/small scuffing, scratches and abrasions as well as non-removable staining such as ink,
OR
Refinishing the leather and/or suede to the original color (using an unexposed area to determine the original color)
In this regard, decisions that need to be made include:
Does the original color exactly match one of our 70 plus standard colors? If not, is color mixing required to achieve a closer match?
Will the color contrast on any stitching or piping be retained or covered?
OR
Refinishing the leather and/or suede to a completely new color (in most cases, a darker color).
In this regard, decisions that need to be made include:
Is the new color in our inventory of 70 plus standard colors?
If not, can the client provide a color swatch (from a paint or fabric store) of the new color?
Will the color contrast on any stitching or piping be retained or covered?
Will the color of the existing lining and/or zippers, if any, clash with the new color and require replacing?
If the color of the lining will be changed, what fabric (linen, canvas, nylon, polyester, silk, ultrasuede, etc.) will be used? Please note: we never recommend suede linings.
- Hand cleaning the straps and handles
- Hand cleaning the metal hardware (please note: we do not offer a re-plating service for gold, silver or bronze plating that’s peeled or chipped off the metal hardware)
- Conditioning/hydrating/rejuvenating the exterior leather and/or suede (maintains the long term suppleness of the skin)
- Refinishing or repainting the outer surface (the existing color or a new color)
- Reshaping the slouching, folded and creased corners, bottoms and sides
- Applying a RAVEshield water and stain repellant (the ability to apply a repellant will depend on the type of skin or fabric)
- Packaging in a custom made, breathable, polypropylene dust cover
Repair services
Our repair services often go hand-in-hand with our cleaning, conditioning and refinishing services and could include a combination of two or more of the following:
- Replacing damaged or non-functioning hardware (we a inventory of non-logo hardware; we do not offer logo, brand-specific hardware)
- Repairing rips and tears in the the outer skin or fabric (in most cases, it's not possible to fashion an "invisible" repair to the exterior of an accessory and a creative solution designed to give your accessory a unique look and thereby "saving" your investment may be the only feasible solution)
- Replacing torn linings or linings with non-removable stains such a permanent ink
Inventory of parts, skins and fabrics
In order to offer these cleaning, conditioning, refinishing and repair services, RAVE FabriCARE has a large, in-house inventory of parts, skins and fabrics, including:
- Non-logo, non-brand specific hardware such as chains, fasteners, feet, rings and slides, straps, swivel snaps and zippers
- Over 20,000 square feet of suede and leather in various styles, weights, grades and colors (especially suitable for repairs to the exterior of suede and leather accessories)
- Over 10,000 square feet of other natural fabrics (canvas, duck cloth, linen, etc.) and man-made fabrics (vinyl, nylon, etc.) in various styles and colors (especially suitable for use in replacing worn out, torn or heavily stained linings of suede and leather accessories)
If you live in Arizona and your "handbag or shoe repair shop" doesn't have a large, in-house inventory of parts, skins and fabrics for your selection, how serious can they be about caring for your fine handbags, purses, wallets and backpacks?
Think of RAVE FabriCARE as your one-stop shop for selecting the hardware and materials that are the necessary adjunct to the cleaning, conditioning and refinishing services you require.
What results can be achieved?
It’s important to understand that when it comes to cleaning, conditioning and refinishing a handbag, purse, wallet or backpack, perfection is typically unachievable.
The real question is this:
If perfection – defined as perfect, showroom-new condition – is unachievable, what results can be reasonably expected?
Our answer to that question is this:
The best technologically achievable condition, given the the nature and combination of the skins and materials used (leather, exotic leather, suede, patent leather, vinyl, PVC coated canvas, cotton/denim, linen/canvas, nylon, silk, etc.), the colors, the dyes, paints and finishes, the nature and frequency of usage, the conditions of storage, and the like.
No specialist cleaner of accessories can guarantee that every stain and every scratch can be removed or that the handbag, purse, wallet or backpack can be restored to perfect, showroom-new condition.
What we can say is this:
RAVE FabriCARE has the in-house techniques, skills, equipment and experience necessary to restore your favorite handbags, purses, wallets and backpacks to the best technologically achievable condition.
We do all work in-house.
We'd never subcontract your fine accessories to some unknown, out-of-state third party.
The cleaning, conditioning, refinishing and repair of fine handbags, purses, wallets and backpacks is a highly specialized service.
Very few dry cleaners in the USA have the in-house techniques, skills, equipment and experience necessary to service high-end handbags, purses, wallets and backpacks.
But that doesn’t stop the overwhelming majority of dry cleaners in the USA from claiming that they “service” these high-end accessories.
Do these dry cleaners have the in-house techniques, skills, equipment and experience necessary to service high-end handbags, purses, wallets and backpacks themselves?
The answer is NO.
Instead, your accessories are shipped out to some unknown, out of state, third party subcontractor who “processes” these accessories on a wholesale basis.
Now here’s the rub…
Because these third party subcontractors have no client relationship with you, they couldn’t care less whether their work meets even the most minimal of quality standards.
Once these third party subcontractor returns the accessory to your dry cleaner, they’ve effectively delegated their responsibility for your accessory to your dry cleaner.
Your dry cleaner, in turn, hasn’t got a clue how to assess the quality of the work performed by the subcontractor because they have never, ever cleaned, conditioned, refinished and/or repaired a handbag, purse, wallet or backpack themselves.
Given this lack of knowledge, how will they be able to answer any questions you might have – either before or after the service?
No low to moderate cost “shoe repair shop quality”
The cleaning, conditioning, refinishing and repair of fine handbags, purses, wallets and backpacks is a highly specialized service.
Very few shoe repair shops in the USA and Canada have the in-house techniques, skills, equipment and experience necessary to service high-end handbags, purses, wallets and backpacks.
But that doesn’t stop the overwhelming majority of shoe repair shops in the USA and Canada from claiming that they “service” these high-end accessories.
Their rationale for offering this service is that cleaning, conditioning, refinishing and/or repairing fine handbags, purses, wallets and backpacks is no different than repairing and polishing a pair of shoes.
That rationale is false.
The cleaning, conditioning, refinishing and repair of fine handbags, purses, wallets and backpacks is vastly different than repairing and polishing a pair of shoes.
At RAVE FabriCARE, we’re exposed to the work produced by shoe repair shops on an almost daily basis:
- Accessories “cleaned” with boot polish
- Accessories “painted” with home improvement store paint to hide unsightly stains
- Accessories scuffed, scratched and abraded by a shoe buffering/polishing machine
- Accessories “repaired” with thread that doesn’t match the color or gauge (aka thickness) of the thread used elsewhere on the accessory
- Accessories “repaired” with stitching that’s anything but a straight line
- Accessories “repaired” with hardware (zipper pulls, buckles, snaps, rivets, eyelets, magnetic snaps, straps, etc.) that does not match the hardware used elsewhere on the accessory
- Accessories “repaired” with skins that do not match the grain or color of the skin(s) used elsewhere on the accessory.
The list is endless.
To view this slide show on a full screen, hit the X button with the arrow tips.
To view this slide show on a full screen, hit the X button with the arrow tips.
To view this slide show on a full screen, hit the X button with the arrow tips.
To view this slide show on a full screen, hit the X button with the arrow tips.
To view this slide show on a full screen, hit the X button with the arrow tips.
Pricing
The cleaning, conditioning and refinishing of fine designer handbags, purses, wallets and backpacks is a highly specialized, skilled and labor intensive service.
We charge $100 per hour for hand cleaning, conditioning, refinishing and/or repairing fine designer handbags, purses, wallets and backpacks.
Our minimum price for cleaning and conditioning a handbag, purse or backpack is $200. In the event the handbag, purse or backpack also requires refinishing (think "re-painting" or "re-dying"), our minimum price is $300. The cost to clean, condition and refinish a wallet would be different depending on the the size and style.
According, our primary focus is on high fashion and designer pieces unless the piece in question is of great sentimental or historical value.
Our prices are influenced by a number of variables, including:
- The nature and combination of skins and materials used
- The nature and combination of trims used (rhinestones, beads, ribbons, bows, appliques, etc.)
- The physical size (small – up to 10 inches, medium – 10 to 19 inches, large – 20 to 29 inches, oversize – 30 inches or more, where the size is measured diagonally from the top left corner to the bottom right corner)
- The primary and contrasting colors
- The nature and extent of the soiling and stains
- The nature and extent of the scuffing, scratches and abrasions
- The nature and extent of any other damage
- The degree of skills and the extent of the labor time required to return the accessory to the best technologically achievable condition.
It's important to put our pricing in perspective:
Because we charge $100/hour for our labor, it's important to consider the value of handbag, purse, wallet or backpack relative to the cost of the service.
For example, let's assume that we are presented with two identically styled handbags: a $400 Coach white, leather and suede combination handbag with blue dye transfer (from a pair of blue jeans) on both the leather and the suede, and a $4,000 Chanel white, leather and suede combination handbag with the identical amount of blue dye transfer in the identical place.
In this case, the amount of labor required to restore those two handbags would be the same, say 4 hours. At $100 per hour, the service cost would be $400. For the Coach handbag, the service cost might, in all probability, be deemed unjustifiable; for the Chanel handbag, the cost might be regarded as a bargain.
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Turnaround time
Because all our cleaning, conditioning and refinishing work is done by hand (never by machine), our typical turnaround time for handbags, purses, wallets or backpacks is 4 to 8 weeks.
Some take more time; some take less time.
Terms and conditions
Whenever we receive a handbag, purse, wallet and/or backpack from a client, we always ask the client to verbally acknowledge our terms and conditions of service.
On occasion, we might ask a client to formally acknowledge those terms and conditions of service by acknowledging these terms and conditions in writing and/or providing their written consent to proceed with the work.
For your information, our terms and conditions are as follows:
- Client recognizes that many manufacturers of handbags, purses, wallets and backpacks (“accessories”) never intended that their accessories ever be cleaned and/or restored.
- Client recognizes that many manufacturers refuse to accept these accessories for cleaning and/or restoration and, when they do, they often, subsequently reject the accessory as “not cleanable” and/or “not restorable”.
- Over the course of many years, RAVE FabriCARE has developed techniques to hand clean, restore an/or repair these accessories so as to extend their useful life.
- Factors such as age, wear and tear, stains and soiling, scuffing, scratching and abrasions, rips and tears, color, stability of paints, dyes and pigments, type of finishes, composition (such as leather, exotic leather, suede, patent leather, vinyl, PVC coated canvas, cotton/denim, linen/canvas, nylon, silk and any combination thereof), nature and frequency of usage, and conditions of storage will affect the degree to which an accessory can be cleaned, restored and/or repaired.
- Absolute perfection – defined as the condition one would expect to find on a brand new, identical accessory on display in a designer’s showroom – is very difficult if not impossible to attain.
- RAVE FabriCARE agrees to clean, restore and/or repair the accessory in accordance with our quality standards, and, in the process of so doing, to deliver the best technologically achievable result.
- RAVE FabriCARE’s charges are based on the designer of the accessory, physical size, primary composition, presence of secondary trims of contrasting materials, color, stability of paints, dyes and pigments, type of finish, extent of wear and tear, extent of stains and soiling, extent of scuffing, scratching and abrasions, extent of rips or tears, labor hours invested, technical skills applied, cost of supplies, etc. needed to complete the work.
- In order to achieve the best technologically achievable result, every accessory is cleaned and/or restored by hand. Hand cleaning and/or restoration is time consuming. While RAVE FabriCARE will strive to meet a tight deadline, we will not be liable in any way for failure to meet such a deadline.
- No refunds, credits and/or price adjustments will be provided for the cleaning, restoration and/or repair of any accessory in any circumstance where RAVE FabriCARE has, in it’s sole opinion, determined that the best technologically achievable result has been achieved.
- RAVE FabriCARE will not be responsible for any accessory left unclaimed after a period of 90 days from the date of the completion of the work. For this purpose, the completion date of the work is defined as the date upon which the client is notified by email, telephone or other client-designated means that the accessory is available for pick up. Client understands that RAVE FabriCARE may, at it’s sole discretion, dispose of any unclaimed items in any manner whatsoever after the 90 day period has expired.
- Any item shipped by RAVE FabriCARE to anywhere in the USA or Canada must be insured for a minimum of $500 (UPS and USPO provide a $100 insurance at no additional cost to you) and requires an adult signature upon delivery. Client may, at their discretion, specify a higher insurance value and/or waive the requirement for an adult signature upon delivery. Any change to these insurance and signature requirements must be authorized by the client in writing.
- Client agrees that the information provided in this section of our website constitutes the sum total of all representations made by RAVE FabriCARE to the client.
Water and fire contaminated accessories
RAVE FabriCARE is Arizona’s leader in the restoration of fine garments, household textiles and accessories for high value homeowners with a residence that has been contaminated by fire, smoke, soot, water, mold, mildew and/or humidity.
It’s a reputation that’s been built over a period of 35 plus years.
If any of your accessories (handbags, purses, wallets, backpacks, shoes and boots) have been contaminated by fire, smoke, soot, water, mold, mildew and/or humidity as a result of a flood or fire, we invite you to visit the Water and Fire Contaminated Garments, Household Textiles and Accessories section of our website.
Then contact us.
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Contact us
Do you have a fine handbag, purse, wallet and/or backpack that requires cleaning, conditioning, refinishing and/or repair?
To contact us for a free evaluation and price estimate, please click here.
When you do contact us, please make sure to
- provide a clear description of the issues involved, and
- upload some photos of your accessory that illustrates those issues.
Without a clear description of the issues involved and without any accompanying photos, it’s almost impossible to respond to your inquiries. Examples of such inquiries include:
“My Louis Vuitton needs cleaning. How much do you charge?”
“I have an 8 year old Gucci handbag. How much will you charge to restore it?"
"I purchased a Prada bag online. It's dirty and has a tear. What will it cost to clean and fix it?"
Summary
A regular cleaning regimen and/or one-time restoration for your favorite handbags, purses, wallets and backpacks can extend their useful lives indefinitely.
So don’t think retirement.
Think restoration by the in-house specialists at RAVE FabriCARE.
