How to store leather handbags in Malta's humidity
Malta's damp winters and hot summers are hard on leather. Here is how to stop mould, cracking and colour transfer between uses, and when a bag needs professional help.
By WhizzFix · · 4 min read
- handbags
- leather care
Every winter we get bags with the same problem: a white or greenish bloom on the leather, a musty smell, and sometimes a handle that has gone stiff. It is Malta's humidity, and it is avoidable. Here is how we would store a good leather bag on the island.
Clean it before it goes away
Skin oils, sun cream and a little dirt are what mould feeds on. Wipe the outside with a dry, soft cloth, empty the inside completely, and shake out crumbs and dust. If the bag has had a hard summer, a professional clean and hydration (from €25 for a small bag) before storage is the single most effective thing you can do.
Stuff it, but not with newspaper
Bags stored empty collapse and crease. Fill them loosely with acid-free tissue paper or a clean cotton t-shirt so they keep their shape. Newspaper transfers ink, and plastic bags trap moisture.
Use the dust bag, never a plastic box
Leather needs to breathe. A cotton dust bag lets air move and keeps dust and light off. Sealed plastic boxes and vacuum bags trap humidity against the leather, which is how mould starts. If you have no dust bag, an old cotton pillowcase does the same job.
Add a moisture absorber
Put a silica gel sachet, or one of the disposable moisture absorbers sold in every Maltese supermarket, inside the wardrobe, not inside the bag. Check it monthly in winter. In a ground-floor flat or a wardrobe on an outside wall, use two.
Keep it out of the sun and away from the wall
Direct sun fades leather unevenly and dries it out, and colours like red and blue go first. Store bags on a shelf, upright, with a finger's gap between them so colours cannot transfer. Never hang a bag by its handles for months. The straps stretch and the attachment points crack.
Take it out every few weeks
Open the wardrobe, let air in, and check the bags. If you see a light bloom, wipe it straight away with a dry cloth and let the bag sit in a dry room for a day. Do not use wet wipes, vinegar or alcohol on leather.
When to bring it in
- Mould that comes back after wiping, or has reached the lining.
- Leather that feels dry, stiff or has started to crack at the handles.
- Colour transfer from another bag or from dark clothing.
- A smell that will not go. Steam and ozone sanitisation clears it without soaking the leather.
Send us a photo on WhatsApp and we will tell you whether it needs a clean, a hydration or a restoration, and what it would cost.