Okay so this weekend I finally tackled cleaning my Longchamp bag. It was getting kinda gross honestly, like stains near the bottom and crumbs inside? Ugh. Looked up a bunch of stuff and honestly it seemed easier than I thought. Here’s exactly what I did, step by step.
Getting My Stuff Together
First thing, grabbed everything I figured I’d need. Didn’t buy anything special, just used what I had at home:
- Some mild dish soap (used Dawn)
- A few clean cloths – one for washing, a couple for drying
- An old toothbrush (the soft kind, not hard bristles!)
- A big bowl of lukewarm water
- My Longchamp Le Pliage tote – obviously!
Actually Cleaning the Bag
Started by flipping the bag inside out. Figured that way I could really get at the corners where stuff collects. Honestly, was kinda grossed out by what I found inside!
Mixed like a small drop of the dish soap into the bowl of water. Just a tiny bit! Swished it around so it got bubbly.
Okay so then:
- Wet the cloth in the soapy water and wrung it out REALLY well. Like, almost damp not soaking wet. Don’t want tons of water.
- Started wiping down the inside lining first. Gave extra attention to the stained spots near the bottom seams. Just gentle circles, nothing crazy.
- For the seams and corners, used the dampened toothbrush GENTLY. Dipped it in the soapy water, shook off the excess, and softly scrubbed where crumbs and lint were stuck. Seriously, be gentle here.
- Flipped the bag back right side out to do the nylon outside. Did the same damp cloth wipe down all over. Found a stubborn mark, so I used the toothbrush again super softly on that spot. Lifted right off!
Important thing! Avoided getting the leather bits too wet. Just wiped them barely damp with a different cloth that had almost NO soap water on it. Didn’t want the leather getting weird or cracking.
Getting it Dry Again
Drying is the annoying part. Used a couple of dry cloths to pat everything down really well, soaking up as much water as possible from the nylon.
Biggest tip here! Left the bag open wide and just let it air dry naturally. Didn’t put it near a heater or use a hair dryer! Just hung it open on a door knob. Took like a full day to be completely dry inside and out. Patience is key.
Seriously, NO MACHINE WASHING! I read so many horror stories about the leather trim getting wrecked or melting in the dryer. Air dry only.
Also NO: Bleach, harsh cleaners, soaking the whole thing in the sink. Just gentle soap and water and lots of patting dry.
The End Result
After a day drying, the bag looked basically new again. The stains were gone, the lining felt fresh, no weird soap marks. The nylon bounced back perfectly. Honestly felt kinda amazed it worked that well with just dish soap and some elbow grease! Saved myself the hassle of taking it somewhere and paying like crazy for cleaning.
So yeah, if your Longchamp needs a freshen up, don’t stress. Just grab some mild soap, a damp cloth, an old toothbrush for the corners, pat it dry, and let it chill until it’s totally dry. Easy!
