A personalized leather wallet is a wonderful gift and one you will want to cherish for years to come. Genuine leather wallets naturally age over time, but there are a few things you can do to ensure your wallet gets the preventive care it needs. To ensure the best patina we highly recommend taking the following steps to make sure you get the most out of your new leather wallet.
1) Limiting Exposure To Water
This might be an obvious one, but swimming with your wallet? No Bueno. Light splashes will not damage your wallet; however, prolonged exposure can cause your wallet to stiffen, crack, and fade to an undesirable color over time. If you've ever worn a pair of rainbows into the pool you'll know exactly what we mean.
2) Protect Your Leather Wallet
Dust, debris, and other stains and scuffs are bound to happen. The best thing you can do is once you notice your leather wallet getting a little on the dirtier side, clean it. Simply use a soft cloth and a leather cleaner to softly clean the exterior of your mens wallet. Use a second damp cloth to wipe off the cleaner. Dry with a towel and let your wallet dry closed in resting position (not open).
Don’t know what cleaner to choose? We recommend our friends Buffalo Jackson’s
Leather Cleaner. For light scratches from daily wear and tear, the best thing you can do is (to the tune of dory) just keep using it. Over time those small scuffs and scratches will react with the oils in your hands causing the awesome patina you're looking for.
3) Don’t Use Products Not Intended for Leather
Check it before your wreck it is what the cool kids say..we think. Make sure to check the product of choice you are applying to your leather wallet to ensure its made to be used on leather products. For example, we strongly recommend avoiding baby wipes to clean our men’s wallets as the wipes contain many chemicals that could harm the leather.
4) Avoiding Extreme Temperatures
Leather does not do well in extreme heat. This includes avoiding using a blow dryer on your wallet as this can lead to unwanted wrinkles.
5) Don’t Overstuff Your Wallet
If you love the bulky wallet feeling, you could be causing more harm then good. Adding too many cards or cash into the wallet can cause the wallet to stretch out the leather grain and unfortunately, if it is overstretched it can not be returned back to its original shape.
6) Look Before You Sit
Not only is it uncomfortable to sit on your wallet, but it can cause damage by adding unwanted stress to the leather. If you keep your wallet in your back pocket, that is still perfectly fine! We just encourage you to take it out before you sit down.
7) Condition Your Wallet
Cleaning your wallet is key when you have built up stains; however, to further ensure the longevity of your wallet applying a conditioner is one of the best preventive measures. We recommend conditioning your wallet as often as once a month. If you can’t get to it, no worries just twice a year can improve your wallet by preventing drying out and further extend its life.
All in all, leather wallet care is pretty simple. We encourage you to also keep in mind that allowing the wallet to age naturally with wear or scuffs often leads to a beautiful patina when combined with use from the natural oils in your hands.
We’re Here To Help
We hope you found our tips on how to care for your leather wallet helpful! If there is something we’ve missed, or if you still have questions on how to care for your leather wallet please don’t hesitate to contact our team and we will be happy to guide you through it!
When it comes to personalized gifts, Grain+Oak knows a thing or two about how to make quality unique gifts feel special. Between our personalized decanters, custom men's wallets, and unique wooden watches - there are a lot of great products to choose from.
We know these custom gifts are to be cherished for many years to come, that’s why we make it a priority to educate our customers on how to properly care for our products to ensure they you always get the most out your gift. Check out our post on how to care for your wood watch for additional product care tips!
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