What Is Scotch Grain and How Do I Look After It?

Have you ever seen the term ‘made from Scotch Grain’ whilst shopping for a new handbag and wondered what exactly it meant? Well the experts at The Handbag Spa are here to help! All Posts

About Scotch Grain leather

So is Scotch Grain a type of leather?
Originally Scotch Grain Leather was used in shoe making and consisted of a very heavily embossed pattern on to the surface of the leather.  The heavy embossing gave a very textured feel to the leather.

However today the ‘scotch grain’ material used for many designer handbags is not actually leather at all, it is  polyvinyl chloride coating a cotton cloth base. Bags made from scotch grain (such as those designed by Mulberry) can have leather features and details such as the handles or corners etc, but the scotch grain main body is not leather but a coated canvas.

Known for its unique pebble grain texture, scotch grain is naturally resistant to everyday wear. As well as its good quality, scotch grain offers other benefits including durability and water-resistance.

The PVC coating ensures scotch grain is easy to care for, once dirty, the surface can simply be wiped over and cleaned up with a specialist product such as Dermo Cleanse.

Examples of Mulberry handbags which are typically made from Scotch Grain:

Arabella shopper / Boston bag / Clipper holdall / Hellier / Tetbury / Trout

How To Care For Scotch Grain

The experts at The Handbag Spa have years of experience working with scotch grain and collaborated with the world’s finest leather chemists to create a range of water-based products which are suitable for use.

Dermo Cleanse

Dermo Cleanse is the perfect cleaner for Scotch Grain. Designed specifically for handbags, Dermo Cleanse is a gentle foaming product, which gets deep into the grain, lifting dirt that is sitting the surface. Therefore, this water-based product is strong enough to remove stubborn ground in dirt, yet mild enough to allow regular use on your favourite bag. This surfactant based mild leather cleanser is suitable for use on handbags at the end of each season.

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HOW TO USE

– Spray a light layer evenly onto a clean lint free cloth

– Test on an inconspicuous area such as the bottom or inside

– Message in, focusing on the affected areas

– Repeat process if leather is heavily soiled, but with a new clean lint free cloth.

– Leave to air dry

NOTE: None of The Handbag Spa products will alter the look, feel or finish of a leather handbag in any way.

Anti-Bacterial ‘On-the-go’ Wipes

Be prepared for any emergency spillages on your scotch grain handbag and eliminate nasty bacteria on you beloved bag with The Handbag Spa’s ‘On-the-Go’ wipes. These antibacterial cleaning wipes are a much safer alternative to using baby wipes, which can damage your handbags finish and thus create a build up of product that’s hard to remove. These effective and affordable wipes are also great for cleaning handles and removing the build of dirt on linings.

On-The-Go wipes are safe to use on all types of fabric and leather, so they can be used on your whole handbag and purse collection!

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HOW TO USE

– Simply open the sachet and take out a wipe

– Massage onto the bag, ensuring you work on a full panel at a time

– Leave to air dry

Scotch Grain Before & After

The main body of this scotch grain bag cleaned up beautifully with a Full Clean, but the stubborn stains would not lift from this Mulberry’s tan leather trim. When this is the case a Colour Change can be a great way to ensure even coverage. So the technicians undertook a partial Colour Change to the leather trim, making it a darker chocolate brown shade. This makeover gave the handbag a whole new lease of life!

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Contact The Handbag Spa

For any advice contact The Handbag Spa directly on:

Telephone: +44 1423 888 709

Email: info@thehandbagspa.com

andrew

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