From all-leather Louis Vuitton bags like the Capucines to bags with leather trims and handles like the Neverfull, Louis Vuitton uses different types of leather that should be cared for differently.

To help you choose your dream Louis Vuitton handbag, you should first find out about the exquisite materials used by the brand. Some rarer and more exotic leathers are more expensive and may require special care and cleaning. Some leathers are more durable and better suited for everyday use, such as EPI leather and Taurillon leather.
The table below lists most of the types of leather used by Louis Vuitton in the production of a designer piece. However, canvas (e.g. the famous monogram canvas) is not included in this table as canvas is not leather. Read our full blog about the care of Louis Vuitton canvas here >

Caring for and cleaning your Louis Vuitton leather bags is important to avoid the accumulation of dirt and bacteria on your beautiful new handbag. To clean your LV leather, we advise you to use a simple leather cleaner followed by a conditioner for most types of leather to gently remove dirt without damaging the leather.

We've found that one of the best leather cleaners for Louis Vuitton bags is the Simply Leather Cleanser and Conditioner. At an incredible price, these little bottles go a long way to cleaning a large collection or a long time if you have a smaller collection.

This leather cleaner and conditioner kit should be used on all Louis Vuitton leathers except vachetta leather (read below first) as the conditioner will slightly darken vachetta leather and exotic leathers such as python and crocodile leather. For cleaning exotic skins such as crocodile and python, you should always contact a professional cleaning service and seek advice directly from the brand on how to care for these rare leathers.

One of the most commonly used leathers at Louis Vuitton is vachetta leather - something the brand is renowned for. Vachetta leather is an untreated calfskin that is durable and soft to the touch. However, vachetta leather will also darken over time due to sunlight and natural oils absorbed by the untreated leather. This means that it's important to look after your Louis Vuitton piece made from vachetta leather carefully, and you can try to slow down or speed up the ageing process depending on how you prefer your vachetta leather to look.

Yes, vachetta is durable and can last for many, many years. However, due to its untreated nature, the leather is more difficult to maintain and can be scratched if it comes into contact with a rough or sharp surface.

The durability of thick vachetta leather means that your Bag won't break or crack easily, so with proper use it should last for many years. Some people will live a lifetime with a Louis VuittonBage.g. a Keepall travel bag. However, longevity does not mean that the leather will look like new forever.

The best way to care for vachetta leather is to run a clean, damp cloth over the vachetta leather straps and handles every day. This will remove dirt from the leather and keep the patina even. Some people prefer to use alcohol-free baby wipes.

For a thorough cleaning every 6 to 12 months, we recommend a leather cleaner that gently kills bacteria and removes dirt, followed by a conditioning rinse. Please note, however, that this thorough cleaning (especially conditioning) can slightly darken vachetta leather. Always test this process on a small area of the leather to ensure you are happy with the result.

Patina is a process that vachetta leather undergoes over time, causing the leather to darken.

The vachetta patina process means that this untreated leather will darken over time and with use. The first time you use a Bag with vachetta leather, the leather has a light brown color. When the leather comes into contact with sunlight and skin oils, as well as through daily wear and tear, the leather will naturally darken. Vachetta leather generally takes on a natural honey (dark golden brown) color, and after many years and heavy use, it eventually becomes very dark brown, almost black. Proper care and cleaning of vachetta leather can either speed up or slow down the aging process of the leather and remove additional dirt from the leather to lighten it somewhat.

It is worth noting that the patination (darkening) process of vachetta cannot be stopped and is a natural process. Those who do not like the darkening of the leather over time should avoid Louis Vuitton bag models made from untreated vachetta leather. A good alternative is the Damier Ebene print, which is paired with treated vachetta leather in a dark brown color.

The natural patination process of vachetta leather cannot be stopped, but it can be slowed down with the right care. To slow down this process, there are a few important things to consider:

Make sure your hands are clean and avoid touching the leather after applying hand cream or hand sanitizer.Keep your Bag in your Dustbag Avoid conditioning the leather as this will naturally darken the leather. Conditioning vachetta leather is good for the leather to prevent cracking, but it is not advisable for a new leather. Bagwhere the owner wants to keep the patina as light as possible. It is only advisable for older bags that already have a natural honey color.if you want a natural patina on your vachetta leather and want a new Bag with new leather, you can speed up the process to make the leather darker. These include:

Put your Bag in the sun (avoid this as it can dry out the leather).

Condition the leather with a leather conditioner

You can clean your vachetta leather with an oil and alcohol-free baby wipe without darkening the leather too much. This will remove surface dirt from the leather without darkening it too much.

Some people prefer to clean vachetta leather with a damp, clean cloth. This will darken the leather slightly, but if you clean it lightly and evenly, this can also be an effective method. Remember to try this on a small piece of the leather before cleaning the entire leather. Bag treat the entire leather. Expect the vachetta leather to darken as it absorbs the water, but it will dry and lighten again - phew!

Yes, untreated vachetta leather means that the leather has a natural Condition and has not been coated with a protective layer. This means that the leather is susceptible to stains and also to water. Once vachetta is stained, it can be incredibly difficult to remove.

One of the main problems with Louis Vuitton vachetta leather is water stains. If you have a new Bag vachetta leather and want to avoid water stains, such as rain stains, read on for tips on how to waterproof your vachetta leather. After all, no one wants to get caught in a rainstorm, but if that happens, you don't want to live in complete fear that your new Louis Vuitton will be ruined!

Some people who have aged vachetta leather may want to try to lighten the leather again. One way to do this is to use a magic eraser, but it is advisable to be thoroughly informed and careful before using a magic eraser on vachetta leather. A magic eraser should be used with caution as it is a very strong treatment for the leather, which can dry out the leather and cause cracking.

If you want to use a magic eraser on vachetta leather, always make sure that the leather has been treated with a conditioner BEFORE using the eraser (and has had time to dry properly). The eraser should only be gently rubbed (not scrubbed) over the leather for 10-30 seconds. It is always worth doing this on a small area of the leather before applying it to a larger area.

Water can damage vachetta leather and leave stains. So let's take a look at how to prevent this.

You want to enjoy your new designer bag and not live in fear of being caught in a downpour, right? That's why it's important to take the right precautions to reduce the chances of this happening. To this end, you can use leather spray to create a protective membrane on vachetta leather that repels water and significantly reduces water stains.

If you use your Bag daily, it is worth repeating this process every 2-3 months. If you use the Bag irregularly, every 6-12 months.