HELP!! Did I RUIN my bag?! 😭
I got this vintage city bag on marketplace and I used leather CPR to hydrate the bag before starting to restore it. I cleaned it with saddle soap (I know better now…im sorry) and I quickly realized the previous owner SLATHERED the bag with shoe polish.
Me…being an IDIOT…decided to clean and moisturize the bag using saddle soap and leather cpr/bick4 over the course of MULTIPLE weeks (letting it rest for about 8 days between cycles).
The first time I used my bag after all of this, I noticed the fibers in the flap began to turn white with pressure. I did some light research and chalked it up to over moisturizing. I decided to let the bag rest another 2 months in a well ventilated area to hopefully dry out slightly.
Well…that was 4 months ago…and the leather is STILL turning white with pressure. it almost looks like a wet version of dry rot.
PLEASE give me any advice on whether this bag is salvageable 💔 I’m slowly coming to terms with the fact that I may have ruined it instead of restoring it and it breaks my heart.