How To Clean Leather Compendiums

Cleaning Your CompendiumWhen it comes to being organized, no other office accessory can be as efficient and thorough as a leather compendium. It allows a person to keep important items within reach including business cards, pens, note pads and even a calculator. A compendium also provides a way for you to carry the most important documents while allowing you to exude a highly-professional look.

Needless to say, it should not come as a surprise if a lot of businesses hand out leather compendiums to their employees for personal use and also give them away as corporate gifts. If you are one of the lucky recipients of a compendium, you should know how to keep it clean in order to maintain its gloss and shine. By doing so, you continue to ooze with professionalism.

Steps in Cleaning Your Leather Compendium

  • Step 1: Remove All Items – in order to thoroughly clean your leather compendium, you should remove everything inside it. Not only will it make the job easier but you will also prevent your things from getting damaged.

  • Step 2: Check for stains – before you start cleaning your leather compendium, you should first see what you will be dealing with. Check for both wet stains (stains which can be removed with soap and water) and dry stains (stains which require dry cleaning). For tough stains, here are some tips:

    Mildew stains – use 1:1 ratio of alcohol and water solution
    Ink Stain – spray with hairspray
    Grease stains – blot with clean cloth, sprinkle with cornstarch or talcum powder and then wipe
    Gum stains – harden the gum by putting an icepack on the area; pull off hardened gum
    Salt stains – use a solution of water and vinegar with 1:3 ratio; dab on affected area

Important Reminder: Make sure you leave major stains alone and let professional leather cleaning services handle it.

  • Step 3: Wipe with a Soft Damp Cloth – to remove dust and wet stains, you need to wipe the compendium with a soft damp cloth preferably one made of microfiber. It would be a good idea to spray your cloth with a solution of water and liquid baby soap. Take note that you should not spray the solution directly onto the leather.

  • Step 4: Dry and Shine - Once you have wiped all surfaces with the damp cloth, the next step is to wipe it down with a dry cloth or towel, shining the leather along the way. You can choose to apply a leather conditioner afterwards but make sure you follow the directions indicated in the bottle or container.

  • Step 5: Return Items – as soon as you are done cleaning the leather compendium, you can now put your things back. Of course, this is probably the time to sort through the items and remove those which you no longer have any need for. It will only take up space in your compendium.

As always, prevention is better than cure so you should be very careful when handling your leather compendium.