How Do I Clean This?

[300]

Hi everyone

My name is Xaris and I'd like your insight and help regarding this shoulder bag I've recently purchased.

Let me start off by saying that English is not my mother tongue, so please excuse any errors or unclear descriptions.

I bought this shoulder bag made of goat leather (vegetable tanned) which is very oily. I think it's been overtreated with oil. To illustrate the situation better, the card box on which the bag is resting is full of oil stains. Needless to say that when I touch the bag, my hands are instantly oily.

Is there a way to clean the excess oil (without darkening its colour)?

I should add that I've bought this bag to carry my camera and lenses, but I won't/can't use it like this, esp. when my hands are all oily.

When I contacted the seller, I was advised to put the bag near a heater for a while and then buff away any excess oil; unfortunately this didn't work. Since their suggestion did not help solve the problem, I returned the bag only to receive a replacement bag with the same problem.

I would really appreciate your help with this.

Thanks

Xaris

[dirtclod]

I think i read on here where somebody said to use corn starch to adsorb the oil. Not if it works or how well it works because i never have tried it.

[300]

Thanks for your reply. Will try that out at some point.

Does anyone think cleaning products such as Lexol would work?

[Viking Queen]

Go to your local pet store, Walmart or Target store and buy a large bag of cat litter that is made of corn cobs. I know that both Target and Walmart carry this and it would be less expensive than at a pet store. Do not use clay type cat litter as it will create a gummy mess that you might never get off the bag.

Take a cardboard box or plastic bin just large enough to contain the bag. Pour litter into the container about 2 inches deep, fill the entire bag with the litter, put the filled bag into the box and fill up the box to bury the bag completely. Leave it there a few days to have litter absorb the excess oil. Dig out bag pour out litter, stir up litter, refill the bag and bury it again. Do this every couple of days for about a week and you should have most of the excess oil out of the leather. Empty out the bag, vacuum out the bag and buff off any excess litter, if there is any.

The used litter, since it is just corn cobs, can go into compost.

Best of luck, Viking Queen