Louis Vuitton bags are luxurious items, so naturally, owners should want to keep them looking their best for as long as possible. However, it’s also natural to want to use these premium pieces regularly, which can expose the bags to rain or spills.
Louis Vuitton bags are crafted using a variety of materials, some of which can handle getting wet for short periods of time (such as the brand’s coated canvases) and others that will not fare well if they get wet (such as Vachetta leather). Regardless of what materials the bags are made from, whenever possible it is best to avoid Louis Vuitton bags getting wet as this can damage them and leave staining marks.
Louis Vuitton bags should be treated with a fair amount of care (these are expensive, luxurious items after all), though sometimes getting the bag wet is unavoidable. However, there are some tips and tricks to help protect and dry Louis Vuitton bags.
Material considerations
Louis Vuitton uses a variety of materials on its bags and some of these materials are more resistant to water than others. Louis Vuitton uses a range of coated canvases for their pieces, such as their iconic Monogram coated canvas and Damier coated canvases.
Louis Vuitton’s Damier Azur canvas is more easily soiled than Louis Vuitton’s other canvases but is easy to clean. Simply wipe the canvas gently with a light, soft cloth that has been dampened using clear water, avoiding the leather parts of the bag while doing so.
The coating on these canvases helps to protect them against water and stains, though that doesn’t mean bag owners should treat the bag as waterproof. Louis Vuitton pieces are luxurious items that are not meant for hard-wearing use or long-term exposure to the elements and should be treated with care.
Louis Vuitton also uses leather on their bags, including Vachetta leather which is the light-colored leather that is common on Louis Vuitton shoulder straps. This leather is high-quality, vegetable-tanned leather that resembles a very natural state and doesn’t undergo many processes in the tannery.
While this results in its distinct pale coloring, it also means the leather is absorbent and may easily stain if exposed to water or other staining substances. However, this natural absorbency isn’t always a bad thing in terms of daily use, as it allows the leather to patina beautifully over time with use.
Should you use a Louis Vuitton bag in the rain?
When it comes to the question of whether you should use Louis Vuitton bags in the rain, the answer is no. Louis Vuitton states that their products should be kept away from water, as well as away from damp or humid environments.
However, sometimes being caught in the rain is unavoidable but there are a few things owners can do to protect their bags. If the Louis Vuitton bag comes with a dust bag, the dust bag can be stored inside the Louis Vuitton bag as an emergency cover until shelter is reached.
For more serious downpours Louis Vuitton owners may want to store a folded-up plastic bag inside the Louis Vuitton bag to provide better protection from the elements over a long period of time. Additionally, some Louis Vuitton owners use a Longchamp Le Pliage as a protective carrier, storing a Louis Vuitton bag inside during rain or in travel situations where the Louis Vuitton is exposed to potential damage.
Louis Vuitton’s product care
Their product care suggests that if a Louis Vuitton item gets wet or dirty on the surface, it can be dried with a light-colored, absorbent, and lint-free cloth. It is important not to use soap or solvents on Louis Vuitton bags as this will damage them.
Regardless of how the bag gets wet or stained, it’s important to act quickly and wipe water or stains away as soon as possible in order to minimize potential damage.
Tips, advice, and what not to do with wet Louis Vuitton products
Sometimes water stains will appear on Vachetta leather that gets wet. Firstly, it’s important to determine whether these are actually stains or whether the Vachetta is simply still wet.
It can sometimes take around a week for Vachetta leather to dry properly, after which time the marks may disappear. If the marks haven’t disappeared, then it’s likely this is staining but as the leather begins to patina with use, these stains will become less noticeable over time.
If the staining is severe, you can gently wipe the Vachetta leather with alcohol-free and fragrance-free baby wipes. The leather will darken slightly due to the moisture in the baby wipes but will dry naturally in a few hours (it’s important not to dry it artificially such as with a hairdryer as this will damage the leather).
Once it’s dry, you can gently rub at the staining with a new, white eraser to try and remove it. The key is to be gentle here or you may damage the leather further.
After erasing, wipe the leather gently again with baby wipes and then go over the leather with a dry microfiber cloth and leave it to dry naturally. This process can help remove or reduce stains and even out the patina.
Make sure not to use any chemicals or abrasives on the leather in order to try and remove the staining. This will damage the leather and potentially make it much worse than leaving the staining as is.