CARE INSTRUCTIONS
How to care for your MoonLake Designs Bag
How do I care for my MoonLake Designs bag?
⇸ When not in use, store hanging up in a closet or on a hook.
⇸ If the huipil textile gets dirty, spot clean with warm soapy water to remove dirt or stains. Remove soap with a damp cloth.
⇸ Due to the handmade technique and long life of our textiles, loose threads are common yet harmless. Do not pull loose threads. Simply cut away threads at the base with scissors. Trimming these threads will not diminish the strength and beauty of the bag.
⇸ Conditioning your leather will buff out any scratches and keep it supple. With use and time, the leather will darken and soften and mold to your shape.
⇸ We recommend using Bickmore leather conditioner, but there are many other options to choose from. Always do a spot test before applying to the entire bag.
⇸ If the leather gets dirty, simply wipe with a damp cloth to remove any dust or dirt, then apply a leather cleaner. This “soft soap” can be applied using a circular motion and wiped off with a slightly damp cloth so as to not clog the pores of the leather. Applying this soap once or twice a year will keep your leather in its best condition.
What if my leather or leather fringe is wrinkled?
⇸ During shipping the leather can get wrinkled, this is common and there is no need to worry. To smooth the leather out you can iron with butcher paper, a grocery paper bag, or 100% cotton placed over the leather. Be sure to take caution that the iron is not too hot and to keep it moving while smoothing out any wrinkles. Alternatively, you can hang your item in the bathroom while showering, and allow steam released into the air to relax your leather. After one of these steps, if your leather hasn’t completely smoothed out you can blow dry it, using caution to not let it get too hot. Be sure to keep consistent movement while repeatedly smoothing the leather with your hand. This method is a easy and quick way to unwrinkle fringe on any leather material. Make sure to always store your bag hanging up!
What is a huipil?
⇸ A huipil is the word for a blouse in Kaqchikel the Mayan language. A huipil is handwoven by women, usually on a backstrap loom, and are heavily decorated with designs woven into the fabric. Every stitch has deep, significant meaning and correlation to where the weaver lives.
What kind of leather do you use?
⇸ We use top-quality cowhide leather, handcrafted by local artisans. We do our best to obtain leather that is a byproduct of the meat industry.