How To Clean & Care For Vegan Leather

Vegan leather is more popular than ever: some estimates predict it to be worth $204 million by 2030. Even so, many animal-free leathers are still relatively new materials (we're looking at you, olive leather) and we're still getting acquainted with how they look, feel, and behave. If you've been wearing animal skins or synthetics your whole life (no judgement, this is most of us), and suddenly find yourself with vegan shoes or bags made from plant leather, questions may arise: how to clean it? How to make sure it lasts as long as possible?

A sustainable fashion mindset calls for making your vegan bags and shoes last, so ensuring your leather is in tip-top shape is doing a favour to the planet as well as your style. We rounded up some experts to weigh in with their best tips when it comes to caring for vegan shoes and bags, plus other items made from plant leather.

By Sascha Camilli writer, speaker, activist, and vegan fashion expert. 

First up, the good news: many vegan leathers have a coating that makes them waterproof and easy to clean. Avoid using cleaning products made for animal skins on vegan leather. As vegan leathers don't always have the natural oils that animal skins do, traditional cleaners can cause issues. Best to use a product specifically formulated for vegan leathers - and with their prominence on the market, snatching up one of those specialised cleaning products is easier than ever. Shop our selection of all the vegan leather care and cleaning essentials here.

How to clean vegan shoes

Alex Pérez, Managing Director of NAE Vegan Shoes, shares the brand's best tips on cleaning vegan shoes:

1. Use a dry cloth to lightly wipe any dust or dirt off your shoes
2. With soapy water and a cloth, gently clean the shoes. Do not fully submerge them - this could cause irreversible damage
3.  Let your shoes dry away from direct sunlight
4. Once they are dry, apply a small amount of polishing cream using a dry, soft cloth. Rub the cream sparingly over the shoe in a circular motion until it is fully absorbed
5. Leave your shoes to dry naturally for 24 hours and they're good to go.

How to clean vegan bags

To keep your precious plant-leather vegan bags looking top-notch, employ some simple care tips. Fashion stylist and vegan fashion advocate Rebekah Roy says:  

1. I use a soft microfibre cloth and then spot clean with a mild vegan soap, such as Ecover, with filtered water (as I don't want to create a watermark stain from calcium)
2. I wipe the spot gently and then I wipe again to remove any soap residue
3. Dry it right away - you don't want any water sitting on the surface.

How to protect vegan leather

Vegan shoe polishing cream acts by hydrating and protecting the leather – and NAE's products are made in fair-labour conditions in Spain from plant-based wax. Kind to the planet and kind to shoes? Win-win. Aside from the all-star Eco Polish Cream (trust us, you need this in your arsenal), NAE also offers a protective Waterproofing Shoe Spray - perfect for those unpredictable autumn-weather days. 

Bohema is another brand offering an eco vegan leather care protector made with natural plant ingredients. Shoe care and accessory brand Dasco also carries a vegan range of cleaning, protecting, and oder-removing products for vegan leather shoes. Certified by the Vegan Society, the range comes in cans made from recyclable aluminium - another nod to eco-consciousness.

How to store vegan leather

Used to just tossing your shoes in the back of the wardrobe and cramming your bag on a shelf? Wrong, wrong, wrong: correct storage actually has the potential to extend the lifespan of your items. "Try to keep your shoes in a consistent climate," says Pérez. "Extreme temperatures will damage the shoes. We recommend an area removed from direct sunlight that won’t have to face seasonal temperatures." Storing vegan leathers away from heat, sunlight, humidity, and other weather-related impacts will help them stay new-looking for longer.

Roy adds: "I like to keep my vegan shoes and bags spotless. Prevention is best: keep your items in a dust bag." Roy is on to something there: keeping your bags in their protective covers keeps them safe from dust and fading, also acting as armour against scratches. Don't have the dust bag anymore? A pillowcase will do, or a canvas tote bag. Filling the bag with tissue paper (or old newspaper) will help keep its shape.

The quality of vegan leather has improved significantly over the last few years, but as consumers it is up to us to ensure our items stand the test of time by committing to the right care. Luckily, with the top-level products available to help fashion lovers care for their products, this is easier than ever.

By Sascha Camilli

About Sascha

Sascha Camilli is a vegan fashion writer, speaker and activist. Her book Vegan Style is out now on Murdoch Books. For more about Sascha, you can read our interview with her or read her newsletter Kind Of Wild. You can also follow her on Instagram.

Cover image and third photo by  Melina Bucher. Second photo by NAE Vegan Shoes.

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