Filofax Tip No 13

So today's tip.

I'm sure we all like to take care of our organisers and cherish them. I often see questions from people looking for advice as to what products to use to clean and care for their organisers.

Filofax give the following advice:

Leather is a natural material and there may sometimes be textural or shading variations within the surface. These are natural characteristics and representative of the leather’s unique, individual beauty and proof of its genuine origin. It is recommended, however, that you avoid exposing your leather organiser to harsh elements such as moisture, bright light or direct heat.

In the event that your organiser becomes soiled or dirty the following care guidelines may be helpful:

• Light scratches to waxy leather can be removed by rubbing softly with a clean finger
• Smooth, porous leather can be treated with good quality, neutral coloured leather cream (subject to manufacturer’s instructions)
• Textured or coated leathers can be wiped clean using a lightly damp cloth
• Suede is treated with a dirt resistant finish and a dry brush or cloth should be used to remove dirt or stains
• Fabrics can generally be cleaned by using a damp cloth
• Smudges on badges, metal edges or poppers can be gently buffed with
• a soft dry cloth

Expanding on the advice above. For fabrics I have found foam cleaners recommended for cleaning carpets without using water are very good for removing dirt and grime from fabric covers. 

Here are some products that come recommended for leather care:

Wheelers Natural Beeswax Leather Balm - I've been using this myself for the last 18 months or so. That is my bottle of it pictured above, as you can see you don't use a lot of it in that amount of time, so  a bottle will last some considerable time. 

Collonil Leather Gel for waterproofing leather as recommended by Mulberry

Saphir Universal Creme - highly recommended by Janet Carr for caring for leather hand bags and organisers.

There is an excellent page on Leather and Leather Care here.

Until the next tip happy organising.  Check out other tips here.