Product Care
Sambag Shoe & Bag Material Care
Leather Shoes & Bags
Fabric Shoes & Bags
Suede Shoes & Bags
Pony Hair
Snake Skin
Cashmere
Denim
Silk
Sambag Shoe & Bag Material Care
Sambag shoes and bags are constructed by hand with the finest quality materials. We work hard to refine and perfect the integrity and quality of our shoes and pride ourselves in only using the most exotic and unique finishes, being our point of difference. To ensure the longevity, comfort and appearance of your shoes or bags is preserved whilst wearing, please follow our care guidelines.
All leather items can last for a lifetime if they are regularly maintained and treated well. Leather is skin and just as you would clean your own, you need to clean and nourish your leather to help retain its durability and texture.
Without proper conditioning and care, leather can dry out until it eventually cracks, scuffs and stiffens easily. Leather shoes and bags should be polished and conditioned once a month to preserve their life, if they’re worn regularly. When cleaning your leather never use strong detergents such as laundry detergent. Always choose a product that helps preserve the leather's natural lubricating oils rather than strip them away.
Use leather cleaner, such as saddle soap, and a soft, damp cloth to remove dirt and debris. Use a leather conditioner especially made for smooth leathers to soften your shoes. If scratches or other imperfections are apparent, condition with a cream formula that is one shade lighter than the actual colour of the shoe.
Once shoe has dried, a waterproofer such as ‘Waproo Waterproofer’ seals and acts as a repellent for the leather. Never use heat to dry leather, always “air-dry”.
For patent leather, simply use a damp cloth or ‘Waproo Patent Dressing’ to clean and nourish patent leather and keep shiny. Beware that patent shoes can puncture easily, so avoid abrasive surfaces, as once a sharp object comes into contact with patent the damage is irreversible.
Store your leather styles in a temperate environment and using the breathable Sambag cotton dust bags. Do not expose leather to sunlight for prolonged periods of time. Do not store leather in plastic.
Sambag shoes are soled with beautiful leather soles, either natural or dyed. Please be careful when wearing new leather soles in slippery conditions. For best grip when walking and long wearability we recommend a Topy is resoled onto the leather to prevent wearing down and provide traction and stability when walking on slippery surfaces. It is advisable to initially ‘wear in’ your leather soles, so as to ‘score’ and ‘scuff’ them, thus wearing down the newly polished finish of the soles, which tends to be slippery on tiles and wet surfaces.
Fabric shoes like light wool tweeds and silk prints tend to have a shorter life span than leather. This can be lengthened by keeping them clean and fresh.
Water can ruin the shape of fabric shoes and cause them to fade or the colours to run. Clean with a soft towel and a specialty fabric cleaning fluid. Avoid spot cleaning, as this can result in uneven colour. Stain and water-resistant sprays, such as ‘Waproo Water and Stain Protector’ keep dirt and water from penetrating the fabric of your delicate shoes, and prolongs their life. Take a few minutes to apply it when you first get your shoes and you’ll get more wear out of them.
Water/weatherproofing is particularly important for the preventive maintenance of textile / fabric footwear. Before you wear your textile / fabric shoes for the first time treat them with a water and stain repellant spray specifically designed for this material. Repeat this process frequently to keep up the protective film.
Treating your suede or nubuck shoes and bags with a protective spray or finish will help to repel water and prevent stains. Remember to first test any treatment or product on a small inconspicuous area before tackling a stain. For heavy stains on suede footwear, use a suede cleaning block (also called a suede eraser). These products will crumble as you rub them across the surface of the footwear and are great for removing even deeply embedded dirt. Remove oil stains on suede by rubbing talcum powder or cornmeal directly on the spot. After several hours, brush off the powder. Repeat if necessary.
Recondition suede shoes with products designed for that purpose.
After cleaning, the nap of your suede can be restored by using a suede brush. The bristles of suede brushes are usually made from brass, specialty suede cleaners are also available such as shampoos, mousse and water and stain protectors.
Keep suede away from light, which will fade the color, and damp conditions, which can encourage growth of damaging mold and mildew.
If suede clothes or shoes get wet, soak up excess moisture with a clean towel. Then allow the suede to dry naturally, not using a heat source to speed up the process. After the item dries, restore the nap (the raised fibers typical of suede) with a suede brush.
Calf skin-hair is an extremely delicate material and will eventually wear over time. To maintain the appearance of the skin’s hair it is recommended that you do not wear in bad weather or whilst driving as this will cause the hair to rub off. You can wipe cowhide smoothly in the direction of the hair with a damp cloth, mild soap and water. Do not soak or get too wet.
Brushing with a hard plastic brush helps to keep the hair soft and fluffy and removes dirt. As with any shoes, using a protective spray will help keep it clean.
Please note that all snake skins are treated with different dyes to obtain different effects and colours. With some finishes the dye will not be sealed with a ‘shiny film’, instead treatment of the skin will result in a more natural, raw or muted look. Wearing snake skin shoes in bad weather or dirty terrain may cause dye runs, staining and water damage to the snake skin, as some snake finishes are not weather proof. Snake skin scales are also prone to ‘lifting’ as they are fine scales of natural variation, texture and grain. To best care for treated snake skin, wipe any surface dirt using a damp cloth in direction of the scales. Brush off any embedded dirt with a soft bristled brush being careful not to lift the scales. Condition your snake skin with an exotic leather conditioner that is specifically safe for snake skin. It is best to use a Lanolin-based exotic leather conditioner. Apply a thin coat with a soft lint free cloth, in grain of scales. Protect your shoes with an application of silicone water repellant. This helps to maintain their original look and prevents drying out.
Sambag Apparel
Cashmere is a beautiful fibre to own and the more you wear it, the softer it becomes. Sambag recommends ‘Dry Clean Only’ to keep shape and quality of yarn. Sambag recommends keeping cashmere folded not hanging as it will drop and become misshapen around shoulders if hung. Cashmere is a beautiful, natural, fine fibre, and is prone to pilling. Please note that all cashmere - even ours which is of the finest Mongolian origin, may pill. Washing is at the customers’ own risk and not advisable.
Nevertheless, cashmere can be hand washed, here are the steps:
1. Cashmere knitwear may be washed by hand in lukewarm water (30 Degrees) using a wool wash or specialty cashmere washing detergent.
2. Turn knitwear inside out.
3. Soak in lukewarm water with shampoo added.
4. Squeeze clean gently, do not rub or wring.
5. Rinse thoroughly in lukewarm water (at least 5 times).
6. Re-shape to its original size and dry flat over a towel – away from direct heat and sunlight. Press under a damp cloth on a low heat setting.
7. Wash and store all cashmere sweaters inside out. Always wash each garment separately. You can also protect and refresh garments with our natural cedar blocks and pure essential cedar oil when stored.
Dry-cleaning cashmere is also a preferable option. However, as cashmere is a delicate fiber, excess chemical treatments may shorten your sweater's life. Wringing out your sweater may pull it out of shape. Sunlight can fade your sweater, and other heat sources may wear fibers prematurely. It's better to let your sweater dry naturally indoors, away from sunny windows and heat vents. And air your sweater to avoid excessive washing.
We all have that favourite pair of jeans that we wish would last forever, but as we all know, Jeans will fade over time. To best care for your jeans, it is important to follow the care instructions found on the manufacturer’s wash tag inside each pair of jeans, since every jean may have slightly different wash and care instructions. It is advisable to wash your jeans inside out and in cold water to best protect against fading and general damage to special details. New jeans usually carry excess dye, so wash separately the first few times to avoid colouring the rest of your laundry. Use a mild detergent and never use bleach! Hang your jeans out rather than tumble-drying. If you do tumble-dry, do this on low heat. Don't spot-clean as the colour will lighten your jeans. Iron jeans inside out on low heat to prevent shine.
Denim will usually stretch, so we always recommend putting your jeans on and wearing them for a bit before you make your final assessment on how your jeans fit. Sit, stand, walk, etc. and they should begin to stretch. If your jeans feel like they have stretched a little too much you can try placing them in the dryer in order to help shrink them back to their original shape. We recommend washing your jeans according to the wash and care instructions, before you take your jeans to be hemmed, since the length may shrink a bit.
Irregularities and variations in weave of this fabric are characteristic and are not to be considered defective. Silk is a strong fibre but can be weakened by perspiration, deodorants and sunlight. Silk is absorbent so it dyes easily, but some dye colors tend to bleed and fade in water and during stain removal procedures. According to dry cleaners, red, green, blue and purple dyes are especially prone to problems. Sunlight will fade silk items and turn white silk garments yellow.
To prolong the beauty and life of silk garments, use care in dressing and grooming to avoid staining silk items. Silk fabric is easily damaged by alcohol-based products such as hair spray and perfumes and chemical products such as nail polish remover. Apply perfume and hair spray before putting on a silk garment as the mist from such products may cause stains. Some silk garments must be dry cleaned; others can be hand washed. Whether the garment is washable or dry cleanable depends on the dye, finish, garment style and construction. Always follow the care instructions on the permanent care label in the garment. Do not over wear a silk garment before cleaning it. Wash or dry clean soon after garment becomes soiled.
If you spill something on your silk garment, don't put water on the spotted area. Water may set the stain or cause a permanent ring. Take the item - even a washable silk item - to a dry cleaner as soon as possible. Tell the cleaner what you spilled, where the stain is and how long it has been there. These factors are important because the stain's type and age determine garment handling and spotting procedures.
In most cases, silk may also be washed with care. The major exceptions being taffeta, brocade, velvet, metallic, some chiffons, charmeuses, satins and crepes. These silks should be dry cleaned. Handle washable items with extra care, noting instructions on the care label. Use a mild soap and cool or warm water. Strong alkaline detergents weaken silk. Wash each garment separately as dyes may bleed. Handle silk garments gently. Don't wring or twist the garment because silk is weaker when wet. After thorough rinsing, roll the item in a clean bath towel to remove excess water. Don't use presoak products or chlorine bleach; both will damage silk. Air dry the garment away from sunlight until damp dry. Use a padded or plastic hanger to distribute the weight of the wet garment. While damp, press the silk item from the wrong side with a dry iron at a warm (silk) setting. A steam iron at a low setting may be used, being sure the iron doesn't "spit," which would cause water spots. Iron the fabric dry. Use a press cloth when doing touchups on the right side of the garment. Silk is special. The care you give your silk garments will repay you in prolonged garment life.