How to Clean & Restore a Vintage Dooney & Bourke Medium Essex Bag
- The Velvet Muzzle
- Apr 1
- 7 min read
Updated: 1 day ago
Welcome to The Velvet Muzzle! In today's blog post, we’re sharing our step-by-step process for how to clean & restore a Vintage Dooney & Bourke Medium Essex Bag in green All-Weather Leather with British Tan trim, a rare thrifted find that’s 30+ years old- one of our restored preloved vintage luxury bags.  !
This medium Essex bag is a true treasure for any Vintage Dooney & Bourke lover, and we’re excited to show you how we brought it back to life with a detailed restoration!
Keep reading to discover how we gave this classic handbag a second chance as a reloved luxury bag.
This restoration process took several hours to complete. Watch as we speed up the entire process, bringing this Vintage Dooney & Bourke Medium Essex Bag back to life!
Whether you're a Dooney & Bourke enthusiast, a lover of preloved fashion, or just interested in learning how to restore vintage bags, this post has you covered. We’ll walk you through the cleaning and restoration process that turned this thrifted Vintage Dooney & Bourke Medium Essex Bag from preloved to reloved.
The Velvet Muzzle: Restored Preloved Vintage Luxury Bags
At The Velvet Muzzle, we specialize in restored preloved vintage luxury bags, giving them a second chance. Some of the bags we restore are kept in our personal collection, while others are offered for sale on our website at www.thevelvetmuzzle.com. Every bag we choose is treated with love and care, ensuring that it’s ready for its next chapter.
This restoration project features a Vintage Dooney & Bourke Medium Essex Bag, made from green All-Weather Leather with British tan trim. It’s over three decades old, and it really shows! The leather was dry, scuffed, and worn, with some exterior scratches and discoloration. The inside had stains and wear too, but we thought it still had plenty of life left in it. Here’s how we gave it a second chance.
Step-by-Step Restoration: How to Clean & Restore a Vintage Dooney & Bourke Medium Essex Bag
Restoring a vintage bag requires patience, the right tools, and a gentle touch. We followed a detailed process to make sure this Vintage Dooney & Bourke Medium Essex Bag got the love it deserved. Here’s how we did it:
1. Cleaned and Unmatted the Suede
One of the things we love about Vintage Dooney & Bourke bags is their natural suede interiors. The only downside? They tend to get pretty dirty and, without proper care, that dirt can stick around. This 30+ year-old Essex bag definitely showed the lack of care.
The suede on this green medium Essex bag had an ink stain on the flap, plus a big purple stain near the bottom on the front panel of the interior. The purple stain had actually bled through to the exterior of the bag as well. We’re not sure what caused it, but it was a big challenge. On top of that, there was general wear and discoloration.
To start, we used a suede eraser to gently lift dirt and debris from the fibers. This helped to soften both the ink and purple stains, making them a bit easier to tackle.
Next, we grabbed a suede brush to carefully lift and separate the fibers, loosening up any remaining dirt. This not only removed debris and brightened up the green suede, but it also brought back that soft texture and refreshed the interior without causing any damage.
Finally, we used a cotton swab with 70% rubbing alcohol to target the stains. The ink stain on the flap came out, but the purple stain only lightened, making it less noticeable.
It’s always tough finding these beautiful vintage bags that have been neglected. Ink and other chemical stains are some of the most common issues we come across. The longer a stain sits, the harder it is to remove, so we always recommend addressing stains as soon as you notice them for the best results.
2. Vacuumed the Interior
The interior of a vintage bag can often accumulate dust, lint, and debris over time. Using a handheld cordless vacuum, we carefully cleaned the inside of the bag and the exterior slip pocket, paying special attention to the seams and corners. We also carefully vacuumed the interior zipper, snap and slip pockets.Â
To learn more about the importance of using a handheld vacuum for your vintage and luxury bags, check out our article on Why Using a Handheld Cordless Vacuum is Essential for Cleaning Preloved Vintage and Luxury Bags.
3. Wiped Down the Exterior
Since this Vintage Dooney & Bourke Medium Essex Bag is made from All-Weather Leather (AWL) and has British tan leather trim, we used WaterWipes to gently clean both the exterior and the interior leather pieces. This helped lift surface dirt and grime without being too harsh on the leather or the brass hardware. Our goal was to clean the bag while keeping its original vintage look and feel intact. While we knew we couldn’t completely remove the dark discoloration on the bottom front exterior or the white scratch mark on the back exterior of the bag, we were able to clean and condition those areas, making them less noticeable—thanks to the WaterWipes.
To learn more about why we choose to use WaterWipes as a first step in cleaning our preloved vintage and luxury leather bags, check out our article on How WaterWipes Help Us Give Preloved Vintage Luxury Bags a Fresh Start.
4. Cleaned and Polished the Brass Hardware
Over time, brass hardware can lose its shine and begin to tarnish. In the case of this vintage Essex bag, the hardware was heavily tarnished, showing its 30+ years of preloved wear. So, we turned to our favorite brass cleaner—Brasso Brass Cleaner—and used cotton swabs and a clean microfiber towel to remove the tarnish, restoring its beautiful shine. It’s important to be gentle with the brass, applying the cleaner in small increments and reapplying as needed to gently lift and remove the built-up tarnish.
To learn more about the importance of choosing the right brass cleaner and polish for the hardware on your vintage and luxury leather bags, check out our article on How Brasso Metal Polish Helps Us Restore Brass Hardware on Preloved Vintage and Luxury Bags.
5. Cleaned & Conditioned the British Tan Leather
The British tan leather trim, detailing, crossbody strap, interior leather, and duck FOB leather strap all needed cleaning and reconditioning. We used Apple Leather Conditioner, applying it with a microfiber towel on the larger areas and cotton swabs on the smaller areas to clean and nourish the leather. Leather conditioners are crucial for preventing cracking and maintaining the leather’s suppleness, especially on vintage bags.
To learn more about the importance of choosing the right leather cleaner and conditioner for your vintage and luxury leather bags, check out our article on How Apple Leather Conditioner Helps Us Give Preloved Vintage Leather Luxury Bags a Second Chance.
6. Touched Up the Scuff Marks
After cleaning and conditioning the British tan trim, we noticed some scuffed areas that needed a little extra attention. To fix them, we used our go-to leather polish—Kiwi Polish Paste—and gently ran it over the scuff marks to recolor them. This helped those areas blend in better with the rest of the trim and also added some nourishment to keep the leather looking its best.
7. Buffed Out the Bag
Once everything was cleaned, conditioned, and polished, we used a clean microfiber towel to buff out the entire bag. This final step really brought the look and feel of all the leather and brass back to life.
8. Reassembled and Reshaped the Bag
Once the cleaning and conditioning were done, we rehung the adorable duck FOB and stuffed the bag with white tissue paper. As we stuffed the bag, we reshaped it, returning it to the proper shape. Keeping your vintage bags stuffed when not in use is crucial to ensuring the bag retains its original structure and functionality, especially after years of use.
If you'd like to see how we applied these steps, check out the video below for the full transformation!
Tools and Products Used in the Restoration
We want to make sure that you can easily follow the same process if you're restoring a bag of your own.
Here are the products and tools we used to restore this Vintage Dooney & Bourke Medium Essex Bag:
Handheld Cordless Vacuum:Â https://amzn.to/4j3cDXW
Suede Eraser (In the Suede Cleaning Kit: https://amzn.to/4hI8wzk
Suede Brush:Â https://amzn.to/4fHj2Fd
WaterWipes:Â https://amzn.to/4gLgCXt
Brasso Brass Cleaner:Â https://amzn.to/4gKx7TS
Microfiber Towels:Â https://amzn.to/4a5dl2F
Cotton Swabs:Â https://amzn.to/3BJg8lD
Apple Leather Conditioner:Â https://amzn.to/403bZ3T
Kiwi Polish Paste: https://amzn.to/4bcQra6
White Tissue Paper:Â https://amzn.to/40mH83C
These are the same products and tools we use for our restored preloved vintage luxury bags, and they’re all available on Amazon through the links above. We receive a small commission if you decide to purchase through these affiliate links, but it doesn’t cost you any extra. Thank you for your support!
Why Restore a Vintage Bag?
Restoring a vintage bag like this Dooney & Bourke Medium Essex Bag is not just about cleaning—it’s about preserving a piece of history. These bags were crafted to last, and with a little care, they can continue to be enjoyed for many years to come.
When you restore a bag, you’re giving it a second life and keeping it out of a landfill. It’s a more sustainable option than buying new, and you’re also able to own a unique, possibly one-of-a-kind item. Plus, vintage bags often have better craftsmanship than newer bags, making them a true treasure to own.
At The Velvet Muzzle, we believe in giving preloved vintage and luxury bags a second chance, and we hope this restoration inspires you to start your own bag care journey!
Final Thoughts
We hope you enjoyed following along with the transformation of this Vintage Dooney & Bourke Medium Essex Bag. This one was definitely a challenge, but it was so rewarding to bring her back to life. While we didn’t quite get the interior stains and exterior discoloration completely gone, we were able to lighten them enough to make a big difference—definitely a win in our book! Now, she’s both beautiful and ready for everyday use again. We’re thrilled to say that this bag is now living its best reloved life with a new owner after selling in our shop.
If you're into vintage bag restorations or hunting for other preloved luxury treasures, be sure to check out our website for more!
Join The Velvet Muzzle Community
If you love restored preloved vintage luxury bags, designer bag restorations and thrifted fashion, don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel and follow us on social media @thevelvetmuzzle for more vintage and luxury bag transformations and restoration tips. We post new content regularly, and you won’t want to miss any of our upcoming projects!