Oct 01, 2015

6 Simple Tips For Handbag Organisation

by Maria Kazzi

Leopard-print-handbag-covers-cotton-bags-storage

Your handbag is a portable reflection of how you are feeling: light and organised or weighted with chaos.

Most of us have a work bag or backpack that we use daily, which carries our necessities such as our wallet, mobile, keys, pens, sunglasses and perhaps a small make-up bag.

You may also have a favourite handbag, or several, and swap them out for different occasions or events. It is super important to take care of your pieces so you can enjoy using them for years to come. Here's how.

6 Tips To Keep Your Handbag Clean and Organised

1 | Clean Out Your Handbag

For some of you, cleaning out your handbag can be a feat within itself! Cleaning out your handbag can be the next level and not one's favourite thing to do on any given day.

The good news is that it should only take 15 minutes to an hour to clean out your handbag. A good handbag cleanout will depend on how overloaded it is with papers, kids items, receipts and unnecessary items that have been collected over the last few days, weeks or even months.

HANDBAG CLEANOUT | CHECKLIST

First, empty all the contents of your handbag.
Then, either shake gently or with a soft cloth, brush away loose debris both inside and outside the bag. You can also use a lint brush if that is easier.
Identify the material of your handbag. Is it leather, patent leather, PU, straw, vinyl, fabric, suede or a different material?
Use a soft damp cloth in a cleaning solution suitable for your bag to gently wipe down your bag.
TIP | Always test a small area of the handbag if you’re unsure of the cleaning solution and its effects.
Rinse and then wring the cloth almost dry and start wiping the internal and external areas of your handbag; including the handles, the zips, compartments, pockets, clasps, straps (where a lot of grime collects).
Rinse the cloth again and gently wipe down with water to remove any excess solution.
Let it sit to dry completely and continue with the following steps.

2 | Let’s Get Organised!

It is always a good idea to invest in a quality handbag or laptop bag that includes time-saving features such as compartments, zippered spaces, internal separators, and side or outside pockets perhaps for your mobile and keys for quick access.

Find that time. Do it now. Now is a great time to take charge and organise your handbag! Throw out, donate or pass on anything that no longer serves a purpose in your bag (and in your life), like the 20 pens you've picked up at different events or the napkin you used from lunch. Get rid of it, thoughtfully, of course!

Whether you've placed two pens in the internal side pocket, and tissues in a separate compartment, by freeing up space in your bag you are rewarded by making the items you do need easily accessible and visible and at your fingertips. Well done!.

3 | Ask yourself, “Do I really need it?”

Did you know that for optimal health, your handbag shouldn’t weigh over 1.4kg (3 pounds) and you should rotate the bag from the left and the right shoulder on a daily basis to minimise strain?

The next step is to ask yourself: "Do I really need it?". Do you really need five shades of lipstick or the stationery cupboard? I, doubt it.

I encourage you to reconsider what you carry around in your handbag and ask yourself if you need it. Be honest. Discarding items that have been used and are no longer required will make your bag lighter and more comfortable to carry. You only need the necessities, and you can decide what that is to match your lifestyle.

TIP: Make it a habit of going through your handbag once every couple of weeks and throw things out and take out things you don’t need like old receipts, wrappers, or brochures that you’ve picked up along the way.

4 | Minimise The Essentials

Minimise the ‘essentials’ in your handbag by swapping full-sized beauty items for their travel-size counterparts so that your bag and your shoulders aren’t overwhelmed with unnecessary weight and products.

You can use the compartments in your bag or a variety of different coloured pouches to separate and contain like-items including make-up, hair ties or pens, inside your bag. Doing so will make it easier to find and carry all your items.

5 | Avoid Card Overload

We all love to maximise our savings on purchases usually through loyalty cards, but it’s tough keeping your handbag light when you’re carrying around a myriad of cards.

Look for apps that allow you to store or scan your cards so that you don’t have to worry about lugging around an extra wallet just for these cards. If you’re not tech-savvy (and let’s face it some of us aren’t) or you prefer to carry the cards, it is best to carry your loyalty cards in a separate wallet, stored alphabetically for easy access.

6 | Handbag Organisation

Whether you have one or a few favourite pieces or a whole collection of handbags; protecting your bags, clutches and totes against the elements such as dust, dirt, mould and mildew is super important for handbag longevity and wearability.

Sometimes, a little dust bag comes with your handbag purchase. Most of these 'handbag dust bags' are made from cheap, non-woven fabric - the same material used in grocery bags.

Over time, this fabric will eventually crumble into a thousand pieces and potentially discolour your handbag, particularly if you have stored your handbags for 1 - 3 years in hot and humid conditions, and when stored on top of each other. I know, because this is what happened to my favourite red leather handbag! The colour of the handbag had faded, and the leather started to peel off as no air could circulate in and around the bag.

Don't let this happen to you! When storing your handbags, clutches and totes long term, make sure they're NOT stored on top of each other, and they're evenly spaced out. By giving your handbags enough 'breathable' space, this allows fresh air to circulate in and around your bags and helps nourish the fibres and fabrics of your handbags and helps promote handbag longevity.

To better protect your handbags throughout the seasons, Kazzi Kovers offers a stylish and fun range of 100% Cotton handbag dust bags. Cotton has many fabulous attributes; it is breathable, lightweight, acid-free and easy to wash in cold water.

Kazzi Kovers Handbag Dust Bags are designed to protect, store and organise your handbags so you can enjoy wearing them for years to come.

Available Individual, Packs and Mix ‘n’ Match Packs.

Sizes: Small | Medium | Large

So now that you have overhauled your handbags and cleaned them out (doesn't that feel better?), you can march on with your daily activities knowing that whatever you need at any given time is just a zip or a pocket away in your tote or handbag.

Remember to clean out your handbags every couple of weeks routinely!

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Thanks for reading.

Remember if you ‘Love it, Cover it!®.’

Kazzi Kovers® | Updated 18th August 2022.

Maria Kazzi :)

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Kazzi Kovers takes pride in providing safe and natural alternatives to Protect, Organise, Store and Travel with our range of premium covers and accessories.

See Kazzi Kovers for our full suite of products, blogs, tips and updates.

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