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How to Clean & Restore a Dooney & Bourke Speedy Bag

  • Writer: The Velvet Muzzle
    The Velvet Muzzle
  • 4 days ago
  • 6 min read
How to Clean & Restore Dooney & Bourke Speedy Bag from The Velvet Muzzle

Welcome to The Velvet Muzzle! In today’s blog post, we’re sharing our process for cleaning and restoring a beautiful Dooney & Bourke Speedy Bag in White Pebbled Grain Leather with Vachetta Trim.


This bag was in excellent condition! Whoever had her took really good care of her. She just needed her interior cleaned, she had a few stains, and exterior cleaning and conditioning to give her a nice refresh.


This Speedy Bag is a true treasure for any Dooney & Bourke lover. We’re excited to walk you through the detailed restoration process and show you how we brought her back to life.


This restoration process took a few hours to complete. Watch as we speed up the entire process, bringing this Trendy Dooney & Bourke Speedy Bag back to life!



Whether you're a Dooney & Bourke enthusiast, a lover of preloved fashion, or simply curious about restoring vintage bags, this post has you covered. We’ll take you through the cleaning and restoration journey that transformed this thrifted handbag find from preloved to reloved.



The Velvet Muzzle: Restored Preloved Vintage and Luxury Bags


At The Velvet Muzzle, we specialize in restored preloved vintage and luxury bags, giving each one a second chance. Some of the bags we restore become part of 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 it’s ready for its next chapter.


This restoration project features a beautiful Dooney & Bourke Speedy  Bag—a piece that’s about 10 years old, and still has so much life left to give. Here’s how we gave her a refresh. 


Step-by-Step Restoration: How to Clean & Restore a Dooney & Bourke Speedy Bag


Restoring any bag requires patience, the right tools, and a gentle touch. We followed a detailed process to ensure this Dooney & Bourke Speedy Bag got the love it deserved. Here’s how we did it:


1. Vacuumed the Interior

The interior of any thrifted bag can accumulate dust, lint, and debris over time. Using a handheld cordless vacuum, we carefully cleaned the inside of the bag, paying special attention to the seams and corners. We also gently vacuumed the interior zipper and slip pocket.


👉 To learn more about why this tool matters, check out our article: Why Using a Handheld Cordless Vacuum is Essential for Cleaning Preloved Vintage and Luxury Bags.


2. Removed the Stains

The interior of this handbag had your typical use discoloration around the zipper pockets, as well as stains on the bottom of the bag that required individual attention for proper removal.


We began by pretreating smaller stains using our go-to stain remover—a Tide Stain Stick. It’s a miracle worker—stains start lifting right away! 


To learn more about why a Tide Stain Stick is our favorite spot-stain remover to use when cleaning our preloved vintage and luxury bags, check out our article on How a Tide Stain Stick Helps Us Gently Remove Tough Stains from Preloved Vintage and Luxury Bags.


3. Deep Cleaned the Interior

One of the things we love most about Dooney & Bourke bags is their hardy interiors. The woven fabric interior of this Speedy Bag was in excellent condition. We didn’t note anything significant beyond gentle wear, after we removed the grime around the zippers and the stains, in addition to being a bit misshapen. So we gave her interior a deep cleaning to ensure she was truly clean and fresh for her reloved debut!


Using warm water and our unscented castile soap solution, we cleaned the interior suede with a horsehair dauber brush, working in small circular motions. After cleaning each panel, we wiped it down with a warm, damp cloth before moving on.


👉 Read this article to learn How to Clean Suede Bag Interiors with Castile Soap (Gently & Effectively) to get an idea as to how gentle this process is for vintage and luxury handbag restorations.


4. Stuffed & Reshaped the Wet Bag

Once the interior was clean, it was time to dry and reshape the bag.

We stuffed the interior with clean towels, carefully reshaping her as we went—because she would dry in the shape we gave her. This is a critical step to get right the first time!


After 24 hours, we removed the damp towels and replaced them with a fresh, dry set to finish the drying and shaping process. She was already looking less slouchy at this point—just like when she was new! The final day of drying locked in the shape, and we were thrilled with the result.


5. Deep Cleaned the Leather Exterior

Because this Dooney & Bourke Speedy Bag was already in great condition, we gave her exterior a gentle cleaning to help brighten her color and reshape her.


As with the interior, we created a solution of warm water and unscented castile soap, then applied it using a horsehair dauber brush in a circular motion, working one panel at a time. After applying the solution, we used a microfiber towel to wipe off the excess and lift away dirt before moving to the next panel.


This step removed both surface dirt and ground-in grime without being too harsh on the pebbled grain leather or brass hardware. We also cleaned the handles using the same method.


👉 To learn more about why this staple matters, check out our article: How Microfiber Towels Are Essential to Our Restoration Process for Restored Preloved Vintage Luxury Bags.


6. Conditioned the Leather Exterior

Once the leather was clean, we wanted to make sure it stayed moisturized and pliable. We used Apple Leather Conditioner on the entire bag, including the handles applying it with another microfiber towel. Leather conditioner is essential for preventing cracking and maintaining suppleness, especially on leather bags.



7. Buffed Out the Bag

With the leather cleaned and conditioned, we used a clean microfiber towel to buff the entire exterior. This brought the look and feel of the leather back to life and also shined up the brass hardware that was in near perfect condition and tarnish-free.



🎥 Want to see this full transformation? Check out the video below to watch the entire process, step by step!



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 Dooney & Bourke Speedy Bag:



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 Luxury Bag?

Restoring a luxury bag like this Dooney & Bourke Speedy 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.


How to Clean & Restore a Dooney & Bourke Speedy Bag from The Velvet Muzzle

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, luxury 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 learning about the transformation of this rare Beautiful Dooney & Bourke Speedy Bag. It was such a rewarding experience to refresh this bag, and we’re thrilled with how it turned out. If you want to learn more about vintage bag restorations, or if you're looking for other preloved luxury treasures, be sure to check out our website.


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!





 
 
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