How to Clean & Restore a Vintage Dooney & Bourke Small Black Essex Bag

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 Small Black Essex Bag, in Black 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 small 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 a few hours to complete. Watch as we speed up the entire process, bringing this Vintage Dooney & Bourke Small 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 Small 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 Small Essex Bag, in Black All-Weather Leather with British Tan Trim, a piece that’s over three decades old but still has so much life left to offer. Here’s how we brought it back to life.

Step-by-Step Restoration: How to Clean & Restore a Vintage Dooney & Bourke Small Black 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 Small Essex Bag got the love it deserved. Here’s how we did it:

1. 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, paying special attention to the seams and corners. We also carefully vacuumed the interior zipper and slip pocket. After vacuuming, we trimmed off any loose threads with a small pair of scissors, perfect for this delicate job.

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.

2. Leather Repair

The interior protective leather patch behind the brass-bar closure was loose, so we used Tear Mender, a fabric and leather adhesive. Applying it carefully with a cotton swab, we applied it to the suede and pressed the leather patch back into place. Tear Mender is quite runny, so be sure to use caution during application to avoid a mess. What we love about Tear Mender is that it does exactly what it promises—quickly and effectively. The patch now looks as good as new.

3. Cleaned the Exterior

Because this Vintage Dooney & Bourke Small Essex Bag is made with All-Weather Leather (AWL) and accented with British tan leather trim, we used WaterWipes to gently clean the exterior of the bag including the leather strap and trim pieces. This step helped remove surface dirt and grime without being too harsh on the leather or the brass hardware. The goal was to clean the bag while preserving its original vintage look and feel.

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.

To learn more about Dooney & Bourke’s All-Weather Leather, check out our article: Dooney & Bourke's All-Weather Leather: A Timeless Luxury That Deserves a Second Chance.

4. Cleaned and Polished the Brass Hardware

Over time, brass hardware can lose its shine and tarnish. However, the brass hardware on this vintage Essex bag showed surprisingly minimal tarnish, despite its 30+ years of preloved wear. It was mostly just very dull. To restore its shine, we turned to our favorite brass cleaner—Brasso Brass Cleaner—and used cotton swabs along with a clean microfiber towel to remove the tarnish. When using this cleaner, it’s important to be gentle, applying it in small increments and reapplying as needed to carefully lift and remove the built-up tarnish, bringing back the brass's beautiful shine.

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 and Unmatted the Suede

One of the things we love most about vintage Dooney & Bourke bags is their natural suede interiors. The suede in this small black Essex Bag had developed matting and wear on the flap, likely due to frequent use, and overall needed a good refluffing. We used specialized tools in a suede brush kit to gently lift and separate the fibers, loosening any dirt and debris embedded in them.

Next, we used a suede eraser (also part of our suede kit) to essentially "erase" the dirt, further lifting it from the suede. This process not only removed the debris but also restored the softness and texture of the suede, giving it a fresh look without damaging the beautiful interior.

6. Cleaned and Conditioned the Leather

All of the leather on this bag was extremely dry and needed both cleaning and reconditioning. We used our trusted two-in-one product, Apple Leather Conditioner, applied with a microfiber towel and cotton swabs to the entire exterior of the bag, the crossbody strap, the duck FOB holder, and the leather trim. This step was crucial in removing any additional debris and nourishing the leather.

Leather conditioners are vital for preventing cracking and maintaining leather’s suppleness, especially on vintage and luxury leather bags. The Apple Leather Conditioner works as both a cleaner and conditioner, making it our go-to product for all our preloved vintage and luxury leather 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.

7. Buffed Out the Bag

Once everything was cleaned and conditioned, we used a clean microfiber towel to buff out the entire bag. This step really brought the look and feel of all the leather and brass back to life.

8. Touched Up the Scuff Marks

After cleaning, conditioning, and buffing the British Tan Trim, we noticed a few scuffed areas that needed extra attention. To address this, we used our go-to leather polish, Kiwi Polish Paste, and gently applied it over the scuff marks with a microfiber towel to recolor them. This helped the scuffed areas blend more seamlessly with the rest of the trim while also adding extra nourishment to keep the leather looking its best.

9. Reassembled and Reshaped the Bag

Once we were satisfied with the bag, we reassembled it, rehung the adorable duck fob, and stuffed the bag with white tissue paper to help it retain its shape. 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 Small Essex Bag:

Handheld Cordless Vacuum: https://amzn.to/4j3cDXW
Suede Kit: https://amzn.to/4hI8wzk
WaterWipes: https://amzn.to/4gLgCXt
Brasso Brass Cleaner: https://amzn.to/4gKx7TS
Apple Leather Conditioner: https://amzn.to/403bZ3T
Kiwi Polish Paste: https://amzn.to/4bcQra6
Microfiber Towels: https://amzn.to/4a5dl2F
Cotton Swabs: https://amzn.to/3BJg8lD
White Tissue Paper: 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 Small 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 learning about the transformation of this Vintage Dooney & Bourke Small Essex Bag. It was such a rewarding experience to bring this bag back to life, and we’re thrilled with how it turned out. This beautiful bag is available for purchase in the Shop on our website. 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!