Hermès Care Guide
Hermès. The standard of care it deserves.
Specialist cleaning and restoration for Birkin, Kelly, Constance, and the full range of Hermès leatherwork at our Bengaluru studio. Pickup across India.
Why Hermès requires different thinking
A Hermès piece is, in many ways, the most demanding item a leather care practitioner can work with. Not because it is fragile, but because the margin for error is low and the stakes are visible.
Hermès leathers are produced with exceptional consistency. Togo, Clemence, Epsom, Swift, Chèvre, and Box Calf each have distinct grain, surface finish, and moisture response. Exotic skins (ostrich, alligator, niloticus crocodile, lizard) have their own protocols entirely.
The most common point of damage with Hermès pieces is the hardware. Gold-tone and palladium hardware polished with the wrong compound loses its surface. The second most common is the stitching, saddle-stitched in linen thread on most pieces, which holds up to decades of use but reacts poorly to wetting or strong cleaners.
We work with all of this material accordingly.
What we work on
Hermès pieces we care for:
- Birkin (25, 30, 35, 40), all leathers, all hardware finishes
- Kelly (20, 25, 28, 32, 35, retourné and sellier), all leathers
- Constance (18, 24) and Constance Slim
- Evelyne (PM, TPM, GM)
- Garden Party and Herbag
- Picotin, Bolide, Lindy
- Jige clutch and Roulis
- Carré scarves (silk care, separately handled)
- Belts: H-buckle and Collier de Chien
- Shoes: leather and exotic
- Small leather goods: agenda, card holders, coin purses
Services we provide:
- Surface cleaning: removal of surface dust, grime, and handling residue without product penetration
- Deep conditioning: for Togo, Clemence, and other pebbled leathers showing dryness, particularly in air-conditioned environments
- Colour transfer removal: denim and dye transfer on lighter leathers (Craie, Blanc, Gold, Nata)
- Interior suède cleaning: the goatskin or chevreau interiors common in Birkin and Kelly pieces
- Hardware care: cleaning without compound abrasion; gold-tone and palladium hardware maintained correctly
- Corner reconditioning: re-moisturising corners before cracking appears
- Strap conditioning: shoulder straps and sangles
- Exotic skin care: ostrich, alligator, lizard and crocodile, each with appropriate moisture protocols
On Togo and Clemence specifically
These two leathers make up the majority of Birkin and Kelly pieces in circulation. They are often spoken of interchangeably. They are not identical.
Togo is the firmer of the two, with a tighter, more pronounced pebble. It scratches more visibly but wipes clean more easily. Conditioning should be light and applied with minimal saturation.
Clemence is softer, with a larger, rounder grain and a slightly more supple hand. It holds shape less rigidly than Togo and benefits from slightly richer conditioning. It also shows colour transfer more readily.
Both are full-grain calf leathers and respond to correct care for years without visible ageing. Both are degraded by silicone-based products, harsh solvents, and aggressive buffing.
We use neither.
On exotic skins
Ostrich, alligator, niloticus crocodile, and lizard require care that is categorically different from smooth or pebbled calf leathers.
The follicle structure in ostrich, and the scale joints in crocodilian skins, hold moisture and grime in ways that flat-grained leathers do not. Cleaning requires penetration at the microscale. Conditioning requires products that do not fill the follicles or scale joints with residue.
We do not use the same products on exotic skins that we use on calf leathers. We assess each exotic skin piece individually before committing to any treatment.
What we do not do
We do not re-stuff or re-block bags. If a Birkin has lost its structure, the correct intervention is with Hermès's own after-sales service (SAV), not a local studio. We will advise you honestly if that is the right path for your piece.
We do not re-dye Hermès leathers. In our assessment, consumer-available re-dyeing on Hermès pieces rarely produces results that hold up over time. We will not offer a service that we believe will cause long-term damage.
We do not source spare hardware, lock, or clochette replacements. These are available only through Hermès directly.
Frequently asked questions
Can you clean a Birkin without it losing colour or texture?
With the correct approach, yes. The risk of colour or texture change arises from using inappropriate cleaning agents. Our methods are chosen specifically to avoid this.
My Kelly has colour transfer from denim. Can it be removed?
In most cases, yes, partially or fully, depending on how long the transfer has been there and how deep it has penetrated. Older, set transfers are harder to fully remove. We assess and advise before proceeding.
The corners of my Birkin are starting to look dry. Is this worth treating?
Yes, and sooner is much better than later. Corner cracking on Hermès pieces is almost always preceded by a period of dryness that is visible if you know what to look for. Early conditioning prevents the cracks; restoration after cracking is more involved.
Can you care for my Hermès if it has been previously treated with a commercial product?
We will assess. Some commercial treatments leave a residue that needs to be neutralised before correct care can be applied. This is manageable but adds a step.
How long does Hermès care take?
Cleaning and conditioning: 7 to 10 days. Restoration work: 14 to 21 days depending on complexity. We provide a specific timeline at assessment.
The patience this material deserves
Hermès pieces are made slowly. Each Birkin takes approximately 18 to 24 hours of skilled work to construct. The stitching is done by hand. The leather is selected by eye. The hardware is assembled with tolerance measured in fractions of a millimetre.
Care for these pieces should reflect the same standards. Not faster. Not more convenient. Correct.
That is what we offer.
Your Hermès piece. Handled with the patience it was made with.
Send us a few photos. We will tell you what is possible.
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