A good quality leather wallet should last at least 5 years. And it also depends on how you maintain your wallet in the long run.
Below is the photo of a leather wallet that I have been using for a couple of years now, and it seems to be still in pretty good condition. I have no plans to buy a new one in any upcoming years ahead.
Well, in this post I will share my personal experience on how I take care of my wallet to make it last longer. Hope it can help you do the same.
I certainly believe that we are extremely attached to our wallets since you carry it most of the time with you with all your very important essentials in it, so it is important to take care of it to use your favorite wallet forever and ever.
Let’s see how we can do that
Firstly, never overload your wallet out of its capacity.
Cards, cash, photos, visiting cards, and whatnot, we have a habit of filling our wallet with whatever comes in hand, this will make your wallet heavy and bulky making It more difficult for you to carry it in your pocket and more likely to make it out of shape.
Normally a good quality leather wallet with strong stitching can tolerate excessive amounts of cash and cards, but this might affect the design and appearance of your wallet
I have always advised keeping the minimal items in the wallet. For example, in a wallet with a three-card slot capacity, I highly recommend not to insert more than four cards, along with it, inserting a few coins and cash should be more than enough. This will not overburden your wallet and keeps it slim and will make it last longer
Always keep it clean
You may be wondering, how can someone keep a wallet clean? Yeah right, who cleans a wallet? I don’t literary mean to wash or clean your wallet with water or soap, just by keeping an eye on a few things you can maintain your wallet neat and clean, here is how.
Let your wallet be away from any sticky surfaces, stickers, or any sticky substance which may not be easy to remove. These will damage the leather surface of the wallet and may leave an unpleasant mark on it.
Keep an eye for any sharp substances around your wallet, once a wallet is torn out it is less likely to be repaired. Thankfully my wallet bears small scratches usually which occur due to car keys or any sharp things in the pocket.
The next important thing is to not leave any unattended cards, visiting cards, or any other papers which are left in your wallet for years, just to avoid this I usually check all the items in my wallet once a month. It is when you realize somethings are just unnecessarily hiding there, you need to remove them.
Avoid sitting on your wallet
Do you sit on a sofa or an office chair for hours by keeping your wallet in the back pocket of your pant? Just not right, if you keep your wallet in the back pocket of your pant especially when sitting on your office chair for longer periods of time the pressure applied on the wallet may damage cards inside the wallet, and if your wallet has a zipper or any button this can also damage the wallet’s body.
Having said that it is always better to keep your wallet in the front pocket or place it somewhere on your desk or on a clean surface in your car before you sit, by doing this you will contribute to your wallet’s age and longevity
Don’t expose it to direct sunlight for longer
If exposed to direct sunlight or excessive heat for long durations a leather wallet may also get damaged. Just like your skin does. For example, usually while driving we keep the wallet on a dashboard of the car. This may stick your wallet to the dashboard resulting in damaging its surface. Another example is, leaving it on the table in your office or at your home where it is directly exposed to the sunlight or somewhere near the extreme heat or hot surfaces.
This is will heat the wallet and its leather body will stick to the surface of the object where you place your wallet.
Have you ever noticed that when the wallet gets old it losses its original color? Yes, that may be because of heat or hot weather. It may also affect the tanning of your leather wallet.
Lastly, condition your leather wallet
I haven’t tried conditioning my wallet with any conditioner as of now, but I normally take a moist cloth to clean it up.
You can buy a good quality conditioner to do it inside out to your wallet and let it dry overnight and then bluff it for the shine. It is similar to what we do for leather shoes. This is not required more often but doing it once in a while will keep your leather wallet neat and look good.
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