Suitcase care - Mandarina Duck bag

[Isochronous]

I bought this Mandarina Duck suitcase in late 2010 and have done a lot of international travel with it. As the photos below show, it is a fabric type material with some leather/vinyl parts on the outside. It is now quite heavily marked/scratched.

What is the best way (if at all) to remove these marks and to perhaps protect it going forward?

 

[Fantic125]

Selley's make a leather cleaning product which I've been told is quite good, but that's only from use on a leather lounge.

Maybe try it on a small area first and see how it comes up.

 

[NM]

Wear and tear is to be expected for a suitcase used regularly. The bag is there to protect the contents from damage, so its quite likely to suffer some external damage/wear in the process of protecting its contents. I doubt there is anything you can do to protect the bag from scuff marks other than changing to HLO travel.

 

[AVC]

Yes, what NM said. The mechanised baggage system at large airports is not kind to luggage. You have to expect luggage to get beaten around a bit.

Maybe some Leather Wipes (an Amorall product) would clean it up and help protect it.

 

[vetrade]

Personally, I've tried a lot of the automotive leather cleaner/conditioners on my cars over the years and found they only seem good for the type of marks that would come off with water and a mild detergent anyway.

As others have said wear and tear is inevitable so, first up, forget about any thought of returning your case to pristine condition. I'd concentrate on removing the black rubber marks which are by far the most unsightly. Eucalyptus oil (from supermarket) and elbow grease (with or without an old toothbrush) will shift these stains and won't damage or mark the surface like some abrasive cleaners can. It's also the best thing around for removing stickers/glue etc. Then wipe the excess off with a damp rag.

After letting the eucalyptus oil dry/evaporate I'd go with AVC's suggestion of a product like the leather wipes - they leave the surface a bit shiny and re-invigorate the colour enough to improve the overall appearance quite a bit.