AS BRITAIN is being battered with a deluge of rain this week, many of us will have been carrying our brollies with us wherever we go, for fear of getting caught in a rain storm.
Once you’re finished with your umbrella, it may be tempting to just shove it in your handbag until you need it again – but did you know this may be causing damage?
Storing everyday items in your bag can lead to stains, smells and wear and tear that you may be unable to reverse.
With that in mind, fashion experts revealed five things never to put in your handbag.
Soggy umbrellas, or in fact any items that can get damp, should never be stored in your bag as the moisture can lead to mould and mildew.
“Suede is a delicate and porous material, made up of small hair fibres,” says CEO of Clothes Doctor, Lulu O’Connor.
“Water, or wetness in general, can cause the hair bristles to become weak and thin, with time eventually tearing off and deteriorating the quality of the material.
Lulu explained that you can use specialist products such as suede brushes and erasers to treat damage.
However, if you want to avoid damage altogether, it’s best to keep your brolly in a plastic carrier bag.
We’re all guilty of keeping a loose lippy or powder in the depths of our handbags, but often these end up leaking, which can lead to damage.
Makeup oils can lead to permanent stains, that are tricky to get rid of, and perfumes can soak into the material, and corrode the lining.
To prevent any makeup mishaps, Nia Davis, handbag design manager at Fiorelli, says: “Make-up can be a particularly tough stain to remove due to the high oil content.
“so make sure to keep lipsticks, bronzers and blush in an enclosed make-up bag.”
Ever felt the disgust after opening a handbag you haven’t used in a while and realising you left a banana skin in there?
Nia warned that you shouldn’t keep any food in your bag, not even if it’s sealed.
THE Princess of Wales carries just FOUR things in her handbag, according to author Marcia Moody, who penned Kate: A Biography.
The items are all incredibly practical – and go some way to explaining how she always look so fresh.
The first is a compact mirror, reports Mamamia – presumably for checking her make-up is on point and she doesn’t have any food in her teeth.
Kate also carries a trusty lip balm as well as a sheet of blotting paper – usually used to remove excess oil or sweat from the face.
The final item is a handkerchief. That’s right, no phone, no purse, nothing.
“Perishable food and snacks are a definite no”, she says.
“Even sealed snacks, like a granola bar, can crumble and leave a mess at the bottom of your bag.”
If left to rot, perishables can lead bacteria to grow, even after you’ve removed the item.
When packing a snack to get your through a long journey or a shopping trip, make sure to pop it in a sealed Tupperware before whacking it in your handbag.
They may be day to day lifesavers, but oily products such as sun cream and hand sanitiser can leave tricky to remove stains in our handbags.
Sharing advise on how to remove these stains, Nia suggested: “For greasy marks, blot immediately and follow up with a cleaner specifically designed for delicate materials/”
Lulu added: “For leather, a simple wipe down with a soft, dry cloth is usually ample. If deeper cleaning is necessary, it’s important to use products specifically formulated for the unique handbag material.”
Keeping a hairbrush in the bottom of your bag can be a godsend when the elements leave you looking life you’ve been dragged through a bush backwards.
However, their sharp edges can poke through the holes of your bag’s lining and lead to damage.
Try using a fold up hairbrush instead, or storing your brush in a makeup bag.
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