How to Clean & Care for Antiques: Vintage Luggage
Hi there! Welcome to the Thrifty Chicks monthly blog hop. Today’s challenge is vintage luggage, and I think you’ll enjoy the projects that my fellow “Chicks” have come up with. Look for links to their creative ideas at the end of this post.
I plan to focus not so much on a project, but on how to clean vintage luggage that time has not treated kindly. You may have a piece or two that you want to use in your home decor or as part of a DIY project, but it’s grimey and perhaps a bits smelly.
I’ll pass on a few tips that I’ve picked up over the years that will make you think twice before passing an imperfect suitcase by the next time you see one at a garage sale or thrift store(!).
When I realized that this month’s challenge would focus on luggage, I ventured into my freezer garage, knowing that I had at least a couple of suitcases out there. I poked around and sure enough, found not two, but rather five. Surely I had plenty to choose from for a project.
None of them was in super condition, which probably explains why I had never bothered to try and sell them at my shop.
They each had their own set of problems. Some dirty, others grimy. One without a handle, another with a faulty latch. At the end of the day, this luggage will never be perfect, but that didn’t mean that I couldn’t make some small improvements to their appearance.
For my first step, I wiped each of them down with a damp cloth that I dipped in a bowl of sudsy water.
I used Ajax dish detergent because that’s what I had on hand and because I love the grapefruit scent. [Note: This post contains affiliate links.]
The damp cloth easily removed the light coating of dust that had settled on each piece as it sat out in my garage, but it had no affect whatsoever on scuff marks, like the one you see here on this vinyl suitcase.
However, a gentle rubbing with Bar Keeper’s Friend did the trick in no time at all.
Next I tried the Bar Keeper’s Friend on the surface of the suitcase, but to no avail. I think it the scuff mark on the smooth surface versus the grime on the textured surface that made the difference.
What happened next floored me. I decided to give LA’s Totally Awesome spray a try on the textured surface. Kathy, a sweet reader, had recommended it to me a while back. I simply spritzed it on lightly and wiped it off with my damp cloth, and voila, it looked like brand new, as you can see in this photo.
[Note: I’ve added the product to my Amazon shop, but you can buy it at Dollar Tree for a dollar(!).]
Next, I went to work on this cardboard suitcase with some sort of papery surface. Beyond the dust removal I mentioned above, it did not respond to any sort of cleaning whatsoever.
I was able to remove the adhesive left behind after removing an airline baggage tag that had been wrapped around the handle. Goo Gone, one of my favorite products, easily removed those remains.
The handle cleaned up nicely, but those water stains and grime that you see surrounding it are pretty permanent.
Ditto this second cardboard and paper case with its irreversible water stains and grime. But I’m not too bothered since it only cost me $2.99.
Learn more about cleaning and caring
for other types of antiques here.
The fifth case, the fabric one at the top of this photo, cleaned up nicely with the damp rag, but there was no hope for the poor, beat-up leather handle.
When I opened it, I found a fabric lining that had a bit of a musty smell, so I turned to my favorite fabric refresher–baking soda.
I sprinkled it all around the interior and left if for a week; then I vacuumed up the soda and found that it had quite beautifully absorbed all the musty odor.
They are not perfect, but they are reasonably clean, for which I am very grateful.
I’m plannng to bring the whole stack up to my booth at the Gristmill Antique Center next week.
Remarkably, the five cases look pretty good together, right?
If they weren’t completely in the way, I might leave them right here in the kitchen, to hint at their stories of travel and overnights with loved ones.
Can you blame me for picking these up (all for under $5.00), even though they are riddled with imperfections? They’ll make an interesting display in my booth, and I feel sure that buyers will come along shortly to adopt them. I just have to be patient and wait a little while.
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Don’t forget to check out the rest of the Thrift Chick posts:
1. Quick & Easy Cosmetic Case Makeover, by Thrifty Rebel Vintage
2. How to Clean & Care for Antiques: Vintage Luggage, by Adirondack Girl @ Heart (me!)
3. Re-Purposing a Vintage Travel Case, by Lora B. Create & Ponder
4. Upcycled Suitcase Tray, by Little Vintage Cottage
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They look mighty fine together, Diana! I love Awesome. It works on just about everything, from clothing (ink, etc) to windowsills, to now your luggage. 🙂
Great tips Diana!
Tania
Diana, They look perfect together. Isn’t it nice you were sort of forced to add some space in your garage…..
Ordered the Awesome and will try your tips later this week.
Love the look! Old suitcases are just SO cool! another thing you can use to help clean the scuffs is a Magic Eraser. Those things truly are magical!
Great idea! Thanks for sharing 👋
I love your suitcases! Especially the fabric covered one; have never seen that variety before. And the baking soda tip…going to try that one too. I think they’ll all sell right away, if someone like me comes along! $5 was a steal!
A friend whose niece cleans houses told me about Awesome and I had my doubts, but it has lived up to its name! I buy it at the Dollar Tree. (spray & refill) I am in the market for 2 suitcases for a stack, so wish I could shop your place!! 🙂
They really do look lovely stacked together, Diana! Thank you so much for your awesome cleaning tips. I’ve shared them on both my Cleaning|Organization Tips Board and my Trunks|Suitcase Board. This will be my go-to source for cleaning trunks and suitcases.
These are fantastic tips. I will have to buy the Awesome. I do use all of the other items and they do work very well. I am so impressed how they cleaned up. Plus the vignette you created look great.
I’m going to have a look for the Awesome. I still have a few vintage suitcases around here. I’m impressed with how well they cleaned up & how great they look now. I’m glad to see there’s still interest in old cases too.
I love old suitcases and have quite a few I use for storage. I like to think about all the stories they could tell–about who owned them and the trips they went on. Thank you for all the good tips, especially about the mustiness. And good for you for just honoring them the way they are. I think they will sell fast.
Stacking suitcases is one of my favorite ways to add vintage to a room. I have had buyers turn their noses up to the ones that are a little musty but mostly they sell well for me on Etsy. I keep a fair share of them too. I think the stains on the cardboard ones add to their vintage charm. They all look great together.
Your luggage stack is fabulous Diana, and thanks for all the great cleaning tips! I’m sure I’ll be able to use them in the future.
So glad you found and tried the Awesome; I have recently started using it on stains and have had some success; spray and launder! I just love how textured stuff/nooks and crannies on figurines, etc. just get CLEAN! Also love the orange fragrance. I love baking soda for mustiness but have also had good luck with drier sheets (esp for books) and cedar shavings sprinkled in for a week. I think a stack of suitcases is such a lovely Plan B instead of a dresser or nightstand and heaven knows, I could use more storage!
Good cleaning tips, Diana. The vintage suitcases are interesting in all their varied styles and colors, but as objects of decor–I’m just not on board. Now, maybe I just haven’t seen the right ones yet, but I ‘m going to use your suggestions to clean the ones in my basement up, deodorize, use them to store off-season clothes and stick them under my bed!
What’s next?
Lots of great hints, Diana! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for the fantastic tips!
Thanks for the tips. I pick up old luggage on the cheap also.I sell some and keep the small suitcases for storage purposes in my 560′ tiny farmhouse. I have a 42sq ft bathroom with no shelves so i use luggage to hold cosmetics, toilet paper, shampoos and soaps. Appreciate the cleaning ideas.
Thanks for sharing your tips, especially about LAA at the dollar store. I’m sure I’ve seen it but just passed it over. I love the stacked look of vintage luggage! I have more curved luggage than straight sided luggage so I’ll have to figure out how to stack those creatively. But first, I need to spiffify them up.
I haven’t been by in a while because Spring craft show season is in full swing and there’s never enough time to fit everything in a day. But the best thing about not reading your blog for a while is the Adirondack Girl at Heart BLOG POST BINGE!!! I’m having a few leisurely cups of coffee this morning and catching up on your blog posts all at once! So fun!
Short of being there in person crafting or learning with you, your blog is the next best thing. You make all of us feel like dear friends!
They all look fabulous together! I’ve cleaned a few suitcases in my day as well. I also have a number of train cases that are musty — still need to get that smell out! I really need to try that Dollar Store spray. Thanks for the tips. And thanks for sharing at Vintage Charm. xo Kathleen
Thank you for the great tips on cleaning these. I love old suitcases. Did these sell in your booth yet? I keep looking at them on ebay and etsy, but the are prices very high. I’ll be buying the LA cleaner for sure.
I’m so glad you re-posted this article. I recently decided to buy vintage suitcases and love them. However, the inside is a challenge. I am going to try the baking soda trick! I have sold several suitcases in my booth that were in great condition. Can you share your pricing for these suitcases? Love your blog!
I’m so glad you’re enjoying my blog Cecilia!! You made my day 🙂 I guess I would probably need to see what type of suitcases you’re talking about exactly. The ones in this post, some of which were not in the best overall condition, sold for $12-25. I’ve sold a couple of train cases on FB Marketplace for $15 each and a suitcase for $20. Hope that helps!
I inherited some very old luggage from our theater. Some of it smelled really bad and was really dirty. I tried the baking soda but because of humidity it kind of got caked and ended up not working real well.
What I did was left them outside when I could and kept spraying them and wiping them down over and over with vinegar. They now are very clean and smell fine.
A lot of the scrubbing was a little bit much though. I will do less on the outside next time. I’ve also used charcoal and wadded up newspaper to get rid of the inside smell. They sort of worked but not totally.
Great suggestions Ruth–thanks for sharing them. Sunshine is a good remedy for banishing odors and light stains on many antiques, including ironstone pottery and linens 🙂
I love doing shabby speak ,I’ve been looking for something to clean up a old train bag at least I think that’s what it’s called for some time it’s leather do you recommend the same cleanup?
I think you might be referring to a “train case”?? They are roughly square in shape and have a mirror on the inside of the lid. If it’s made out of leather than I would not use the techniques I discussed but would use a cleanser made specifically for leather products. Good luck Cindy!
I have a suitcase that I can’t get open because it is stuck together on the edges with a sticky substance. It may have been coated by someone with some kind of varnish? I’m trying a hot hair dryer now but do you have any other recommendations? I will try other things but I don’t want to ruin this great vintage suitcase. It’s the heavy board style but not a cardboard. From the 40’s?