Universo Tote - Hickory

How do I care for my Sans Beast item?

We recommend treating your pieces with love + care. This includes not over filling it, leaving it on the ground in the dirt, spilling drinks + food on it ...or generally treating it like it's bulletproof. It is not. General wear + tear occurs on bags - things like scratches on hardware + surface material are normal when a bag is being carried + used regularly.  

Given we don't use dyed-through animal hide, but rather a coated fabric, any scratches or chips that can occur during normal wear may show the textile substrate underneath. We've found shoe polish works well to tidy these sort of marks + rejuvenate the surface.

We use zinc alloy hardware on our bags, with plating in various colours. Plating is a surface layer that sits on top of the base metal core - it will over time, rub off in areas where metal is on metal, or where skin touches metal regularly.  This is part of normal wear + tear, not a fault.  This can happen quickly or slowly, depending on how often the metal trims are used, what is on the skin that contacts the metal - perfumes + oils are particularly impactful on plated metal.

Here are some tips on caring for your Sans Beast items:

+ When attaching straps, take care to ensure the rounded edge of the dog clip - rather than the lever clasp - sits against your bag.  If attached incorrectly the lever end of the clasp can scratch your treasured bag. 

+ Avoid leaving your bag/pouch/wallet in direct sunlight for hours on end - despite our fabrics being robust + less prone to sun damage than animal based leathers, they may still discolour/fade with prolonged exposure to sun. Most Sans Beast bags - other than fabric or canvas bags - come with an undyed, recycled cotton dustbag and we recommend storing your item in this when not in use.

+ Our bags have been tested + verified for colour fastness, but we would advise against wearing light coloured clothing in extreme humidity or substantial wet weather, as edgepaint colour transfer could occur.  Note, the edgepaint is seen on the hand painted edges of some of our bags. 

+ Our bags are not indestructible, nor will they take kindly to being overloaded.  When we say overloaded, we refer to filling it to the brim thus causing the bag to distort + have undue pressure applied to the strap connection areas.  

+ Sans Beast totes are not a fully rigid construction, rather they are semi-structured with some softness to make them comfortable to wear + carry. We recommend you store them hanging by the handles to help retain their shape, rather than sitting them flat while empty for extended periods. If you see some slight collapsing or softening at the base, we recommend stuffing the bag firmly with paper or tissue to help the fabric return to its original shape.

+ As with every quality accessory - shoes, bags, sunglasses, jewellery - the key is in rotating your pieces; don't wear the same item every day, and it will return the favour with a long life. 

+ Our embossed textures are achieved by a heat embossing process, to emulate the texture of the animal kingdom (without killing said animal kingdom).  There can be some variation in the embossed surface between website image + what you receive, depending on where the pattern piece has been placed during the cutting process. 

How do I clean my Sans Beast bags + straps?

CACTUS-DERIVED LEATHER ALTERNATIVE, MIRUM® + UPPEAL™ APPLESKIN:

Simply wipe with a damp cloth, or add a little diluted shampoo to clean more serious spills, then wipe again with a damp cloth to remove any excess. It's important to avoid oil-based and ink stains, as well as the use of any solvents in cleaning your bag (alcohol, acetone, bleach, silicones etc), as these can be absorbed + damage the bio-based fabrics.
  

POLYURETHANE COATED FABRIC:

Simply wipe your Sans Beast products with a damp, lint free cloth and you’re done.  Remember never to use any household cleaners as they are often abrasive and may damage or discolour your item.  Please note that hand sanitiser + makeup can stain - we suggest taking care, particularly with pump packs, as unwieldy splashes may leave a mark. 

CANVAS:

We recommend hand washing our cotton canvas totes + pouches in cold water to minimise any shrinkage or fading. A minor level of shrinkage may occur however being a cotton fabric, this will stretch back out again with use.

RECYCLED POLYESTER OUTER FABRIC (PUFFBALLS):

Our recycled polyester bags can be spot cleaned with mild detergent + warm water.  

WEBBING STRAPS:

Use a mild detergent + warm water to clean any dirty marks off your strap.  Don't submerge the strap in water, but gently soap up the dirty marks + then run the sections under a light stream of water to rinse off.  Leave to hand dry.  This should remove light marks - you may need to repeat the process for more stubborn marks (eg oil + grease) but note excessive scrubbing may case colour loss, so please be gentle.  You can also use a delicates bag (typically used for bras) to wash your bag strap in a gentle cycle.  We have found great success with this, however please note, a minor level of shrinkage may occur.  

LINING:

The lining of handbags can be tricky to clean, as you can’t remove it and pop in the washing machine, nor can you dry clean it.  However, we have designed the majority of our bags to allow for the lining to be loose + able to be pulled out / away from bag, to support spot cleaning.   

 Firstly, prevention of marks is always the best option:

• - Carry your makeup in a pouch to avoid lipstick + foundation stains on the bag lining.  (Our Everything Pouch does the trick - and all proceeds go to Edgar's Mission animal sanctuary.)
• - Avoid throwing anything damp in your bag that could cause colour transfer to the lining.

If you DO get a mark on the lining, dish detergent (for greasy stains like oil-based makeup or lip balm) or baby shampoo (for non oil based makeup marks like powder or blush) are great for spot cleaning.  Put a little of the liquid onto a clean cloth or sponge, rub gently, then finish with a clean cloth. You may need to repeat this process if the stain is stubborn.

Read more tips on cleaning your Sans Beast treasure here