Journal · From the Bench

How to store leather goods

Published 9 October 2026 · Gordon Mielke

Humidity, light, wrapping, shape and hardware: how to store leather goods so they come out of the closet the way they went in.

Most leather damage doesn't happen in use. It happens in a closet, a basement box or a sunny shelf while a piece sits waiting for its season. If you're putting a bag away for the winter, storing a belt you only wear to weddings, or keeping a wallet you've retired but can't throw out, this is how to store leather goods so they come out the way they went in. The guidance comes from the Canadian Conservation Institute (CCI), whose notes tell museums how to look after leather for decades, adapted for everyday pieces in a Vancouver home.

How to store leather goods: the short version

• Clean and fully dry the piece first.
• Keep it somewhere stable, not too damp and not too dry, away from heaters.
• Keep it out of direct light.
• Let it breathe: cotton or acid-free tissue, never sealed plastic.
• Support its shape, and keep metal hardware from pressing into the leather.
• Check on it every few months.

The rest of this entry explains why each of those matters.

Humidity and temperature: the big two

CCI's note on caring for vegetable and mineral tanned leather says leather should be protected from extremes and fluctuations of relative humidity (RH). It sets out what goes wrong at each end:

CCI's recommended conditions are a stable 45 to 55% RH and 18 to 20°C. You don't need museum controls at home, but you can get close by choosing the right spot: an interior closet on a main floor usually beats an outside wall, an attic or a garage. CCI specifically says leather shouldn't be stored over radiators or furnace pipes, in damp basements, or near sweating pipes. In a Vancouver basement suite in November, that last point matters.

Measure, don't guess

A cheap hygrometer tells you what your closet is actually doing. Health Canada's guidance on preventing mould at home is to keep indoor relative humidity between 30 and 50%, and it recommends a hygrometer for checking.

Keep it in the dark

CCI notes that light damage to leather is cumulative and irreversible, and that leather should be kept away from direct sunlight, daylight and spotlights, all of which can cause discolouration, drying and photo-chemical damage. Dyed leather is more light-sensitive than undyed. For storage, CCI's advice is simple: store leather in the dark, in boxes or closed containers if the room is lit.

This also matters for vegetable-tanned leather's colour. Light is one of the things that drives patina; uneven light in storage, say one side of a bag facing a window for a whole summer, can leave it unevenly toned. More on that in what is patina on leather.

Wrap it so it can breathe

Plastic bags trap moisture, which is the opposite of what you want. CCI recommends wrapping leather in hygroscopic materials, such as acid-free tissue or cotton fabric, and storing it in acid-free cardboard or corrugated plastic boxes, because they buffer the effect of humidity swings. A cotton pillowcase or dust bag works well at home.

A detail most guides miss: buffered vs unbuffered

CCI specifies that tissue, paper and card touching leather should be acid-free but unbuffered. Buffered materials are alkaline, and CCI notes they are potentially harmful to leather. If you buy archival tissue, check the label.

Keep the dust off

CCI notes that dust attracts water vapour and can carry pollutants that degrade leather, and is hard to remove from a textured surface. A dust bag or a closed box solves it.

Support the shape

CCI says leather should be fully supported in storage, because pieces that sag and stiffen while misshapen are hard or impossible to reshape. Its specific advice translates neatly to everyday goods:

• Bags and pouches: fill them loosely with acid-free tissue or polyester batting so they hold their shape.
• Folds and creases: pad sharp folds so they don't crack and eventually split.
• Belts and long straps: CCI recommends storing long pieces such as belts horizontally to relieve stress, rather than hanging them by the buckle for months.
• Wallets: store them empty and closed; a wallet stuffed with cards for a year keeps that bulge.

Watch the hardware

This one surprises people. CCI explains that copper and copper alloys like brass react with the oils in leather and form a waxy green corrosion product (copper stearate) where they touch, and that iron and tinplate corrode in contact with acidic leather and leave the surrounding leather weak and brittle. For long storage, CCI suggests keeping metal from pressing directly into the leather, using a thin interleaf of Mylar or polyethylene. At home, a fold of acid-free tissue between a brass buckle and the strap does the same job.

And the bugs

CCI notes that some insects, such as hide and carpet beetles, eat leather. Signs include small fresh holes, grazed patches and debris in dark corners. Clean, uncluttered storage is the best defence.

Before and after storage

Before

Empty pockets, brush off dust and make sure the piece is completely dry. Put away damp, and you're inviting mould. If it's been rained on, dry it at room temperature first; the routine is in our leather care in Vancouver rain guide.

A note on conditioners

CCI's museum guidance actually discourages leather dressings for stored artifacts, noting research that dressings are generally not effective at preserving leather and can stiffen, darken or attract dust over time. Museum objects don't need to flex; your wallet does. For pieces you use, a light, occasional conditioning per the rain care guide is fine. For long storage, don't load leather up with product before putting it away.

During and after

Knowing how to store leather goods is half the job; the other half is looking in on them.

CCI suggests museums inspect leather every three months. At home, check stored pieces at the change of each season. When you bring something out, give it a day in the room to settle, wipe off any dust, and start using it. Leather that's carried is leather that lasts.

Every Rogue Artisan piece, from belts to bags, is made to order in East Vancouver from full-grain veg-tan or Horween Chromexcel, and built to be carried rather than stored. Questions about caring for a piece of mine? Call (250) 719-1332 or email rogueartisan@outlook.com.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best way to store leather goods?

Clean and dry the piece, wrap it in cotton or acid-free tissue, keep it in the dark at stable humidity away from heaters and damp basements, support its shape, and check it every few months.

What humidity is best for storing leather?

The Canadian Conservation Institute recommends a stable 45 to 55% relative humidity and 18 to 20°C. Below 30% leather becomes brittle; above 65% mould can grow.

Can I store leather in a plastic bag?

Not for storage. Plastic traps moisture. CCI recommends hygroscopic wrapping such as acid-free tissue or cotton, which helps buffer humidity changes.

How should I store a leather belt?

CCI recommends storing long pieces such as belts horizontally to relieve stress, with a fold of tissue between brass hardware and the leather to prevent green corrosion.

Why does brass leave green marks on leather?

CCI explains that copper and brass react with oils in leather to form a waxy green corrosion product called copper stearate where they touch.