# Result of removing peeling and flaking from vintage Gucci lining (With pictures)



## mika7777777

I see many people asking what to do with all the peeling/flaking inside vintage Gucci bags. The reason for the peeling/flaking is because those linings were made with a "faulty" material. It is a "coated" fabric, and the coating degrades over the years. I've done quite a bit of research on this topic, and from what I can tell, the best way to remove them is by using a suede brush. So I brushed off all the "faulty" materials from one of my vintage Gucci, and it now looks fantastic. I wanted to share the process and the pictures with those interested in this topic.

The lining of the bag was in a pretty good condition at the first sight. However, at a close inspection, there are many cracks all over, and if you put your belongings inside, "powders" get all over them. Once it gets to this condition, you cannot fix it. I realize that removing the outer part of the lining could compromise the value of this bag, and because it looked fine as it was, I thought about leaving it as it was. But with all the powders, I could not possibly use the bag at all. I also thought about lining it with a purse-to-go, or creating my own lining with felt, both of which are great alternatives, but I wanted to use the bag by itself. So I decided to go for it and remove the flakes.

It was a pretty simple process, but takes a bit of patience. I had a suede brush that came with my Coach bag, so I used it and brushed off the outer part of the lining material. Then, I sucked out all the powders with my vacuum cleaner (with the brush attachment), and just repeated the process until all the outer part was gone. It took me about 2 hours, but it was totally worth the effort! The lining no longer flakes, and will never flake again, and it looks beautiful. It is like flannel, the kind that was used for the older Louis Vuitton dust bags. 

I've read that, the more flaking the bag has (i.e. the dirtier it looks), the easier it is to remove them. My bag was pretty clean, so it took more effort. I also read that, it takes about 1.5 times longer to clean navy ones than brown ones. Another thing I've read is, if the lining has stains, they look more visible after removing the flakes. 

That's all I have for now. I hope some people find this information useful. 

Note: I would like to repeat that, brushing off the outer part of the lining material could reduce the value of your Vintage bags among collectors. However, to me, a flaking bag is useless, and I want my bag to be usable. So this was the best and cheapest option for me. Alternatively, you can have your purse relined by Gucci (or a reputable 3rd party company).


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## elvsrae

Thank you so much for this info and pictures.  I've been reading other threads and saw things about using a brush but was very scared, the pictures reassured me, thanks again, I'm going to try this on my bag


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## mika7777777

You're very welcome, elvsrae. I hope yours worked out well. Since then, I've brushed off flakes from more vintage Gucci bags, and it is true that blue ones take longer and stains become more visible. But now all my vintage Gucci bags are usable, and I am very happy about it!!


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## Destiny1722

I have a Gucci purse I used the suede brush but I don't have a vacuum what else could I use


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## alliegetyourgun

Omg this thread just saved me! Got a vintage Gucci at a pawn shop and reached into a dusty mess! I just used a new sponge on the gritty side and scraped it off easy as pie. Thanks babe!!


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## mika7777777

Destiny1722 said:


> I have a Gucci purse I used the suede brush but I don't have a vacuum what else could I use


A vacuum cleaner would be useful, but you can use some duck tape to remove the flakes, as you brush.


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## mika7777777

I recently got a new-to-me vintage Gucci and I had to remove the flakes, and I referred back to my own post (it's been 5 years!). LOL One thing I forgot to add to the original post is that, it's hard to get the vacuum attachment to the entire lining, so after I was done with brushing and one last vacuuming, I got a roll of duct tape, and cleaned the lining until I could no longer see the flakes that were brushed off. It took probably 4-5 times/passing before I was satisfied with its cleanness.

Adding some more photos for references: 

This one cleaned pretty well.





This one had an ink stain that went all the way through. It was clean and would not make the content dirty, but I ended up using a purse organizer.



This one had a stubborn part that didn't clean very well, but it's no longer flaking, keeping the content clean.



This one cleaned well, too!


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## joeylondon

Ah, I just got a flaking bag today and trying to decide whether to return it or not. This is making me consider trying out brushing/vacuuming...
Thanks so much for sharing your experience.


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## LeahLVoes

Hey guys, i just stumbled across this pretty vintage gucci. It was a total steal but the interior is such a mess... Ill try to get rid of all the peeling using a suede brush. Wish me luck


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## LeahLVoes

DennisLVoes said:


> Hey guys, i just stumbled across this pretty vintage gucci. It was a total steal but the interior is such a mess... Ill try to get rid of all the peeling using a suede brush. Wish me luck



So I could brush everything out. It took me several hours and at first glance it looks really good. Unfortunately the now suede looking interior feels kind of sticky and moist in a way. Also i would not recommend cleaning the bag without having nail polish remover at home, because my fingers were all black and sticky and just water and soap cant get rid of it. 

If anyone has tips how to move forward with the interior I'd love to hear advice. The bag is so pretty but the way it is right now I cant use it. 

TIA.


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## papertiger

DennisLVoes said:


> Hey guys, i just stumbled across this pretty vintage gucci. It was a total steal but the interior is such a mess... Ill try to get rid of all the peeling using a suede brush. Wish me luck



The lining of this bag is different. You may have to be a lot more gentle. Best of luck.


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## AnnaKat

Thank you for this thread!


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## excusemelah

Thank you for this very useful information!  I purchased my very first vintage Gucci Accessory crossbody (more like shoulder bag to me because of my height) and only realized about the powders after using it.  Oh goodness the powders were EVERYWHERE! Including the crevices of my mini powerbank (a pain to clean).  I'm glad Google pointed me this way and after multiple pass of my mini *nail brush* (I don't have the suede brush and the mini size was perfect maneuvering inside the bag), a pet handheld vacuum, and topping it off with packing tape, the bag is now dust free!  I don't know if the flaking will return but I plan on giving a good cleaning every month just to be safe


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## hotjetset

Thanks for this tip, I will try the suede brush for sure. I used a mini hand vac that had a brush attachment. The gunk stuck to the bristles of the vac attachment.


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## mika7777777

hotjetset said:


> Thanks for this tip, I will try the suede brush for sure. I used a mini hand vac that had a brush attachment. The gunk stuck to the bristles of the vac attachment.



Wow, I've just realized there have been a several comments since I started this thread. So glad to hear you guys find this useful!


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## papertiger

mika7777777 said:


> Wow, I've just realized there have been a several comments since I started this thread. So glad to hear you guys find this useful!



I think more people than ever before are interested in vintage Gucci


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## mika7777777

I ended up selling many of my vintage Gucci bags, but there is one Boston bag I just cannot part with. It's from the 70s and still looking very solid.


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## sinniebunnie

I picked up a 1983 gucci web crossbody from a swapmeat/flea market 10 years ago for $2. It had the classic flakey interior so I never used it. I recently went to town on it with a boar bristled hair brush (closest thing to a suede brush I could find) and a dyson stick vac with the small attachment with the roller brush. The roller brush did most of the work and it cleaned up rather nicely.  To finish it off, I used a small leaf blower to blow all the small flakes from between the liner and the inside of the bag. I aimed the blower into the bag and I was shocked on how much dust came out of it. After 5 minutes I was satisfied with my work and now I have a lovely old to new crossbody. 

I was only careful around the papertag behind the leather tag, I didn't want to lose or damage it in the process. 

This information is for the soft cloth coated interior and not the suede one.


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## pmburk

sinniebunnie said:


> I picked up a 1983 gucci web crossbody from a swapmeat/flea market 10 years ago for $2. It had the classic flakey interior so I never used it. I recently went to town on it with a boar bristled hair brush (closest thing to a suede brush I could find) and a dyson stick vac with the small attachment with the roller brush. The roller brush did most of the work and it cleaned up rather nicely.  To finish it off, I used a small leaf blower to blow all the small flakes from between the liner and the inside of the bag. I aimed the blower into the bag and I was shocked on how much dust came out of it. After 5 minutes I was satisfied with my work and now I have a lovely old to new crossbody.
> 
> I was only careful around the papertag behind the leather tag, I didn't want to lose or damage it in the process.
> 
> This information is for the soft cloth coated interior and not the suede one.



I admit that I had to LOL about your use of a leaf blower! But hey, whatever works. Probably a great way to get the residual dust out.

I have a vintage Ophidia camera bag from (I think) the 80s - the navy blue version - that I found for $15 at a flea market a few years ago. The lining was a disaster and mostly flaked off. A suede brush and some diligent time with the vacuum cleaner attachments cleaned it out nicely! Now it's just the soft flannel fabric inside and no more flakes!


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## sinniebunnie

pmburk said:


> I admit that I had to LOL about your use of a leaf blower! But hey, whatever works. Probably a great way to get the residual dust out.
> 
> I have a vintage Ophidia camera bag from (I think) the 80s - the navy blue version - that I found for $15 at a flea market a few years ago. The lining was a disaster and mostly flaked off. A suede brush and some diligent time with the vacuum cleaner attachments cleaned it out nicely! Now it's just the soft flannel fabric inside and no more flakes!



I suggest you take a leaf blower to it. The dust that came out of the bag was alot. The dust consists of the flakes between the lining and canvas inside.


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## DaisyDD

sinniebunnie said:


> I suggest you take a leaf blower to it. The dust that came out of the bag was alot. The dust consists of the flakes between the lining and canvas inside.


I’m on the process of doing this!  Question, has anyone washed this coated fabric after you get the flakes out?  Mine was the dreaded blue interior


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## sinniebunnie

DaisyDD said:


> I’m on the process of doing this!  Question, has anyone washed this coated fabric after you get the flakes out?  Mine was the dreaded blue interior


I'm sorry, I only have experience with the beige one. Can you post a close up of the fabric?


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## papertiger

DaisyDD said:


> I’m on the process of doing this!  Question, has anyone washed this coated fabric after you get the flakes out?  Mine was the dreaded blue interior


Use a brush and vacuum, don’t wash.


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## DaisyDD

sinniebunnie said:


> I'm sorry, I only have experience with the beige one. Can you post a close up of the fabric?


This is before and after. I’m not even venturing into the one pocket. I’m fine with never using that. I just feel like it’s still dirty and really not comfortable sticking stuff in it yet.


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## FLWriterGirl

I attempted this and am still not done. Mine is a clutch and it's super difficult to get to it all. Hint: Wear gloves and do it outside. Mine, like a poster above, is sticky with residue. Any hint on how to get that off?


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## sinniebunnie

DaisyDD said:


> This is before and after. I’m not even venturing into the one pocket. I’m fine with never using that. I just feel like it’s still dirty and really not comfortable sticking stuff in it yet.
> 
> View attachment 5574564
> 
> 
> View attachment 5574565
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> View attachment 5574566
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> View attachment 5574567


You did a great job!

I felt the same way after I did my cleaning. After I tried to put my stuff in, I would still get flakes afterward. I recommend the leaf blower method to blow all residue out, there is a lot between the lining and bag. I had a left over smell and used some febreeze with it. In the end, I am still not using it because one of the side straps broke off and my needle and thread and thread attempt to repair it did not work since the leather is so old. 

Honestly I don't think it would hurt to wash it out, I would try and preserve the original paper tag since I think it adds character to it. If you look at the back of it, the year it is made is in a corner. Mine is 1981 or 1982. Still blow it out first. Let me know what you deicide.


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## sinniebunnie

FLWriterGirl said:


> I attempted this and am still not done. Mine is a clutch and it's super difficult to get to it all. Hint: Wear gloves and do it outside. Mine, like a poster above, is sticky with residue. Any hint on how to get that off?


Sorry I haven't come across sticky residue yet.


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## DaisyDD

sinniebunnie said:


> You did a great job!
> 
> I felt the same way after I did my cleaning. After I tried to put my stuff in, I would still get flakes afterward. I recommend the leaf blower method to blow all residue out, there is a lot between the lining and bag. I had a left over smell and used some febreeze with it. In the end, I am still not using it because one of the side straps broke off and my needle and thread and thread attempt to repair it did not work since the leather is so old.
> 
> Honestly I don't think it would hurt to wash it out, I would try and preserve the original paper tag since I think it adds character to it. If you look at the back of it, the year it is made is in a corner. Mine is 1981 or 1982. Still blow it out first. Let me know what you deicide.


I thought I replied back but can’t find it. So I’m attaching the photos from the inside of the bag, I don’t see a date. I was told from the seller that this purse was her aunts who purchased it in Italy in 1970. It was also authenticated by eBay and they also confirmed 1970 but I little faith in them. The seller mentioned it was the first issue of this bag but who knows. Lol.


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## MrsBeaverhausen

I’m so frustrated with removing this sticky mess. I’m so tempted to just cut out the lining - does anyone know what’s under it? I’m guessing just the raw side of the leather exterior?

I bought some inserts which really do help but they’re disgusting on the outside now.


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