2 years ago, I purchased a Gucci Marmont bag. After 3 months, I noticed that the GG logo on the bag had started to oxidise. I know that for a lot of their Marmont bags, Gucci uses aged brass hardware, to give it that slightly vintage look. Yes, it’s supposed to look “tarnished”, but this was not how it was when I purchased it – it was a wayyy too spotty and oxidised. To illustrate, here’s a photo I posted on my Instagram Stories:

I then got many replies to my stories via DM, from followers telling me that they, too, experienced the same issue, and not just on bags, but also on shoes, and even the logo buckles on the belts, all of which were specifically from the Marmont range after a couple of months, just like how it was for me. I have to clarify, though, that funnily enough, it’s only on the logo itself – the chains on the straps are made of the same aged brass, yet didn’t oxidise or discolour! Some even experienced scratch marks on the hardware, and they never even got scratched to begin with!

A lot of you were really frustrated about this happening, well, myself included. So, since this seems to be an ongoing issue  only for the aged brass hardware on Marmont logos (it didn’t seem to happen to the ones with the shiny gold logos), I thought I’d write this guide on how you can not just remove the scratches and oxidation marks, but most importantly, keep them off! I personally did it with my very own bag, and it has been over a year and a half since I did this, and I’ve never had to repeat the process again (I’ll show you an “after” pic, below). Now, let’s get started, shall we?

You’ll Need:

1. Cotton buds / Q Tips
2. Autosol Metal Polish (cream version that is sold in a tube)
3. Dry Microfibre cloth

Step 1: Autosol Metal Polish

Take your dry microfibre cloth and gently use circular motions to wipe the hardware to get rid of any dust or grime. Once you’ve done that, it’s time to use your Autosol Metal Polish (cream version that’s sold in a tube). If you’re wondering what it actually is, Autosol is an award-winning polish used for restoration of metal, particularly the removal of oxidation, corrosion, stains, and even rust. Squeeze a small amount of Autosol onto a cotton bud/ Q Tip, and gently apply it to the scratches and oxidised areas. You can use slight pressure or a “rubbing” motion with your cotton bud on these areas. Do it until all stains, marks are removed. Note: if there are scratches, they cannot be completely removed, but they will be less visible and not as “deep” as before.

Along with removing these marks and stains, Autosol also leaves an invisible slightly glossy and protective sheen over the metals that you use it on – your hardware included, which is why it has been over one and a half years and I’ve never had to use Autosol on my bag again! A word of caution though: don’t overdo it, or you’d have quite a shiny logo staring back at you, and you’d have removed that “aged” look that the bag/shoe/belt originally came with. Also, if it’s a bag, you’d be left with a mismatched look on your hardware: a matte aged chain shoulder strap,  and a shiny logo, so please exercise caution when doing this because this is not a good look! I know it’s a great feeling when you see the stains disappearing before your very eyes, but please use only a small amount of Autosol metal polish, and don’t rub too hard with your cotton bud. You may also want to just use whatever’s left of the polish on the cotton bud, on the other areas of the logo, so as to even out the sheen and colour.

Step 2: Dry Microfibre Cloth

Use a dry microfibre cloth only. Do not use any other cloth/fabric as a substitute. You don’t need to use a brand new microfibre cloth, but if you’re using one that you’ve used before, please be very meticulous when you check your cloth because the last thing you want, are fine dust or sand particles still embedded in the cloth because it would scratch your hardware! Using gentle circular motions, go over the logo on which you used the Autosol on. Leave it for an hour or 2 and voila! We’re done!

Now here’s the “after” photo of my bag:

Notice the difference compared to the first photo above? One year 8 months later, on a bag I use at least 4 times a week, and it hasn’t oxidised since.

Happy cleaning!

Illustrations: @weimun_draws