Fat Wallet Syndrome? How to Restore Your Leather Wallet

The Short Read

Fat wallets are notorious stash houses for expired loyalty cards.
Before you retire your wallet, consider simple steps to restore it to its former glory.
Rethinking wallet care makes wallet-carry routines better.

There is a way to restore your leather wallet to its original glory.

A wallet so bloated it resembles a toadfish on high alert?

A bad look.

Especially in your back pocket.

This phenomenon of dadcore predilection even prompted the chiropractic industry to birth its very own buzz word – you didn’t hear it here first: ‘Fat Wallet Syndrome’.

Yep, sounds like the name of a 1980s hair-metal record, but any business-savvy chiro will tell you – fat wallet syndrome is the physical consequence experienced by people who carry burger-level wallets in their back pockets. They risk pressuring the sciatic nerve (situated in the back) to the point of pain and numbness. Tingling in the “buttocks” or “legs” is to be expected.

So, without undue ado – or ado undue – a public health tip: A fat wallet is bad for your back.

Worse still, perhaps, it’s bad for your look.

But where were we? Ah, yes, that wallet – that big problem.

Zunny, a Japanese news website, previously published a survey that puts how to look after a wallet into perspective.

It found that wallet carriers kept collections of more than 20 cards on average – sounds like a lot of coffee loyalty cards – and more than 10 of these in their wallet.

If you’re wondering what the telltale signs are that it’s time to restore your wallet to its former honour, here are some of the major ones:

Your wallet won’t close.
Its pockets are stretched.
Its stitches are bursting.

To fix the situation, or prevent it, there's help below.

A little wallet is great for pockets and a minimalist’s essentials.

How to Look After a Wallet

A good first step to combat “fat wallet syndrome” isn’t just easy – it’s cathartic.

No equipment needed here – just your storied bare hands:

Empty your wallet onto a flat surface such as a desk or kitchen bench (delight knowing the joy doesn’t stop here).
Shake the lint out of your wallet – sheesh, shake the life out of your wallet if it makes you feel better. Shake out the crumbs (really??), assorted debris, and, err, dare we say, “foreign” matter.

Now, just look at what you did. Look at all the debris you exposed that once lived rent-free in your wallet, plain sight. And now, to ask yourself, mid-revolution, with all your newfound self-respect: “How did I used to live like that?”

You should be entirely proud of yourself – and you should be entirely ashamed of yourself.

A housekept wallet? You won’t know yourself.

More Housekeeping for a Slim Wallet

How to look after your wallet now that it’s gutted?

This is the time to summon your inner Lady Macbeth. Obviously, as we all know, such a signature exercise demands your favourite little drink straw (paper will be perfectly functional, and ethically superior over plastic, naturally).

Hint

If you’re really in the zone, a mini dust blower dislodges dust particles from hard-to-reach spots in wallets and other items such as laptops, keyboards, and cameras.

Get into all the pockets. Blow gusts into the straw (unless you actually want to be a vacuum, never breathe into the straw).

This exercise to restore your slim wallet to the glory of its on-shelf days is the finest of times to be forensic.

You are purifying slots that safehoused the cards and physical receipts of many transactions long forgotten.

Cleaning Tips to Reclaim a Minimalist Wallet

By now, it’s time to cleanse and sterilise your wallet.

A few good practices to keep in mind here:

Check your cleaning cupboards for little toothbrushes, micro-tip paint brushes, or even little makeup brushes that clean deep in your wallet’s pockets (don’t raid the bathroom cupboard).
Keep in mind you can also voyage deeper into tight card slots with a blunt and thin instrument such as a butter knife or bamboo skewer.
Dip a clean microfibre or cotton cloth in a mix of warm water with mild (non-invasive) soap; wring it so it’s as dry as possible; blanket the instrument before you wipe out the crevices.
Subsequently, wipe them with a dry cloth and let them air dry (your wallet might be out of commission until the next day).

How to Clean a Leather Wallet

Once you’ve taken care of your leather wallet on the inside, focus on the outside.

You can wipe down most wallets with a slightly damp and lint-free cloth dipped in warm water and mild soap, and air dry it away from direct heat or sunlight (give it a day or two).

At JOURNEY, our wallet range features a variety of leather models, which you can care for with a quality leather conditioner a few times per year.

Enhance your wallet’s patina and fragrance your wallet by gently massaging in a small amount of leather conditioner with a clean microfibre cloth.

What is the best way to clean a leather wallet?

Hand holding a slim JOURNEY leather wallet

LOC8 VERSA Slim is a little leather wallet for people who mainly pay by phone.

Quick tips:

Test first on a hidden area to ensure your conditioner doesn’t darken your leather.
Remember that a little typically goes a long way; carefully follow the instructions on the bottle; keep in mind that excess conditioner doesn’t only incur you undue cost – it can be unkind on your wallet material too.
Apply the conditioner evenly to your cloth, rather than sploshing it directly on the leather.
Allow adequate time for air drying. It’s a good idea to dry overnight and check the following day, so ensure you choose a time when you can do without your wallet for a while.

A magnetic wallet can attach to a phone so they become a unified carry object.

How Do I Get Rid of a Bulky Wallet Permanently?

At JOURNEY, we have a burgeoning range of minimalist wallets that accommodate busy phone carriers.

Traditional wallet users, however, might need to embark on an audit entailing tackling anything from 10-plus slots for cards and receipts to hard cash warrens to “tactical” dividers to top-secret pockets to coin pouches (seriously!) to classic clear ID windows that fog up like sauna glass.

Suffice to say, having a little plan of action goes a long way.

What Should I Keep in My Wallet?

Expedite your audit by organising your wallet contents into three categories.

Category	What Belongs Here
Keepers	Essentials such as a backup credit card, driver’s license, and a quick cash note.
To Remove	Surplus cash and coins (store them in a jar), random business cards, gift cards, ID documents and other insidious items that permanently hide in plain sight before you realise.
Not Required	Old receipts, ticket stubs, expired loyalty cards etc.

A Future-Proof Wallet

An annual purge alone will distinguish your wallet from many of the tired, battered, and overloaded wallets that drag pants down and misshape their profiles.

For even better results however, maintain your wallet as routinely as you might your car or fridge.

If you use your wallet everyday, declutter it weekly, and give it a deep clean and conditioning quarterly.

A little care makes a big difference.

JOURNEY’s slim wallet range features a series of pocket-friendly wallets that you can track with your phone and purpose as phone stands. Find them here.

Fat Wallet Syndrome? How to Restore Your Leather Wallet to Good Health.