How to Wash a Backpack – An Easy & Simple Step-by-Step Guide

If you’re a clumsy person like me who spills food on everything, then you, my dear, will have to face the challenge of washing it. You might have asked yourself how to wash a backpack! I bet you love how the freshly washed pack feels lighter with that extra burden of dirt being gone, don’t you?

How long has it been since you last took care of it? Not recently? Then what are you waiting for? Follow the instructions below and enter into the world of safe and easy cleaning backpacks to start the next day with a fresh one on your shoulders. Alternatively, you can replace older one; read this Tech Backpack Buying Guide for a better replacement.

Backpacks are undoubtedly a daily requirement, especially when you’re a travel enthusiast, or when you have school-going youngsters. Be it both ways, damp cloths from gym classes or riverside swim break always find their ways into those sack of fabric, or leather, depending on your taste.

Let’s Get Started!

Let’s dive into how to wash a backpack; Whether you use the laundry machine or hand clean the bag, you have to follow some common steps in both cases. If you use the washing machine, then it’s user-friendly only for packs made of nylon or canvas material. In the case of Leather trims, a laundry machine is a big no-no.

What’s Inside the Bag?

Remove all the things from inside the bag, you don’t want to clog your water drain, now do you? Keep away those stuff in a safe place, wash them if they’re dirty before putting them back in. Have you checked the secret pockets? Good, now you can proceed.

Dusty Edges

Just like your room, backpacks have edges where dust gets stuck. Use a handled vacuum or a flat paintbrush to clean off the dust. Don’t have any of these? You can use a hair dryer back as a DIY vacuum cleaner.

Cut Those Loose Ends

Sometimes, threads get loose around the edges. Cut them off. Using a nail cutter comes handy in this case.

Stain Comes First

If there’s any particular stain on the material, soak the portion separately with lukewarm water and stain remover. Leave it for a few minutes. Then using a brush or a net bag, scrub off the stain gently.

Wait! What’s That Warning Sign?

Make sure to look out for that care label. The label contains instructions on how to clean the bag, or if the material reacts to certain chemicals. If you see no labels, just test clean a small portion with your detergent to see if it’s safe.

All done? Now you can proceed with the whole cleaning process in two different ways.

How to Wash a Backpack – In Case of Hand-wash

•  At first, fill the basin or tub or your water bucket with lukewarm water. Mix your preferred detergent at a 50:50 ratio.
• Soak the bag for 30 minutes. Longer than that inside liquid may wash away the actual color of the sack.
• Drain the dirty water and fill the container again, this time with cold water.
• Rinse it off a few times in the above-mentioned process.
• You can use a soft towel to soak off the water from the bag or leave it on the towel holder for an hour so that the water dripping stops.

How to Wash a Backpack – In Case of Laundry Machine

• Turn the bag pack inside out, so the metal chains stay in.
• Use mild detergent and cold water for the cleansing.
• Select the “gentle spin cycle.” If the bag gets bundled, get it out and straighten it before putting it back in.
• Take out the sack once it’s done cleaning.

Now that the bag is thoroughly washed out take it outside and let nature do the rest. Wait! Hang the bag on the clothespin under the sun, upside down. Now, let nature do its magic. Make sure to dry it completely.

Tips for Extra Care

• Do Not use hot water. It will cause harm to the material of the bag.
• Try to avoid cleaning it with other clothes while using the machine, especially the colorful ones. Put it inside a pillow cover for extra protection.
• If the heat is intense outside, don’t keep the bag hanging for too long.
• If you found your backpack with a broken zipper you can fix that with these easy and simple steps

These instructions on how to wash your bag packs are quite easy to follow, don’t you think? Now you can relax and pass a few days without worrying about it. If you want to stitch patches on your freshly washed backpack for a custom look, you can have a glance at our How to Sew Patch on a Backpack guide.