How To Clean Your Backpack: A Step-by-Step Guide
Reading Time: 7 minutes Are you a backpacker when you go out on hiking trips? Most likely, you may have encountered some problems cleaning the backpack. Unlike clothes such as socks, pants and shirts, which are among the easiest things to clean, like backpacks, which are more difficult to clean.
But you do not have to worry about that. In this article, we will explain how to clean your hiking pack easily and effortlessly, and we will give you some tips on how to care for backpacks and extend the life of these bags.
Regular Use Cleaning Techniques for Maintenance
Here are some reasons why taking care of your backpacks regularly is easier than cleaning it completely.
The Importance of Regular Maintenance
Many of us think that there is no reason to keep outdoor equipment, especially packs, clean, due to being outdoors for long periods. But cleaning the outdoor equipment is very important and a great way to maintain the quality of this equipment significantly and for a long time.
When dirt interferes with external equipment, this leads to product damage within a short time. When mud and rough materials accumulate with the backpacks in particular. It will act as sharp sandpaper that tears the fabric made for backpacks. Unfortunately, this reduces the shelf life of hiking bags.
Many of us want to avoid and keep our equipment on regardless of whether it is cheap or expensive.
Cleaning the Interior
It is essential to focus on cleaning the inside of your backpack. When using a backpack regularly, the internal cleaning process must be done, as the interior is where you will put all your equipment for hiking and hiking trips.
And if you’re the one who puts snacks in the bag, there is sure to be a large amount of dirt lurking inside the inner pockets of the backpack.
To clean the inside of the backpack, all you have to do is start removing all your tools and equipment from inside the bag, open all the pockets in your bag, and shake the bag well in order to remove the internal things in the bag.
After emptying the bag and shaking it from the stuck things, you can do the cleaning process using a piece of wet cloth and wipe it inside the bag in order to remove the accumulated stains and dirt that may damage the bag from the inside.
Cleaning the exterior
The outer part of the backpack is the part that is most frequently thrown to the ground, and this part is likely to be the most vulnerable to damage than the inner part of the pack. Therefore, cleaning the outside of your backpack is very important in order to maintain and extend the life of the bag.
In order to clean the outside of the bag, you can use a towel dampened with a little water and some soap and remove all stains and lumps on the outside of the bag.
And if you are afraid that the bag will be damaged by using the towel, you can replace the towel with a microfiber cloth that will keep your bag from any scratches.
Some methods can be used to clean the bag internally and externally, by using the brush for better cleaning, and vacuum cleaners can also be used to better clean the inside of the bag and remove all impurities and dirt inside the bag.
How to Clean Your Hiking Backpack
After completing the camping trip and after carrying the bags and the day hiking, you need to wash your backpack, because it is exposed to many external factors such as rain, dirt, wind and snow, and you may also sweat on your bag while walking.
These factors will cause an accumulation of odours and dirt on the bag.
Some bag manufacturers put out some instructions that show how to properly wash your backpack.
And if this information is not clear, you can use these tips that will help you wash your backpack safely, namely:
- Soak your backpack in the bathtub, but there are some bags that it is not recommended to soak, so you should read the cleaning instructions for all bags before you clean them.
- Do not use hot or cold water while washing the bag, but use lukewarm water.
- If there are stains on the bag, you can use the brush very gently and in that area only, and you can rub the cloth together to produce a little friction.
- Do not wash the backpack in the washer and dryer because this will damage many sides of the backpack and in some cases may become unusable.
- After you finish washing your bag, hang it dry in the shade or indoors, away from sunlight, in order not to have unnecessary damage from ultraviolet rays.
How to Deep Clean Your Hiking Backpack
After you have finished your camping trip and have left your bag dirty for months, you need to do a deep cleaning of your hiking pack.
You should read the manufacturer’s instructions because in this case, you must soak all backpacks in the bathtub.
Washing the backpack in the bathtub is one of the most common methods and one of the easiest ways to wash bags.
In order to wash the hiking backpack in the bathtub, you must follow these steps:
- Empty your bag of all items and you should check all pockets and crevices and then remove any external items as they may be safety whistles, pins, etc.
- After completely emptying your bag, shake your bag upside down. We recommend that you do this outside because there may be a lot of dirt and sand inside that will come out as a result of shaking it. You can also use a vacuum cleaner to remove dirt from all corners and from the zippers, which are pockets instead of shaking it all at once.
- If the quality of the bag allows for the hip belt and shoulder belt to be removed, remove them as this is not considered necessary, but if you can remove them, clean them with a soapy sponge and rinse with lukewarm water.
- Then remove the metal frame if you can, as removing it will help make cleaning easier as it will keep the frame better.
- After you’ve completed these steps, your backpack is ready to clean, so fill the bathtub with 6 inches of lukewarm water.
- After you finish filling the bathtub, put your bag in the water and submerge it. If the water does not completely cover the bag, add enough to cover the bag completely.
- Add a little mild soap then slide the backpack into the water and you should soak it for a minute or two, not too long. Move the bag around to remove some of the dirt.
- Get a soft-bristled brush and use it to clean the areas of the bag that are touching your body, and also use it to clean the dirty interior. The brush should be rubbed very gently and gently, avoiding rubbing sections of the mesh with a rough brush.
- Drain the sink and rinse the bag until it’s under running water.
- Fill the bathtub again until it is full with 6 inches of cold water, then move the bag around to make sure the soap is rinsed off thoroughly. You may need to do this step twice.
Note: If your bag’s zippers are full of dirt and burrs, you should use a toothbrush to scrub these zippers when deep cleaning and after the zippers have dried, lubricate the zippers with silicone grease.
After you do a deep cleaning, dry the backpack, so you should look for an area out of the sun to dry, and I advise you to hang your bag in the bathroom because the water will come down from it for a while after you wash it.
What Not To Do
The Dangers of the Washing Machine
Do not use the washing machine to clean your backpack, and despite the speed of the washing process using a washing machine, it is not allowed under any circumstances to clean the backpack using a washing machine at all.
The violent rotational movement of the washing machines is not suitable for the fabrics used in the manufacture of backpacks. There are also many straps and clips on the backpack that can be damaged inside the washing machine.
This does not mean that if the bag is damaged, you will not be able to repair it, but when you repair it, it will not return to the way it was before and it can be completely damaged after several uses.
The Impact of Cleaning Chemicals
Not all soap is suitable for cleaning backpacks, but when you go to stores you will find a special soap for cleaning backpacks, and many chemicals remove stains from fabrics. But beware of these materials, as there are harsh materials on the materials manufactured for bags that will lead to damage.
Conclusion
In the end, all you have to do is maintain your hiking pack in all possible ways. Follow the cleaning steps that we have mentioned well and not use both washing machines and unsuitable chemicals to clean hiking pack in order to preserve them from damage.
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