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Post by hikerjer on Sept 13, 2020 8:02:53 GMT -8
My backpack has gotten to the point where it is, shall we say, rather well used and needs a good cleaning. How go you clean your pack - method of washing, drying, which soap, any other hints or suggestions?
Thanks much.
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zeke
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Post by zeke on Sept 13, 2020 10:41:41 GMT -8
No soap. I turn the hose on it when it gets bad, maybe run a brush over the heaviest dirt. Hang it up in the garage, by the loops on the bottom so it drains out the interior.
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BigLoad
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Post by BigLoad on Sept 13, 2020 11:13:28 GMT -8
I use unscented dishwashing detergent. It's probably harder to find now that grocery stores are stocking fewer choices. I also use it on my Ursacks.
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driftwoody
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Post by driftwoody on Sept 13, 2020 12:23:33 GMT -8
I soak mine in tomato juice because I'm always having bad encounters with skunks.
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texasbb
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Post by texasbb on Sept 13, 2020 13:05:50 GMT -8
I do a bit of hose work then soak it in the bathtub (with a few bricks to hold things down). I haven't done it myself, but a friend uses a pressure washer.
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almostthere
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Post by almostthere on Sept 13, 2020 14:10:58 GMT -8
I throw it in the washing machine with regular soap. Guess I'm boring.
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gabby
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Post by gabby on Sept 13, 2020 14:34:46 GMT -8
I soak mine in tomato juice because I'm always having bad encounters with skunks. Any chance I'd ever hike with you just went away. :^) |
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crawford
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Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.--Edison
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Post by crawford on Sept 13, 2020 14:51:22 GMT -8
I've often just used water and a brush and then hang it in direct sunlight for a day or two. When it has gotten really nasty I've used a diluted Simple Green and a soft brush as well. It works pretty well.
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Post by johntpenca on Sept 14, 2020 2:29:02 GMT -8
Just hose it and air dry it.
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rangewalker
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Post by rangewalker on Sept 14, 2020 3:55:04 GMT -8
I've often just used water and a brush and then hang it in direct sunlight for a day or two. When it has gotten really nasty I've used a diluted Simple Green and a soft brush as well. It works pretty well. I am this guy except I may use Dawn Dish soap. I have to wash my daypacks a lot. Currently twice this spring-summer season from mud drops, fine dust, and body funk. The body of my newest backpack is Dyneema, really a composite plastic, so it doesn't accept as much funk, but the webbing and frame sheet covers are conventional. Who else gets pine needles or woody pieces embedded in their fabric mesh? Maybe because my hipbelts all are lighter colors, they look the funkiest. |
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rebeccad
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Post by rebeccad on Sept 14, 2020 6:06:50 GMT -8
rangewalker , I definitely get the pine needles in the mesh! That’s not dirt, that’s art  . Any packs needing washing have typically gone into the tub for a bit of a soak with little or no soap, and a couple of rinses. Drain well and line dry.
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BigLoad
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Post by BigLoad on Sept 14, 2020 6:29:51 GMT -8
I am this guy except I may use Dawn Dish soap. I've used Dawn, too. It's not unscented, but not absurdly odiferous. Who else gets pine needles or woody pieces embedded in their fabric mesh? My pet peeves on vegetation are pine needles, pine pitch, and scrub oak leaves. The needles and leaves find their way into the most inaccessible parts of the pack. Pitch seems to get mainly where it is most easily transferred onto clothes. The body of my newest backpack is Dyneema, really a composite plastic, so it doesn't accept as much funk, but the webbing and frame sheet covers are conventional. My current pack is all-Dyneema, so it has required very little cleaning. My Ursacks get cleaned after every trip, though. Another thing I've tried with them is vinegar first and then baking soda to get rid of any remaining food odors. That works OK, but it's not worth the extra bother, IMO. |
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Post by tallgrass on Sept 21, 2020 12:23:04 GMT -8
Good soak in the tub with maybe a squirt of Dawn or some woolite/sportwash type detergent. Few giggles in the water, brush the tough spots. Hang dry.
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Westy
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Post by Westy on Sept 22, 2020 5:48:35 GMT -8
I shake the heck out of my backpacks upside down in the back yard. This gets all the pine needles and debris out, or most of it. Then, without soap, soak it in the bath tub for a couple of hours. Intermittently, shake, lift and reposition several times. Then place it upside down outside to dry. Primary mission is to remove salt, prevent corrosions, especially on the should straps. I like tallgrass suggestion for a drop of Dawn. Will try that next time. I should also add that I perform this for every 14-21 days in the field. |
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Post by rachelsdad on Oct 5, 2020 0:37:41 GMT -8
I throw it in the washing machine with regular soap. Guess I'm boring. I used to do the same thing but the aluminum frame made an incredible racket in the dryer......  |
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