Tote bags are becoming increasingly popular, with their simplicity, style, and convenience. Their one-compartment design makes it easy to store your laptop, notebooks, and pouches for a day out, with lots of space and very little jumbling. What’s more, they’re eco-friendly!

However, tote bags, like other cloth and canvas bags, get dirty and messy very easily because of how regularly they’re used. Food spills, being put on the floor, dumped in the back of cars, and all the other ways their durability is taken for granted can leave them worn out. Hence, we’ve put together a few tips that will help you clean and maintain your tote bags.

1. Prep your bag: Remove all your belongings from your bag before you start to clean it. Then, turn it inside out and remove whatever dust you can with a lint roller.
   Before you throw your tote into the washing machine, make sure it can be washed. Canvas bags often have paintings, embroidery, or embellishments on them that can’t be washed. Remove any lapel pins, brooches, or badges, and ensure that beads and buttons are fastened.
2. Washing: Examine your bag for any specific washing instructions, and make sure to follow them.
   Then, check to see if your bag is colorfast. Put your dyed bag into cold water for about 10 minutes. If the colour of the water changes, your fabric isn’t colourfast, and you might have to consider spot cleaning rather than washing.
   If it has paint or graphic designs on it, consider washing it with cool water to avoid bleeding and cracking of the design.Then, check to see if your bag is suitable for a washing machine. Some plain coloured or white bags are suitable for machines. We recommend washing bags with prints, painting, embellishments, and designs manually, to ensure they remain in prime condition.

   Dip your bag in warm water, and wring out the excess. Brush it down with firm motions in one direction, avoiding printed areas that might be prone to fading. Then, soak it in warm water and clean it gently with a soft cloth or brush in circular motions. Add a little detergent if stains remain, and repeat the same process.

   Finally, rinse it out with cold water.

3. Drying: If you’ve washed your bag in a washing machine, avoid letting it dry in it, as machine drying may shrink the bag and form wrinkles that may be hard to iron out. Hang the bag out on a clothesline to let it air dry, and ensure that its shape is maintained.
4. Extra tips: Washing your tote bag is necessary, but maintaining it otherwise is just as important. Avoid putting oily foodstuffs in your bag, and other things like paint and ink. Don’t keep them on the floor, and hang them on a bag stand, put them in a breathable bag while storing. These little steps will go a long way in keeping your canvas and tote bags looking as good as new!

In case your bag breaks, Fixperts Shop also offers bag repair services in Dubai, UAE. We stitch the linings of torn bags, replace zips and straps, and much more. You can contact us by calling us on our Toll Free number – 80081, or visiting our office on Level 2, Mall of the Emirates, Dubai.