How to Wash Your Kid’s Backpack (Because, Seriously, It’s Gross)

I shudder to think of all the places my children toss their backpacks. From bathroom and gym floors to dirt patches outside and everything in between, the bottoms of those backpacks are pretty disgusting. (Which is why I completely flip out when they get put on the kitchen counter!) If you think about it, the bottoms of backpacks are a lot like the bottoms of shoes. And this isn’t to mention all the dirt that collects inside the backpacks. Spilled drinks, sandwich crumbs, dirt and debris from the bottoms of shoes, and marks from pens whose tops came off — all of it combines to make backpacks some of the grimiest kids’ items in existence.  

Washing these practically biohazardous backpacks is crucial, and it should ideally be done at least a couple times a year. You want to do it often enough that it stays clean, but not so often that there’s undue wear and tear on the backpack. 

Here’s a step-by-step for how to wash a backpack: 

The first step of washing your children’s backpacks is to check the care label for instructions. Backpacks with leather components can likely only be spot cleaned, for instance. However, most fabric backpacks can be tossed in the washer. 

Whether your backpack can go into the washing machine or not, gather the following supplies to clean your children’s backpacks:

• Vacuum cleaner with a brush or crevice tool attached
• Liquid laundry detergent
• Stain remover (I like Folex and Shout. Just make sure your backpack’s fabric is colorfast. Spot test if you’re unsure.) 
• Soft scrub brush or old toothbrush
• Rag

For backpacks that cannot go into the washing machine, perform the following steps: 

1. Remove everything from the backpack, including all small pockets. 
2. Vacuum the interior of the backpack and the insides of pockets. Or shake the backpack vigorously outside or over a trash can. 
3. Spray stains with stain remover and allow it to sit according to package directions (about 15 minutes). 
4. Apply a small amount of liquid laundry detergent to particularly dirty areas and scrub with the scrub brush. 
5. Rinse stain spray and detergent-treated areas with a wet rag. 
6. Air-dry backpack. Drying it outside is fine, but avoid the sun to prevent fading. Open the backpack up as much as possible to ensure that everything dries quickly and thoroughly. 

Washing a backpack in the washing machine is superconvenient, but to make it as effective as possible, follow these steps: 

1. Remove everything from the backpack, including anything that’s in small pockets. 
2. Vacuum the interior of the backpack, including all pockets. If you aren’t able to use a vacuum, shake the backpack vigorously either outside or over a garbage can. 
3. Spray stains with stain remover. Allow it to sit according to package instructions, which is usually around 15 minutes. 
4. Apply liquid laundry detergent to heavily soiled areas, rubbing it in with a soft scrub brush. 
5. Wash the backpack in cool or warm water with detergent. 
6. Air-dry. You can dry the backpack outside, but avoid the sun so the fabric doesn’t fade. Open the backpack as much as possible so it dries as quickly and thoroughly as possible. 

To keep your children’s backpacks as clean as possible between washings (which, remember, you don’t want to do too often), consider treating them with a fabric protectant like Scotchgard, which helps repel liquid and dirt, preventing stains. In addition, spraying a fabric-safe disinfecting mist deals with 99.9% of viruses and bacteria that make their way on or into your children’s bags.