An awful smell coming from your backpack is the weirdest thing, and the situation becomes nasty when you are with your fellows. If your bag smells dreadful, don’t worry; you can get rid of it using some tactics. However, the question is; how to get the smell out of the backpack?
You can remove the smell from the backpack by putting some baking soda at the base of your bag and leaving it open in the sunlight for a day. Moreover, you can also use vinegar, alcohol, and coffee grounds for this purpose.
Do you want to know more tips to get the smell out of your backpack? If yes, follow the below guidelines.
Do Before Deodorizing Your Bag
Before deodorizing your bag, check its external and internal pockets. It is necessary to remove food particles or sticky substances from pockets. Some backpacks come with several pockets, including earphones, keys, and wallet pockets.
Therefore, If you soak your bag in water without inspecting its sections first, it will end up with a mess. Consequently, your vital things may damage, so you should always examine your bag before washing or deodorizing it.
Ways to Remove the Smell
Although there are various ways to eliminate the smell of a backpack, you can follow the below tips to get immediate results.
- Baking Soda
Baking soda is one of the easiest or best ways to remove the smell from a backpack. To use it effectively, take some baking soda and put it in your bag. After that leave your bag in sunlight for at least a month. In this way, baking soda assist in deodorizing your bag.
- Vinegar
Since vinegar is a natural deodorizer, it keeps your bag clean from dreadful odor. To use vinegar effectively, mix equal amounts of water and vinegar in a spray bottle. After that, splash it inside your bag and leave it for 10 minutes. Now, you may sprinkle some baking soda on the wet areas of the backpack to get more effective results.
- Febreze
It is a famous odor remover. You can buy it easily from your nearby market in various forms. To use the Febreze, first, remove everything from your backpack. After that, sprinkle some Febreze inside your bag and leave it for a few hours. Once the smell is removed, repeat the procedure to eliminate the odor permanently.
- Charcoal
It is another effective way to remove the smell from a backpack. For this, place some charcoal chips if the in a nylon leggy. After inspecting your bag, place these charcoal chips inside and leave them for five to seven days for the best results.
- Coffee Grounds
These are surprising smell absorbers and eliminators. You can utilize them by making 5 to 6 packs of coffee grinds and placing them in your bag. After that, allow the coffee grounds to absorb the smells for 3 to 4 days before removing them from the backpack.
- Lysol
It is one of the most popular odor eliminators. In addition to covering up odors, Lysol also eliminates dangerous bacteria. You can both the exterior and interior of your bag with Lysol to remove smells. Above all, after applying the Lysol, wait until it dries completely before using your backpack.
- Alcohol
It is another effective way to make your backpack smell-proof. The strong alcohol content helps to eliminate odors immediately. Fill a spray container with an equal amount of rubbing alcohol and water. After that, spray some mixture on the outside of the rucksack and hang it up to dry naturally. When it dries completely, you can use your backpack again.
- Install a Dryer Sheet Inside the Backpack
A dryer sheet kept in the bag every time helps cover up any odors that remain after cleaning and deodorizing the area. You can spread the sheet on the bag’s bottom after opening it. Moreover, when the fresh scent starts to wear off, remove the old sheet and replace it with another one.
Clean & Deodorize a Backpack Without Washing
You may be a wonder to know that you can clean your backpack without washing it. It is because every bag isn’t waterproof. Therefore, you need to clean it by using some other ways.
To remove the smell from a backpack without washing it, you need to have baking soda, white vinegar, and water. Then by following the below steps, you can clean your bag.
- First, take a small bowl and add 1 tbsp of vinegar and 2 tbsp of water to it, then stir them gently.
- Now using a toothbrush, you can clean the bag with this mixture.
- Use a piece of cloth to clean up any dirt.
- Next, put 1/2 cup of baking soda into your bag, close it up, and give it a good shake.
- Now spray some body spray on the exterior of your bag.
- Place it on an exposed area for 2 or 3 days so that it can absorb.
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How Do You Wash Your Backpack?
Although removing smells from a backpack is a difficult task, you can do it by washing it. Here is the method by which you can wash your bag.
- First, remove everything from your bag, open every pocket, and clean up the stains.
- Now, fill the tub with warm water and add a little amount of detergent to it. Place the bag in it and gently scrub it with a brush.
- After that, remove the unclean water from the tub and replace it with cold water. Now, rinse your bag properly and leave it to dry.
How Do You Disinfect Your Backpack?
If you pack some food in your backpack for a hike and don’t eat it, it may get rotten. Since rotten food contains bacteria, it may infect your bag with a bad smell. Therefore, your backpack should always be free from bacteria and insects.
To disinfect your bag, you should follow the below steps.
- First, take a small amount of disinfectant and mix it well in a little amount of water.
- Moreover, you can also use it directly on your bag by rubbing a small amount of disinfectant on it.
- After that, leave your bag in the open air for five to seven minutes.
- Now, soak your bag in warm water and let it dry.
Is It OK to Dry a Backpack in the Dryer?
No, it’s not ok to put a backpack in a dryer. It is because the dryer generates heat which causes damage to your bag’s stuff. Therefore, you should dry it naturally after washing it to remove the backpack smell. For this, you can hang your bag upside down to ensure; there is no remaining water. Additionally, make sure your backpacks are receiving fresh air.
Is It Ok to Wash a Backpack in the Washing Machine?
Yes, you can wash your bag in the washing machine, but it depends upon the structure of your bag. If your bag is made up of soft material, you can put it in a washing. However, if your bag consists of solid stuff, like a baseball bag, you can’t wash it in a machine as it can’t bend. Moreover, you can’t wash your wheeled bag too in a washing machine because it may damage it.
Thus, before washing your backpack in a washing machine, make sure it is made of soft and bendable material.
| Checkout: Recommended Best Spirit Personal item Backpack |
FAQs
Can You Wash a Smelly Backpack?
Yes, to make a backpack smell-proof, you can wash it. For this, fill a tub with lukewarm water and add a small amount of detergent. After that, add some white vinegar to remove any pungent odor. Now, scrub your bag gently before rinsing it and let it dry.
Why Does My Backpack Smell Weird?
There are many reasons why your backpack smells terrible, but the primary one is the excessive bacterial growth in it. Because of dampness and poor breathability inside your bag, bacteria, weeds, or molds may develop because of favorable conditions. To prevent it, wash your bag regularly with warm water and disinfectant.
What Can Make Your Bag Smell Good?
The best way to make your bag smell good is to empty it regularly and place it in an open-air for some time. Furthermore, you can also spray a small amount of baking soda inside your backpack to absorb a bad smell.
What Is a Natural Odor Eliminator?
Vinegar, salt, coffee grounds, and baking soda are some natural odor eliminators. You can use them to remove smells from backpacks, pouches, and purses. Moreover, they also neutralize pungent odors from your home and vehicles.
Wrap Up
To remove a smell from the backpack, you should first know which types of scent you want to eliminate. After determining the form of smell, you can use specialized sprays to remove the specific odors.
Moreover, you can also employ natural detergents like baking soda, white vinegar, coffee, and charcoal in your bag to throw away the bad smell. Remember that thorough cleaning is essential to get rid of the scent.
Hopefully, these tips will assist you in getting rid of the offensive bag’s smell. Above all, put your rucksack inside a bag and wash it with water for the best results. After that, dry it properly.
