Maybe you’ve never thought of this, until right this very second (you’re welcome): what happens to all the microbes, germs, and general dirt that we get on our clothes while we travel?
Especially when you put your dirty clothes into your suitcase for your return trip?
Do the germs evaporate? Remain on your clothes? Or do they somehow get transferred to the interior lining of your bag, leaving your clean clothes susceptible to germs, bugs, and cooties when you pack for your next trip?
We asked our service department for tips and suggestions about how to maintain or return your bag’s interior to the cleanest state possible.
In travel, as in life, forewarned is forearmed. Choosing a bag that has been designed to help you manage soiled or wet items is the best plan. In many of our lines, we have taken the extra step to include either a wet pocket that is waterproof or apply an H2O Guard to the fabric of the entire interior lining that helps prevent stains or smells that come with possible spills or wet garment garment storage.
If your suitcase doesn’t have this built-in protection, use plastic bags, such as those provided at hotels for laundry service or from home, to separate your wet, dirty, or simply worn clothes from those that are still clean. Most bags have a mesh compartment in the interior lid or a zippered pocket on the exterior that can be used to store these if a plastic bag is not available. It won’t keep the cooties out, but it will separate things a bit.
If you find a spill or stain or smell in your bag’s lining, you can clean it by mixing equal parts of denatured alcohol (also called industrial alcohol), and water to form a solution. Use a damp towel or sponge to apply this, and thoroughly wipe out the interior. Do not soak the lining, but try repeated applications if the situation persists. Leave the bag open so the solution can dry completely.
If you want to deal with a spill or stain while you’re still traveling, disinfectant wipes or baby wipes can be used to mitigate the worst until you can fully attend to it.
Do you have any other suggestions? Leave us a comment below or on our Facebook page.