It seems like forever since I have been on a trip. In a few short weeks, I will be traveling to Oxford and London, England for a few weeks, a trip I have been planning for the last two years. In the midst of COVID, I was accepted into a continuing education course at The University of Oxford, studying The Grand Tour: British Travellers in Europe, c. 1600-1900. The tour evolved young men and women into the rite of passage and the culmination of their education. While I know this might not sound fascinating to everyone, I have eagerly anticipated this experience for two years and can’t wait to add to my art history knowledge while furthering my PhD studies in Cultural Studies and Art History. After my class, I will be traveling to London with my Mom for several days. We have the whole trip planned out, and I can’t wait to share all the details in another post!
As I wrote above, I have had two years to plan for this trip, down to a complete itinerary and pack list, but when I got my luggage out of storage a few days ago, I noticed it was looking, well, a little grungy. So, I turned to Google and started looking for ways to clean and give my luggage a general freshening up. It turns out it was a pretty easy thing to accomplish.
Before I begin, it is important to note that these directions are for cleaning fabric luggage, and this process will not work on hard shell cases or leather suitcases. Well, with that, let’s get started. First, I gathered all the supplies I was going to need.
Supplies:
Vacuum
Lysol Wipes
Foaming Upholstery Cleaner
Scrub Brush
White Cloth
Old Towel
Part 1 Directions: How to Clean the Inside Lining of Luggage
- I began by removing all items from the inside of the luggage. If you are like me, this is where I store my travel accessories like packing cubes, travel pillow, and blanket and set them aside.
- Detach any removable items such as laundry bags and attachable pockets/dividers, and clean them separately following the directions listed below.
- Next, take your luggage outside and give it a good shake, removing any larger particles (dust bunnies). Once you are done with this step, vacuum out your luggage. I recommend using your handheld vacuum if you have one so you can reach all the nooks and crannies in your bag.
- Finally, wipe down everything with a Lysol wipe. Just to note, I like to use the crisp linen scented wipes because the smell is not as strong.
Part 2 Directions: How to Clean the Luggage Exterior
- The exterior might require a bit more elbow grease to get it clean. And remember, these directions are for fabric luggage such as nylon, canvas, or polyester bags.
- I found the best way to give your luggage a general clean and restore the color while removing dirt and grime is with foaming upholstery cleaner; I like this brand.
- Place luggage on an old towel to protect the surface you are clean on. Spray one side at a time with foaming spray and allow it to sit for 10 minutes for the upholstery cleaner to sink in and work its magic.
- Don’t be surprised by the amount of foam from the cleaner. One helpful tip I followed was to spray one side at a time, rubbing the foam around a bit to cover the luggage side while maximizing the cleaners before letting it sit for ten minutes.
- After ten minutes, rub the foam with a scrub brush into the fabric of the luggage. Be sure to pay attention to the visible dirt patches. If the dirt isn’t fully removed, you may need to repeat the process.
- Repeat the above process on each side of your luggage.
- Once all the sides have been scrubbed clean, run a damp cloth over the whole exterior of the luggage, paying close attention to all the plastic parts, such as handles, wheels, and zips. For good measure, I also wiped off all the plastic exterior parts with a Lysol wipe.
- Leave your luggage to dry before using it.
Now you are ready, with prepped luggage for your next adventure!
If you are interested in following along on my travel adventures, I will post about my travels to the United Kingdom and what I packed in the coming weeks. And don’t forget you can always follow along on my Instagram account @chicideology where I will be posting daily recaps of my visit.