I must say that if I could only own one backpack for the rest of my life, it would be a Herschel Nova Backpack. While Herschels are beautiful, the one thing that makes them a must-have in anyone’s life is how incredibly durable they are.
Backpacks, in general, need to be washed after a while because they become stinky and dirty from being used every day, not to mention the coffee spills from leaking thermoses… Herschel bags are no different.
This guide will talk you through how to wash a Herschel backpack, how to do spot treatment for stubborn stains, and maintain the bag’s spectacular appearance. Simply follow this how-to guide on cleaning your Herschel bag and yours will be good as new in no time.
Spot Treatment
Stains are inevitable, but that doesn’t mean you should give up on the beautiful bag that you love.
If you have stubborn stains on your Herschel backpack’s interior or exterior, don’t worry, most of them can be removed by a very simple method.
The spot treatment can be done as the first step of your full bag wash. For smaller stains, the treatment alone might be enough to get your bag clean.
What you’ll need:
- Fels Naptha Soap Bar
- OxiClean Powder
- Warm water
- Toothbrush
- Baby shampoo
- Sponge
To remove stains on your Herschel backpack, follow these steps:
- Apply Fels Naptha Soap Bar on the dirty spots and wait for 1 minute.
- Mix a bit of OxiClean Powder with some warm water, and gently brush the mixture over the dirty spots with a toothbrush.
- Soak the stained area of your bag in warm water for about 1 hour.
- Put some baby shampoo on a sponge and brush the stain gently. (For full bag wash continue with step 2. mentioned below)
- Rinse the part of your backpack that you applied the spot treatment to.
- Let it dry for a few hours.
Yay! The stubborn stains on your bag should be removed! If you want to wash your Herschel backpack more thoroughly, keep reading.
How to Wash Herschel Backpack (Deep Clean)
Deep cleaning your Herschel backpack is a thorough process, but if it’s broken down into small chunks anyone can do this easily.
What you’ll need:
- Shower or a bath
- Baby shampoo
- Soft sponge
- Toothbrush
- Waterproofing spray (optional)
1. Empty and Zip Up Your Backpack
The first thing you’ll want to do is make sure that your bag is empty and zipped up. We’ll start by washing the exterior of the bag.
2. Get Your Herschel Wet
Take your bag in a bath or shower and use a shower head to wet the outside of your bag. Don’t let the water temperature get too high, since this may damage the material. Water should ideally be slightly above body temperature.
3. Get Some Shampoo on It
Make sure that you’re using baby shampoo to wash your Herschel backpack because its pH level is neutral, therefore it is completely safe to use on fabrics.
Normal dish soap has a very basic pH level so it is too harsh to use on textiles.
Take a sponge and wet it with water. Apply a decent amount of the shampoo to the softer side of the sponge and start washing the exterior of your Herschel backpack.
If you have leather straps or parts on your bag, make sure to be very gentle when washing them.
Scrub your Herschel backpack thoroughly in circular motions. A lot of foam should form as a result of the scrubbing. Pay attention to the coloration of the foam, as it can be used as an indicator if the backpack is getting clean.
From time to time rinse the bag under running water to get off the excess dirty soap and keep scrubbing the dirt off until the foam looks clean and white.
PRO TIP: If you still see some stubborn stains, apply a little soap on the spot and let it sit for a few minutes.
4. Wash the Zippers
Open the zipper slowly and carefully because the water and soap may cause it to get stuck and then rip.
For zipper cleaning, I love to use a toothbrush because well, how else would you clean the zipper teeth?
Take a toothbrush and wet it with water, apply some shampoo to the bristles of your toothbrush and start brushing the zippers on your Herschel backpack.
Again, once in a while rinse off the excess soap and brush some more until the zip looks clean.
5. Washing the Interior
After your zips are taken care of, it’s time to wash the interior of your backpack.
Wet the bag’s interior with running water and wash it as you did with the exterior of your Herschel backpack.
Foam and bubbles are your friends here, so don’t be afraid to use good amounts of shampoo!
Make sure to rinse the interior of your backpack in between sponging, to make sure that the dirt will flow away.
After the bag looks neat, rinse the interior and exterior of your Herschel backpack thoroughly under running water.
6. Drying Your Herschel Backpack
Now that your backpack is clean and super awesome, it’s time to dry it off.
To dry the backpack, I recommend hanging it open somewhere where it can air out. I usually hang it inside my shower and keep the zippers open to let the water drip and make sure that the interior gets enough air.
If you don’t have such a place where to hang your bag, lay it on a clean towel and leave it open for at least 24 hours.
For the bag fully to dry, it might take up to a few days, depending on your room temperature. I don’t recommend hanging your bag outside, but if you do, make sure that you don’t expose your Herschel backpack to direct sunlight, as this might discolor the material.
Extra Step (Optional)
To maintain the quality of your Herschel backpack, you may want to take some extra measures after the bag has completely dried.
I can’t recommend enough applying waterproofing spray onto your backpack. This has been a real game-changer for me and it works like a charm by protecting my bag from rain and coffee spills. It also makes the material antistatic so my Herschel backpack doesn’t collect as much dust and hair.
Applying Waterproofing Spray
Apply the Waterproofing Spray outside or in a very well-ventilated room since the spray does have a chemical smell.
Make sure that you shake well before using and then start spraying by holding the can at a distance of about 5 inches (10-15 cm) away from your Herschel backpack.
When you often put some unpackaged food in your backpack, don’t spray the inner lining since the chemicals in the spray might get on your food. But it’s okay to do that when you use your bag only for your laptop, papers etc.
Let the spray dry for about 15-30 minutes and your Herschel backpack is washed, protected, and good to go!
I hope this was helpful! If you have any questions regarding how to wash a Herschel backpack, please don’t hesitate to comment down below and I will try my best to help you.
