Tips for Cleaning a Cotton Bag

Cotton is a strong, soft and breathable natural material that can be used to create a variety of things – aside from your clothes. And with the world being increasingly burdened by plastic waste, including single-use plastic shopping bags, reusable cotton bags have become a popular replacement for them. Aside from looking more stylish, cotton bags are also easily biodegradable – around 500 times faster than plastic.

Since cotton bags are reusable and organic in nature, they do need to be taken care of carefully too. Germs can easily grow on them and you need to know how to clean them properly without compromising their structure. The method of cleaning depends on:

• What do you use you cotton bags for?
• How often do you use them?
• Where do you store them after use?

If you happen to carry unpackaged food products in your cotton bags, there is a high chance of your leaving germs behind. And the next time you use your cotton bag for food items, these same germs will go onto freshly bought food items too. Depending on your use, here are some tips on cleaning your cotton bags:

Throwing your cotton bag into the washing machine seems like the best option, but there are high chances your bag will come out shrunk and really out of shape.

You should consider hand washing them instead. Here is a step-by-step guide:

• Shake off any dirt or debris that may have collected inside the bag.
• Using a bucket, prepare a small bath with normal room temperature water and regular detergent powder.
• Soak your bag inside it for 10 minutes or so.
• Using a soft fabric brush, rub off any stains on the material.
• For more stubborn stains, use a paste of baking soda or rub vinegar onto the spot and leave it on for a few minutes.
• Rinse out your bag gently, but don’t wring it as it will damage its structure and misshape it.
• Hang it out to dry in the sun naturally.
• When it’s completely dry, fold it up and tuck it away in a dry space, all ready for its next outing!

You can wash your jute or canvas bags in a similar manner too.