Polyester is a strong and durable fiber that is used on a large scale in multiple industries. You’re familiar with polyester because it’s found in clothes, accessories, sportswear, microfiber apparel, and more. We discussed polyester before. Even though it’s a man-made synthetic fabric and a plastic, polyester is an integral part of our lives. While we are eco-conscious and environmentally conscious, we want to do what we can to maintain polyester products for as long as possible. Even though it’s a very durable material, it’s important to wash and store it properly. So today let’s take a look at how to wash polyester and keep it looking its best
As we said, polyester exists in varying proportions in many of the items you wear or use on a daily basis. The two main categories are apparel, especially athleisure and professional sportswear, and the variety of handbags you use for a variety of purposes. You probably have a few polyester beach bags, polyester shopping bags, or even a work bag in your collection. Even though they’re resistant to wear and tear, that doesn’t mean you can put them back in your closet without washing and sanitizing them, especially in our challenging health times.
Overall, if you own a polyester training top, parka, outdoor gear, fleece, or at least a polyester beach bag or backpack, you know how to clean polyester. It does not support high temperature or heavy ironing. Still, there’s so much more to washing this fabric, and we’ll continue with our guide on how to wash polyester as you need it!
Tip # 1
How to Wash Clothes in the Washing Machine
When you want to wash polyester items, the first thing to do is to read the label. If they warn you about the temperature, make sure you follow the instructions carefully. In rare cases, polyester is the only fabric. Most of the time, clothing, clothing and accessories are mixed with polyester and other textiles (usually cotton). It is important to read labels and make sure your washing machine is safe. If the label says that you should hand wash the fabric, set these items aside. We’ll discuss how to hand wash the fabric later.
Now, back to the washing machine. Here are some guidelines for washing polyester to clean and sanitize without damaging items.
- Use heavy-duty or regular laundry detergent. For good results, we recommend using liquids or pods for more effective cleaning.
- Before putting polyester items in the washing machine, we recommend turning them over. Zippers, buttons, hooks, and other ornaments can catch delicate synthetic fibers, causing damage over time.
- Set your machine to cycle with warm (but never hot) water! If your equipment doesn’t allow you to choose a moderate temperature, use cold water. Hot water can shrink, melt, or deform polyester items, so keep your handbags, yoga clothes, etc. away from any heat.
- Choose regular or shorter washing machine cycles.
- Just like washing canvas totes, you want to keep your items in shape and function, so we recommend setting your centrifuge to the lowest speed. It would be best if you could choose a cycle without a centrifuge.
- As a recommendation, do not add any special treatment to polyester fabrics. This material does not require fabric softeners. Also, enhanced detergents for stains can damage fabrics.
- If you want to choose a drying cycle type (though we don’t recommend it for polyester totes), choose a permanent press type for clothes and garments.
- You can also tumble dry your polyester clothes and accessories in a cool environment so they don’t shrink. To minimize the risk of static buildup or fabric wrinkling, remove items from the dryer while they are still damp.
Please note that we always recommend that you air dry canvas shopping bags, jute fashion totes and polyester accessories. Regarding ironing, for polyester clothes, you can use a very low setting on the iron. However, if you have polyester clothes, a balcony, a clothesline or some hangers, there is no need to iron to air dry. As long as you don’t hang your polyester vest, tote or parka completely out of direct sunlight, these items will dry and iron naturally and effortlessly. Drying polyester clothes in full sun can also jeopardize their color and shape, so make sure you choose the right spot on your balcony.
How to Wash Polyester Backpack
Hand washing fabric is a safer method, especially if you have to clean bulky items such as beach bags, office totes, backpacks, etc. Given their structural complexity, size and decoration, it is best to hand wash these items. All you need is a basin, kitchen sink or bathtub.
- Fill the basin with warm water and washing powder, and let the polyester items fully soak;
- Rotate the contents of the basin until you are sure it has removed all dust, grime, grime, etc.
- Rinse with cold water. Use a shower to apply some water pressure to remove embedded soap and residual dirt;
- Do not wring out freshly washed polyester clothes or totes, as this can damage or wrinkle the fabric. Press to remove excess water. Alternatively, place the item on a towel and roll it so the towel will absorb the moisture.
How to Wash Polyester: Prewash Stain Removal
Some of the most important polyester problems are food stains on polyester shopping bags or oil stains on plastic beach bags. Decontamination before washing is not difficult. Dab a generous amount of liquid laundry detergent onto the stain and let it sit for about 20 minutes. Then, wash your items in the washing machine or by hand, depending on your preference.
To avoid heat curing stains, first check the condition of the stain. If it doesn’t go away, repeat the process before putting the polyester item in the dryer.
We recommend hand washing the white polyester tote and items separately. If you want to remove oil stains, mix equal parts warm water and vinegar and dab the stain on before washing. We recommend trying a water/vinegar solution on a small area inside the polyester item to avoid burns or discoloration.
Bottom line
Do you have any other suggestions on how to wash polyester? If you do have some tips, we’d love to hear from you and share your tips with our community!
1. Empty your backpack
Empty your bag carefully to make sure you don’t accidentally leave anything inside that will eventually wash off and damage.
Before washing your pack, be sure to thoroughly inspect all pockets of your pack. I didn’t do that and ended up washing a pair of headphones with my bag. After all the water damage, the headphones never worked.
To make sure any items you take out don’t get lost or misplaced, try to keep them in one place so you can quickly put everything back together after the bale is done.
2. Wipe or dust surface dirt
To simplify the cleaning process, you can wipe off surface grime or tap the bag with a stick and remove any rubbish.
Removing excess dirt will make the washing process more efficient. You can also use this time to cut loose threads hanging from the bag to keep the bag looking neat.
3. Check the care label
Double-checking the care label is probably the most critical step. Checking the care label will tell you more about your bag than I can. Whether your bag is 100% polyester or a mix of fabrics, the Care Label has a set of inserts tailored to your bag that you can follow to extend the life of your bag.
The care label will give you bleaching, ironing and washing instructions specific to your bag. It will also let you know if your bag can be machine washed. Often many items can only be hand washed.
Follow the manufacturer, the instructions are always better because they know the best and do more research on their product.
4. Clean any strong stains individually
Before washing anything, you should always inspect the fabric and identify any stained areas, then clean those areas individually using methods similar to spot treatments.
Cleaning extra dirty spots or areas individually will ensure a perfectly clean pack. Use soap and a soft brush to remove any stains. You can even leave the soap on for a while if the stain proves to be more annoying.
5. Wash the backpack
After you field process the entire pack, you can wash it in the washing machine or by hand. To wash the bag in the washing machine, you must fill the washing machine with warm water and a detergent that is gentle on polyester fabrics.
For washing machines, a good trick is to cover the backpack with a pillowcase so the zipper and pocket don’t scratch each other.
If you choose to hand wash your backpack, you can easily do it by filling a bucket of water and adding a small amount of detergent to it. You can then soak the bag and let it sit for a few hours, after which you can scrub, rinse and let the pack air dry.
6. Dry or tumble dry
You can quickly dry or tumble dry your pack. Polyester fabric is a material that is easy to wash and dry and does not wrinkle easily. Polyester tends to dry quickly, and you can either hang it on a string to air dry, or tumble dry on low heat first.
To dry polyester fabrics without damaging or shrinking the material, you need to pay attention to the amount of heat the fabric is exposed to. Polyester does not respond well to high temperatures; therefore, keep the setting low when tumble drying bags.
7. Let it hang
You can hang the bag on a string with nails and wait for it to dry completely. Hang the bag properly with cloth staples so you get the least amount of wrinkles.
Since polyester is a quick-drying fabric, leaving the bag outside for a few hours may work.
In Conclusion
Polyester is an excellent material for bags that are often used, compared to many fabrics. It’s a lightweight fabric that dries quickly and is easy to clean, making it a great choice for school bags and sports bags.
Bags are usually always washed occasionally, so having materials that are easy to clean is a big help.