Cleaning and maintaining your travel luggage has to be a part of your habit if you are a self-confessed travel aficionado. You wouldn’t want to bring a travel bag that is still dirty and grimy from your last trip. I am sure you also wouldn’t want to use a bag only to find out that it has damaged zippers and caster wheels already.
Here are some maintenance and cleaning tips you would want to use to keep your travel luggage in top shape:
1. After your recent trip, vacuum your luggage. Try using a vacuum machine with a high efficiency particulate air filter. This should help you get rid of minute dirt particles on your bag. Vacuum all sides of the bag including the interior compartments and pockets.
2. If there are crusty mud stains, use a damp towel. Get a clean rag and soak it in very warm water. Wring out the excess. Rub the damp towel on the surface of the luggage. You should be able to get rid of crusty mud stains easily with the help of the warm towel. Rub the towel gently on those areas and let the dampness dissolve the crusty stains.
3. To get rid of food stains or other colored stains, I suggest using vinegar and baking soda. Mix a cup of distilled white vinegar and a cup of baking soda. Pour it on a spray bottle. Fill up the rest of the spray bottle with warm water. Spray this cleaner on the stained areas of the luggage. Let it stay there until the stains have faded away. Use a damp towel to wipe the area clean.
4. Get rid of luggage smell with the help of baking soda. It can help diffuse unwanted odor. Sprinkle loose baking soda on the interior of the luggage. Let it stay there for more than hour before vacuuming it off.
5. Check the zippers and the seams of the bag. If there are damaged parts, immediately have those parts repaired before the rips or the damages become more significant. Change zippers if the old ones have kinks.
6. Check the locking system of the luggage. Make sure it is still working well before using it. You should be able to unlock it with ease.
7. Check the handles and the caster wheels. If it has retractable handles, they should be pushed down and pulled up with ease. If the parts are starting to turn rusty and you have trouble pulling the handles up, try using an anti-rust spray. This should also help lubricate the rusty areas. If not, just look for replacement handles and get rid of the old one.
Check the mobility of the wheels. You should be able to move the rolled luggage in different directions without putting in a lot of effort.