Disgustingly Filthy

[ThinWomansBrain]

I spilt something on a canvas bag - decided to clean this and a pile of other soft rucksacks, laptop bags, etc.
Chucked them all in the bath with some pre-wash soaker, and they're now in the washing machine. The colour of the water in the bath was revolting - and I'd been carrying these bags around with me - YUK
They didn't look dory - but obviously carting round in city grime, etc.
I occasionally throw lightweight totes in with the washing - but how does everyone else keep this kind of stuff clean? - and how often?

Not enabled voting - definitely BU carting them round dirty

@IgiveupallthenamesIwantedareg0

I don't post here often, but now I'm in a dilemma and need advice from you MN diehards

Should / Must I wash my cloth shopping bags after every use?
If yes, at what temperature and with which detergent?
If yes, with or without fabric conditioner?
Do I then put them in the dryer with / without a dryer cloth?
If no, do I hang them up (with matching clothes pegs) and let them dry in beautiful sunny weather? (Definitely NOT over night because they will get darked on and covered in spider willies, which would mean having to start the whole process over again.
Please help me, I thought I had my life pretty much under control and now I am in an absolute turmoil! How will I sleep tonight without answers to my burning questions?

I think a lot depends on whether your neighbour has bbqs to be honest.

My neighbiurs don't have bbqs - they are not allowed in our communal backyard, but they do have CHILDREN who play in the sandpit and run around the grass and practice their bike riding and rollerskating on the paths!!!! Will this also damage my outdoor drying of newly washed cloth shopping bags?

@IgiveupallthenamesIwantedareg0

My neighbiurs don't have bbqs - they are not allowed in our communal backyard, but they do have CHILDREN who play in the sandpit and run around the grass and practice their bike riding and rollerskating on the paths!!!! Will this also damage my outdoor drying of newly washed cloth shopping bags?

Not sure to be honest, but a quick look at their mum's purse should tell you all you need to know.

I've never seen them with a purse in their hands - they all sit around playing with their phones. Maybe I should get my binoculors out and inspect their phone covers! I'm going to have a busy day tomorrow, what with washing, drying and observing neighbours' phone covers -am I going to have to get the iron and ironing board out too???? (But I can't find my ironing board, it has mysteriosly disappeard)!

Thewiseoneincognito

Not caring if your shoes or bag are scruffy isn’t necessarily a sign of low self esteem - I don’t give two hoots about what my shoes look like - my self esteem is fine. I’m just not hung up on materialistic things. I’m also trying to reduce what I buy and not waste resources.

To be honest the response to this thread isn’t surprising. Dirty bags are hardly a problem. Not when there have been threads on this forum with people proudly proclaiming they don’t wash their hands after a going to the toilet because what’s a little of piss on your hands. Or not washing their bedding for weeks. There are many gems showcasing hygiene habits of poster.

It's more of a day backpack than a rucksack - and a backback laptop bag.
they're all mostly dry now, and looking a lot better, NOTHING is getting ironed - I just stretch things out as they come out of the machine.
The leather zip pulls on one bag have come apart at the end, so maybe a squidge of superglue. One of the tote bags had been leaked on by a pen, and that's all come out, and the neoprene laptop sleeve that the cat thinks is hers is looking a lot better.
I won't worry about doing it too often based on other responses!

And earlier posts made me wipe my wallet and give it a quirt of furniture polish

1.5 trillion bacteria on the skin of the human body, a whole other shed load in the gut, can't say I am bothered by a few hundred thousand or more on a bag or purse, but then I don't tend to lick mine.

A few germs are good for you.
You don’t want everything to be too clean.

I have to go and try to get some sleep tonight (I'm an hour ahead of UK time), I have SO much to do tomorrow, washing shoppers, scrubbing rucksacks, cleaning phone cases, putting furniture polish on my purse, looking for my ironing board, etc. etc. I don't know how I wil cope with all this STRESS! I may just have to go to my favourite cafe around the corner for a latte and a toastie before I can even begin!

I've got more pressing things on my mind than cleaning my rucksacks and reusable carrier bags

You see mine and my late dhs walking boots, oh my lordy

@sst1234

To be honest the response to this thread isn’t surprising. Dirty bags are hardly a problem. Not when there have been threads on this forum with people proudly proclaiming they don’t wash their hands after a going to the toilet because what’s a little of piss on your hands. Or not washing their bedding for weeks. There are many gems showcasing hygiene habits of poster.

I do wash my hands after using the loo but if you’re pissing on them I’m pretty sure you’re doing it wrong

I wash my fabric shopping bags from time to time and also my DC’s school bags. They come up really well.

My dc have a fjallraven kanken rucksacks so I wipe those on the outside about every half term. With antibacterial wipes. Don’t think the insides get dirty but in case of crumbs etc I’d vac them out immediately and wipe inside. I think the outside of school bags are probably pretty nasty, sitting on
Loads of different classroom floors every day.

Tote bags in the washing machine regardless of whether they’re supposed to.

Bags for life - don’t like these. Used to keep them screwed up inside one bag for life until an incident where I unscrewed one in the supermarket and it has a brown liquid that stank absolutely awful inside. No idea how it got there.

I wipe suitcases after use and before putting away.

I only ever washed tote bags once. They all shrank by 50%. They can stay full sized and dirty now.

I clean my bag every single time it's used.

I only buy bags that are wipeable ie not canvas.

I make sure there's nothing that could dirty the bag inside. Drinks, food, makeup etc

@sst1234

To be honest the response to this thread isn’t surprising. Dirty bags are hardly a problem. Not when there have been threads on this forum with people proudly proclaiming they don’t wash their hands after a going to the toilet because what’s a little of piss on your hands. Or not washing their bedding for weeks. There are many gems showcasing hygiene habits of poster.

Don't forget the germs and bits of poo leaping up from a toilet brush that has been used to scrub the inside of a pooey pissy toilet bowl.

During the lockdown here we were not allowed to bring reusable bags into the supermarkets. We also could not put purses or similar on the counter or checkout.

They can get quite contaminated from being carried around and placed on the floor in various places. Washing them seems like a good idea if they can stand up to it.

Dirty prams are a bit yuck, I did make sure I wiped mine down with a cloth and a bowl of hot soapy water every couple of weeks or as needed. Still, it got given away still in lovely condition so I hope the other woman is still enjoying it!

😂 😂 😂 👍🏼

What is it you find "worrying" @butterpuffed? How bizarre.

Oh how I love a good thread with the words disgusting and/or filthy in the heading - well done OP for getting them both in there

Honestly, I wonder how some of you ever manage to leave your sterile homes, let alone steel yourself to visit a supermarket - although I suppose you have to so you can spy on the other customers bags and wallets. Not to mention judge others for being "dragged up". That comment actually says far more about you poster than it does anyone else.

I occasionally fling them in the washer if I need to create a full load.

@DerAlteMann

I only ever washed tote bags once. They all shrank by 50%. They can stay full sized and dirty now.

This was my experience too. I ended up with a collection of tote bags that were clean but too small to be useful.

I have never washed other bag and wouldn't notice the condition of somebody elses.

Oh how I love a good thread with the words disgusting and/or filthy in the heading - well done OP for getting them both in there

However, points deducted for not mentioning pestilence, or using the word "grim".