How to Clean Nylon Luggage

While Nylon, being a synthetic material with stain and damage-resistance properties is not very susceptible to absorbing stains and grease, it can still be a challenging task to clean nylon luggage. Here you can find how to clean Nylon Luggage.

Luggage made with soft fabrics such as Nylon needs precise and careful handling while being cleaned because of how they react to different cleaning materials and approaches. You probably do not want to damage your precious nylon luggage with a cleaning approach that was never meant to be used on it. To make sure that you clean your luggage correctly and carefully, you can follow the cleaning guide below.

Cleaning the Exterior of Nylon Luggage

There are several ways to clean the exterior of luggage, Here we discuss all the safe ways step by step to keep the process simple and straightforward.

1. Treat minor Stains with Grease Cutting Detergent.

Greases are more stubborn than other stains and need a more thorough cleaning. The longer you let the oil sit out, the harder it will be to remove.

If it’s a few days old, it’s best to use a grease-cutting detergent as they can weaken the grease’s grip on the material.

First, focus on the nature of the stains and apply a suitable cleaning solution. You can go to the grease-cutting detergent. It is a specific detergent that is available in the market quickly.
Apply a generous amount directly to the affected spot and allow it to stay for long enough to be absorbed by the material.
Depending on how old the stain is, you can leave it on for about 4-5 minutes.
Make sure you are not using the general detergent on Nylon. It can cause discolouration and a loss in the overall vibrancy of the luggage.
You can also use homemade solutions such as lemon, vinegar, or bleach-based solution to break down the stubborn stains without compromising on the vibrancy of the material.

2. Treat Larger Stains with Clothing Washing Detergent

In case your nylon luggage is infested with larger stains, you can use the general detergent used for cleaning clothes.

Use a toothbrush or a bigger cleaning brush for larger stains.
Scrub the brush in a circular motion to ensure that the stain is removed from all angles.
Remember that you are removing the grease because of the detergent and only using the brush to allow the detergent to seep in deeper and mix in with the oil.
Don’t scrub the brush too abrasively or harshly to get the stain out.
You only need the brush to create foaming.
Make sure that to create any foam; you do not use warm or hot water. Hot water will only make the stain sink-in deeper and make it more stubborn.
Avoid using a cloth or sponge for cleaning small spots and stick to a toothbrush only.
After scrubbing the stain with cleaning detergent, leave the luggage for 15 minutes.
Instead of rinsing the stain with water, rub it clean with a cloth.

3. Clean the Spots with Baking Soda

Nylon luggage is not hard to clean, but you need to follow the right techniques. In case there are small spots on nylon luggage, you can always use baking soda and water.

If you have any stubborn, small-spots, make sure you spot-clean first and then move to the overall cleaning part.

Cleaning with a cloth or sponge allows you to cover more areas and also saves time.
Get a cloth with a textured surface and a good density, as they are generally more capable of holding any cleaning solution within.
Prepare some baking soda with water. It is generally a good idea to make a thick form.
With the help of a cloth, dib the baking soda on the spot.
Leave it for a few minutes.
Wipe it clean.
Clean the whole surface area.

4. Disinfect your germ-ridden luggage with Spray or Wipes.

Your luggage is handled by many people when you’re travelling, which means it’s likely covered in tons of germs and bacteria. It is a good idea to disinfect your luggage as soon as you return home as storing it in your closet or cupboard BEFORE disinfecting will lead the germs to spread everywhere.

Be especially careful about the handle and bottom of your luggage as these are the two places that are mostly touched.

You can use disinfectant spray or wipes and can also use antibacterial soap to rinse these areas mildly.
Make sure that you let the soap stay on the surface for a few minutes before blotting it.

Cleaning the Interior of Nylon Luggage

Your interior likely retains minimal dirt and damage compared to the exterior unless you accidentally spill something inside.

Step 1: Prepare the Interior for cleaning.

Make sure that you fully empty the interior and that no crumbs or debris are remaining that will make the cleaning process more challenging.
Small chunks of dirt or any food or makeup will be tough to remove if they become wet. For this purpose, you can use a vacuum to remove most of the dirt and residuals.
Thoroughly check all the pockets and smaller compartments that it has beforehand.
Take out any removable lining and compartments to be cleaned separately.
When removing dirt, be especially careful with tight areas and edged spots. They can have mud stuck in them that a vacuum may not be able to reach and hence has to be removed manually.

Step 2: Clean it the right way.

The interior can accumulate a lot of odour over time, and you can consider cleaning it with a detergent that has a refreshing scent.
Unless you have any severe stains such as oil or food spills that can cause permanent damage to the luggage, you should avoid using water or detergent.
Try to stick to a simple vacuuming process whereby you remove any dirt or residuals.
You can give a more refreshed and brand-new feel to the interior by leaving inside some baking-soda overnight. This will remove any unpleasant odors retained by the interior.
You can also pack a few tablespoons of baking soda in teabags or even tissue paper and leave it inside your smaller pockets and compartments.
If your luggage has an excessively stubborn odor and does not go away easily, consider leaving the baking soda in for a couple of days.
During the cleaning process, you must make sure that you don’t pour any water or solution over the zippers and buttons on the inside. Because, as you will be air drying the interior afterwards, the water and air can cause rusting.
The rusting can make your zippers non-operational and give the interior an overall unsightly look.

Step 3: Give it enough time to dry out.

Dry the luggage in a calm and shaded area to allow for natural air to dry.
Please don’t keep it directly under the sunlight for quicker drying as the rays can be damaging to the material.
Keeping them closed will cause odours and smells because of the water sitting in the fabric for too long.
Before storing them, make sure that all spots, especially the tight and edged ones, are arid. Keeping it away while there are still wet spots can lead to fungal growth.

A luggage cleaning manual

Select a cleaning tool based on your area of coverage. Toothbrushes for small and stubborn stains (oil and grease) and Fabric and sponges for larger and weaker stains (dirt and mud).
Pre-treat with a grease-cutting solution for 4-5 minutes to avoid the excessive need to scrub. Use a home-based solution for colour and vibrancy protection.
Do not scrub excessively to prevent stain-spreading.
Only use cold water for making home-based solutions and foam.
Do not wash under the faucet and only use a damp, absorbent cloth for a final wipe to avoid unpleasant odour.

Final Words

A nylon luggage bag makes the best travelling partner, but it is prone to dirt and stains accumulation. However, cleaning the nylon luggage is always a possibility. Some cool methods have been listed for your assistance. We hope they will help you out in cleaning your nylon luggage.

Hopefully our guide will help you in keeping your luggage ready for next trip.