How to Wash and Sanitize a Backpack, and Remove Mold 

School backpacks are magnets for germs, stains, dirt and even mold. A regular cleaning routine starts with emptying the backpack daily. Quickly sanitize it when it’s not visibly dirty, spot treat stains, or do a deep cleaning when needed.

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By Mary Gagliardi

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It should come as no surprise that school gear can pick up and harbor all kinds of sweaty, germy dirt. And while most school clothes are washed on a regular basis, school backpacks can go neglected for weeks, months, even years. The best method for how to clean a backpack is determined by how dirty it is and whether it’s made of nylon. 

A generally clean backpack just needs routine sanitizing, while a backpack with a fresh mud stain may benefit from spot treating. When you have a visibly dirty backpack that you want to machine wash, check the care label to see what cleaning method is recommended. 

Usually you can clean both white and colored school backpacks in a clothes washer if they’re made of nylon. And for a backpack with long forgotten food or sports clothes that have left behind mold or a mildew smell, we will show you how to wash a backpack with Clorox® Disinfecting Bleach as long as it’s colorfast to bleach. 

Regardless of what your backpack cleaning needs, you’ll be glad to know that it actually doesn’t take a lot of effort to clean and sanitize this piece of essential school gear.

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Make regular sanitizing a routine

Backpacks pick up germs all day long, especially if they are set on the floor in school restrooms. That’s why it’s important to make daily sanitizing part of a regular cleaning routine, starting with emptying the backpack at the end of the day. Unless the backpack has a stain that requires spot treating or is dirty enough for machine washing, Clorox® Disinfecting Mist is ideal to quickly sanitize without a washing machine or washing by hand. This convenient spray can be used on many soft surfaces with no rinsing or wiping required. Just lightly mist the backpack until visibly wet (but do not saturate) and then allow to air dry.

Spot clean stains & spills when they happen

Some backpacks only allow spot cleaning instead of machine washing. That’s why it’s always good to check the care label so you know how best to clean your backpack. When spills and stain happen, you can spot treat them right away with Clorox® Sanitizing Fabric Spray. Test first in an inconspicuous area. If your backpack is colorfast, spot treat by spraying the stain, scrubbing with a toothbrush to dislodge dirt if necessary, and then wiping clean with a damp microfiber cloth after 5 minutes.

How to sanitize and wash your backpack

For most other non-white bags and backpacks, a good bleach-free fabric sanitizer and a washing machine is all you need to keep dirt, germs and odor at bay. Just follow these simple steps.

Machine wash for a deeper clean

A backpack that’s been in use for a while is very likely ready for machine washing to get it really clean. Many school backpacks, whether they are white or colored, are machine washable on the delicate cycle — check the care label inside your backpack to confirm it can be safely machine washed. If machine washing is allowed, you can deep clean and sanitize a backpack at the same time. Or for backpacks that are colorfast to bleach, you can machine wash them with Clorox® Disinfecting Bleach to remove mold and mildew.

What you need

Steps to machine wash & sanitize a backpack

  1. Empty the backpack

    Open every zipper and remove all the contents. Check side pockets for water bottles and other lose items, and then hold the backpack upside down while all the compartments are unzipped and give it a good shake.

    Tip

    While you are emptying the backpack, locate the care label (usually in the largest compartment) and confirm that you can machine wash the backpack.

  2. Pretreat any stains

    Use a little liquid Clorox 2® for Colors 3-in-1 to pretreat any stains. Apply a little to any stained areas and gently rub in. Wait 10 minutes (set a timer-do not allow the product to dry out on the fabric) before machine washing.

    Tip

    While you are waiting after pretreating, you can complete step 3.

  3. Place backpack in a mesh laundry bag

    Use an extra-large mesh laundry bag to wash the backpack. Insert the backpack, with all the zippers still open, into the mesh laundry bag and close it securely. This will protect the inside of the washer from the zippers and any metal parts on the backpack while allowing the wash water to clean both the inside and outside of the backpack.

  4. Machine wash

    Place the backpack (in the mesh laundry bag) into the clothes washer by itself. Select the delicate cycle, warm water, a good detergent, and add Clorox® Laundry Sanitizer to the softener dispenser before starting the washer.

    Tip

    To sanitize, use 3.3 fluid oz. of Clorox® Laundry Sanitizer in a high efficiency clothes washer, and 14.9 fl. oz. in a standard washer.

  5. Air dry

    Remove the backpack from the mesh laundry bag and hang it upside down to air dry completely.

Sometimes backpacks are really dirty, and may even have mold or mildew growing in them from forgotten lunches and snacks that somehow never got cleaned out. When that’s the problem, washing a white backpack with Clorox® Disinfecting Bleach will remove mold and mildew. Since most school backpacks are made of nylon, they are very likely colorfast to bleach even if they are labeled “do not bleach” and even if they are colored. If you aren’t sure if you can safely bleach your nylon backpack, you can test for colorfastness) to bleach first.

What you need

Steps to remove mold & mildew from a backpack

  1. Empty the backpack

    Open every zipper and remove all the contents. Check side pockets for water bottles and other lose items, and then hold the backpack upside down while all the compartments are unzipped and give it a good shake.

    Tip

    If the backpack care label says “do not bleach”, you can test for colorfastness to bleach first and make sure it is safe to proceed.

  2. Mix the bleach and water solution

    In the plastic dish pan (or in a large sink if you don’t have a large enough plastic dishpan), mix up enough of the bleach and water solution to submerge the backpack using a ratio of 1/3 cup Clorox® Disinfecting Bleach per gallon of water.

  3. Soak the backpack

    Wearing the gloves, submerge the backpack in the bleach and water solution and let it soak for 10 minutes. When finished, pour off or drain the soaking solution and get ready to machine wash the backpack.

    Tip

    Use the old toothbrush to scrub away gunk in the crevices inside the backpack while the backpack is soaking.

  4. Place backpack in a mesh laundry bag

    Use an extra-large mesh laundry bag to wash the backpack. Insert the backpack, with all the zippers still open, into the mesh laundry bag and close it securely. This will protect the inside of the washer from the zippers and any metal parts on the backpack while allowing the wash water to clean both the inside and outside of the backpack.

  5. Machine wash

    Place the backpack in the mesh laundry bag into the clothes washer by itself. Select the delicate cycle, warm water, a good detergent, and add 1/3 cup Clorox® Disinfecting Bleach to the bleach dispenser before starting the washer.

  6. Air dry

    Remove the backpack from the mesh laundry bag and hang it upside down to air dry completely.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you put a backpack in the washer?

You can usually put a backpack in a clothes washer if it’s made of nylon. Check the care label (usually inside the main compartment) to see if machine washing or spot cleaning is recommended, and then follow the instructions in our guide. Be sure to put it in a mesh laundry bag before putting it in the clothes washer. Backpacks with internal or external frames for overnight treks should not be machine washed.

Can you put a backpack in the dryer?

No. Never put a backpack in the dryer because the heat and tumbling action will damage it. Instead, hang the backpack upside down and let it air dry.

How do you disinfect a backpack?

To disinfect a backpack, confirm that the backpack is made of a bleach-safe material like nylon and confirm colorfastness to bleach, then presoak with a ratio of 1/3 cup Clorox® Disinfecting Bleach per gallon of water just as you would to remove mold and mildew as described in our guide. To disinfect, you need to let the backpack soak for 6 minutes, then rinse or machine wash.

Can you machine wash white and colored backpacks?

Most school backpacks are made of nylon and can be safely machine washed regardless of the color. Note that backpacks with genuine leather trim should not be machine washed. Instead a leather cleaning product should be used to maintain the leather and any fabric components should be spot cleaned. Leather should never be bleached. Ultrasuede, on the other hand, is a manmade fabric designed to look like leather, and is generally machine washable.