itaSTYLE: Itabag Cleaning Guide
Hello everybody! Glenn here this time to answer one of the most common questions I’ve received from the flock: “How do I wash this bag?”
Trust me when I say that we here at Co-Kan have a closet full of itabags. We rigorously test our bags before bringing them to market - but what if they get dirty? Alas, a few customer inquiries led us on the quest for the ultimate itabag cleaning method. It’s not too difficult, just follow some rules. Always empty and undecorate before cleaning!
Rules of Bag Washing
Rule 1: Do not use a washing machine.
This is dogma for a reason. Do not walk this path.
I dirtied a canvas itabag to see if a washing machine could work to clean it. I was terribly mistaken, and the experiment was cursed.
I tried to write "Dirty, dirty little bag" with expo marker on the back, but the bag's soul lashed out at me, causing me to write "Dirty, dirty little bgg". I retaliated by dirtying it with mouthwash and mud.
Then, solemnly, I lowered it into the washing machine and set the wash & dry to "normal".
The cursed bag that emerged made a fool of me. The mud and mouthwash I put on it came off cleanly, but the expo marker remained to taunt my ineptitude. To my surprise, the vinyl was fine. But the fabric shrunk in some places, so the bag became too small for its own window. It was warped and twisted, I could feel its hunger. I had to banish it using attunement crystals and a green tea kit-kat.
Rule 2: Watered down dish soap is your friend.
Prevent Eldrich horrors the easy way. We’ve tried a few things and spot removal using watered down dish soap really is the best way to get a canvas or pleather bag clean without damaging it. Use a soft rag and work up a lather to massage out stains. Don’t use paper towels or you’ll just rip the paper towel apart and rub little paper bits into your fabric. Pleather is much easier to clean than canvas.
Leave unzipped while washing and drying. If your whole bag is dirty, soak it for an hour in cold, mildly soapy water, then rub the outside with a rag until the grime is gone, then gently massage out the soap in clean water. Lastly, hang dry with a fan gently blowing at it with the zipper facing down so that all the water can drain out.
Vinyl grime:
Glue, dirt, grease - you name it and it will stick to the vinyl window. We recommend wetting a paper towel with 90+% rubbing alcohol and then cleaning with circular motions. You can get just about any adhesive residue off this way.
That should answer most common itabag cleaning issues. I’ll go over repairing itabags in the next edition of itaSTYLE!
That concludes this article of itaSTYLE.
Stay roosted for our next issue!
— Glenn from the Co-Kan Flock ▲
2 Responses
Mimi
Finally this article made it live! I’ve been kidding with Glenn for the past couple of months about this article after asking the question before! That poor poor sample ita bag….may it rest well.
So happy to see this one out and what a great simple read to care for the phenomenal Co-Kan bags! ♥
All the love~!
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Gina
March 26, 2019
Thanks for this! I was worried since my light pink bag is starting to look a bit dull. I’ll give it a try !