Purses and handbags, and bags, in general, are a staple. Everyone has one to hold the most essential everyday items. However, when you use something daily and expose it to the world outside, it is bound to get dirty.
Things like purses, handbags, and bags, in general, are something that easily catches dirt and debris as they are “washed” in the laundry like your clothes are, so if you have been wondering for some time to clean your purse and how often should you do it, let us answer this for you.
How Often Should You Clean Your Bags
If your purse is something you carry with you every day and everywhere, going from morning to evening, before you dump it on the couch at the end of the day – then you need to clean it more often than you assume.
Purse goes with ladies everywhere, especially to the restroom. Despite assuming that your workplace or gym has the cleanest restrooms ever, there are still a lot of germs and bacteria clinging to you, your bag, and your clothes.
But see, that’s the catch: you threw the clothes in the laundry and showered yourself. However, your purse wouldn’t even be as least as dusted by you the next day. Hence, dirt, debris, and germs just accumulate and multiply.
Before you know it, it has become a breeding ground for filth, and you can’t help but wonder why my bag stinks. The nasty smell is proof that wasn’t as apparent before, but it is now, signaling that you need to clean your purse ASAP.
Hence, the best way to clean your purse is to do it every weekend when you are home. Do not know where to begin and what steps to follow? Worry no, as we have got you covered for that too!
How to Clean Your Daily Use Purse
It is understandable to find cleaning your daily-use purse overwhelming because these bags are filled with so many items for many people. So you might easily get confused about what to clean first and how to clean it all weekly. So let’s get cleaning together, shall we?
Things You Will Need
- Gloves
- Sanitizer spray
- Mild liquid soap diluted with water in a spray bottle
- Micro-fiber cloth
- Dry cleaning cloth
- Dry Brush / Tooth Brush / Old Shoe Brush
- Paper Towels
Easy 5-Step Weekend Purse Cleaning
Most of the things you need for this cleaning job should be well within your home’s vicinity. If not, then a quick run to Walmart should be able to cover it for you. So, put on your gloves without further ado, and let’s get started!
Step 1: Empty the Purse
First, spread out a cover on your workstation and empty the contents of your purse. The best is if you do it like a child dumping their toy bucket, turn the whole thing upside down, and let everything fall out. Of course, if you have something valuable or fragile, like an expensive perfume bottle, do it gently and place it away from everything else for safekeeping.
Step 2: Give It a Good Shake
Now that your purse is all empty, remove the straps, so they don’t get in your way, and keep them aside. Next, you want to give your purse a good shake because you can never reach every crevice of the insides, and you never know how much dirt and debris accumulate in those corners. So best is to take the empty bag out of your backyard and give it a good shake.
Step 3: Dry Dust It
Next, when you have emptied everything and shaken the bag to remove all dust, it is time to dry dust it. It is best to use an old toothbrush for the smaller corners and an older shoe bush for the larger areas. Get into all the pockets, big and small, and clean from the inside out. You’ll be shocked that there is still so much dust after emptying out everything and even giving it the shake.
Step 4: Soap Spray
Finally, when you have removed all the dirt, dust, and debris, it is time to wet things up and use the mild liquid soap concoction you made in the spray bottle. Spray the insides and the outside surface generously and try to generate foam. Next, use a microfiber cloth to rub and rise against the surface. You are harsh or gentle with your rubbing, depending on the material of the bag.
Moreover, you obviously have to be much more careful if your bag is made of leather or suede. It is best to get specialized cleaners for such materials so that your purse is nice and clean without compromising its aesthetic and quality. Use paper towels to wipe it down after thoroughly cleaning both the insides and outsides.
Step 5: Sanitize (EVERYTHING!)
Lastly, sanitize; when we say sanitize, we mean sanitize EVERYTHING. From the insides of the purse to the outside, the belt or strap, and all the things that came out of the purse and would probably be going back in. Clean your makeup tools and makeup products, and sanitize your hair tools, clips, stationery, wallet, keys, and even your money and cards.
You don’t want anything left sanitized or going back in as it came out. You can change your sanitization product accordingly, like using a sanitizer spray for the bag and bigger products and using specialized makeup product sanitizers for your makeup products. But the point remains that everything is diligently sanitized before being placed back in the purse.
Our Final Thoughts
Cleaning your purse every weekend shouldn’t be a hassle if you follow the steps we have listed for you. In fact, for many people, cleaning and organizing are therapeutic. So you may never know if it actually develops into a feel-good habit for you. Good luck!
