Oh, no! Yesterday, I spilled some iced tea on my Anello bag. Clumsy, clumsy! Fortunately, my Anello bag was sort of waterproof, so all the things inside my bag were safe. However, I just couldn’t bring myself to use the bag, imagining all that sticky sugary goo that might still be on it because I usually put my bag on my bed, on chairs, on my lap. I just wanted to make sure that my bag was free from any of the sticky iced tea that might also attract ants.
So, as soon as I got home, I emptied my bag and got to work washing it. The Anello store advised against washing the bags, but I just couldn’t stand to not wash it. The main concern, according to Anello staff, was to make sure that the metal frame did not rust. I have no idea if the metal used for the frame is stainless steel or a metal that rusts, so I wanted to err on the safe side.
HOW TO WASH ANELLO BAGS (Nylon)
I used a big pail that will fit the bag and filled it halfway with water, and a small amount of laundry detergent, maybe about 1/2 teaspoon. Dissolve the detergent in the water first, just in case it may contain bleach or other ingredients that might leave marks on the bag. Don’t put detergent directly on the bag because it might cause some discoloration. You really don’t need to use a lot of detergent.
I opened all the zippers and pockets of the bag. Once the detergent is dissolved, I dunked the bag into the soapy water, keeping the metal frame open. I lifted the wet bag up, then plunged it down into the soap water again. I kept doing this, using the up and down motion through the soapy water to clean the bag. I was careful not to deform the frames or to rub the suede bottom. Do not wring the bag! Huwag pigain!
Don’t soak the bag. I was worried that if I soaked the bag, the cloth might discolored, and the metal frames might rust from prolonged contact with water.
Rinsing: Once I was satisfied that the bag is clean, I emptied out the soap water, put in clean water and rinsed the bag the same way, changing the water several times to make sure that no soap remained in the bag. Do not wring the bag!
Drying: To make the bag dry faster, I put it upside down into a spin dryer (no heat) and let it spin for the full 5 minutes. I think this is an important step to make sure that the metal handles dry quickly to avoid any rust. Also, a spin dryer is a great way to quickly dry items without having to wring them.
After being spun dry, the bag is actually almost dry. Since the thickest part, the place I think will take the longest to dry, is the bottom of the bag because it has a thicker lining, I hung the bag upside down on a drying rack to dry further in the sun. This way, water from the bag bottom will flow down, making it dry faster. When hanging the bag to dry, make sure to clip only on parts that will not get damaged. Don’t clip on the Anello nylon bag cloth because it might leave a mark. I clipped on the triangular thing at the back and on the straps.
By night time, the bag was actually already dry, but I just wanted to make doubly sure, so I hung it on a hanger overnight. Also, it had started to rain so I had to take the bag back indoors.
The bag is fully dry now and ready to use! I don’t see any damage. The bag looks clean and new.
Hope this helps you clean your Anello bag. 🙂
9 responses to “How to Wash Your Anello Bag (Nylon)”
Hello can i do this with my canvas type anello?
Hi, the store people of course do not recommend washing it. However, I think washing canvas is okay if you do it the right way 🙂 Hand wash and dry it quickly and try not to get it deformed. Don’t know what color your bag is so don’t know if it will bleed (maghahawa ng kulay). You might want to test a small area first.
Final decision is still yours if you are willing to take the risk, please don’t blame me 😀
What, they recommend not washing the bags? I have the big tricolor backpack. Its predominant color is off-white, so you can imagine how easy it is to get it dirty. I’ve washed it three or four times now, no damage so far. I don’t want to wash it so often but this is the Philippines, not Japan, so it’s so easy to get light-colored bags and shoes dirty!
Yeah, I asked the sales people if it was okay to wash the bags and all of them said that they don’t recommend it (but it’s up to me if I want to). I’m guessing it’s just so they don’t become liable if the bag gets damaged during washing. Seems they were concerned about the metals possibly rusting.
I can’t stand to use dirty bags and tend to wash my bags if they start to look dirty. I agree, this is the Philippines, bags get dirty very quickly! 🙂
How did you wash it?
How can I remove the ink stain in my Anello Bagpack? It is also nylon fabric.
You have to be very careful with your bag, especially with what you put inside it. You have to make sure that things are clean, because the bag should not be the one adjusting. My Anello mini canvas bag bought in Japan is almost three years old, but I haven’t washed it ever since. If there’s a dirt outside (Yes, only outside. Because I make sure that I check every single thing that I put inside.), I only use a microfiber towel and mild soap to clean it. The towel absorbs the dirt. I even accidentally spilled hot chocolate on my bag, and the towel-cleaning really did a good job. My bag looks exactly the same way (when it was given to me by my Mom). I believe, the reason why they don’t really advise washing it is mainly for the bag’s color and structure. The color may fade (proven and tested— my cousin washed hers, and the bag’s color faded and some parts were damaged) and brushing the bag may cause damages.
Thank you for your comment, naturalpinkanello 🙂
I, too, am very careful about the things I put inside my bags. Great work on keeping your bag in great shape after 3 years!
Oh, and about the ink stain, you can’t remove it by washing or towel-cleaning… Unless you have something like an ink stain remover mixed or used 🙂