Washing backpack

I asked this question of Six Moon Designs and they told me to hand-wash with mild soap, and air dry (no dryer). They didn't mention the water temp, but I would use cold or just barely lukewarm. Heat and nylon don't mix very well because it melts at a relatively low temperature–look at where "nylon" sits on your iron temperature control.

If there's no info on the Granite Gear website, I'd call their customer service number, just to be sure.

If you've got sticky tree sap, spot clean those areas with denatured alcohol. After that, just wash with soap and water as suggested above.

The method I've used is to hand wash in a tub with lukewarm water and woolite or similar soap. Rinse well and drip dry. Never fails to look like new afterwards.

I've had good luck using citrus based "Goo Gone" to remove tree sap.

This might not work for you, but my non framed packs go right into the washing machine, cold water. I hang dry. They come out looking great!

Jamie

I should probably clarify exactly why I'm wanting to wash the backpack. The backpack smells like smoke as it was in a smoking room so it came out smelling like smoke. I'm trying to avoid my other stuff smelling like it because my girlfriend is allergic to cigarette smoke. Right now I'm trying the febreeze and trying to spray with febreeze every morning then hanging it out to air dry.

take it down to the car wash and power wash the thing. of course this doesn't work on flimsy packs.

you might look into cleaning with vinegar. I have never tried it to get out smoke, but considering how good it works at cleaning a coffee maker it would probably do some good with smoke.

It's hard to get smoke-stench out of fabrics. If I were in your position, I'd buy a new backpack.

Some suggestions if you're bent on cleaning it: soap and water, followed by more soap and water, changing the rinse water often. Repeat those steps about a dozen more times and you might succeed. Or, you might not. If you can put it in a washing machine or somehow agitate the wash water (seal inside a large container and shake vigorously?), that would be even better, but it would likely still take multiple repeated rinses before you can get to the point where it only smells if you have the fabric right next to your nose.

Baking soda is great at removing odor, but I'm not sure how you could use it on your backpack. Maybe mix it in with the soap, or sprinkle it on the backpack before it dries, then rinse again to remove the baking soda? I think Febreeze and stuff like that only masks one odor with another, slightly less horrible, odor, but if you're going to mask odors, you might try doing it with a more natural one. For instance what about cedar smoke? Get some smelly cedar wood, burn it, and fan the smoke onto the backpack. Actually I should say that I've never tried this as I tend to throw away things that smell like cig smoke, but masking one smoke with another seems just crazy enough that it might work.

I'd try vinegar. Or Odoban. Or this – http://odorxit.com/?catalogd&magi

Hah!
My Granite Gear Virga (which I only use for running, weighted with water jugs, these days) is in the wash as we speak.
Got dog pee on it!
Don't ask.

Anyway, if you have a front-loader, just throw it in there.
If you have a top-loader with an agitator, I would wash by hand.

My front-loader is set to "sanitize"… extremely hot (has it's own water heater built-in), with a very small amount of regular clothes detergent. Don't worry. Hot water won't hurt a thing, but agitators may.

Dry on lowest heat setting (or air only) or just hang dry if you have the time. Don't use a hot dryer.

I wouldn't wash a silnylon or spinaker pack this way, but this thing is bomber.

I just washed a Talon 33 in preparation to sell it. I ran some warm water in the tub with Woolite and let the pack sit in it (after rubbing, dunking it a bit)for about thirty minutes. Then I drained, rinsed, drained, rinsed and one more time.

It turned out pretty good.

I am a cigar smoker and always have a campfire. After a long trip I took my Kelty illusion to the Laundry mat. I removed the stays and washed the pack in a large commercial front loader with regular liquid detergent. The pack came out smelling good. But…… I am a smoker so my nose might be a little bias??????

I may be wrong but I think baking soda only removes smells created by bacteria. I would say wash it until the smell is gone or maybe there is a special detergent that removes smoke smell.

As to the hot or cold water question. I don't think there is any way possible hot water from a washing machine could ruin nylon. But I never use hot water to wash anything in a way to lower my utility bills. I haven't noticed my clothing or gear are affected in anyway.

Also there is alwmost no reason not to hang dry all synthetic materials. A hot drier will ruin them and they dry fast enough on there own. Most of my synthetic clothing is almost dry when it comes out of the washer anyway. If it is raining outside I hang them on the shower curtain rod.