Mouldy lunchbags: the science experiment no one asked for

As we gear up for the new school term, you might find your kid’s backpack and lunch bag looking a little tired and grimy. Perhaps you forgot to empty the lunch box after the last day of school and now there’s mould on the bag from rotten food. If you’re wondering whether you can save the bag and what you should do, read on!

A quick refresh

Most school bags are made from polyester or canvas and are machine washable. If all you have on your hands is a dirty-looking backpack, you can wash it on a warm, gentle cycle with enough detergent and laundry booster for any stains.

💡 Fasten any clips or buckles to minimise damage and noise in the washing machine. Some people choose to wash their bags in a pillowcase or a large laundry bag too.

You may have to spot treat or scrub stubborn stains. Just as with clothes, stains on bags can be treated with bar soap, liquid detergent or a booster paste. An old toothbrush might be handy for targeting specific spots.

Dealing with a mouldy surprise

By the time the end of the school year rolls by and you (and your kid) are just feeling done with it all, it can be easy to just leave their bag sitting and forget to unpack the lunchbox.

If you have found rotten and mouldy food in your child’s backpack or insulated lunchbox, don’t throw the bag out just yet! You can salvage it with some chlorine bleach.

The good news is that most of these items are colourfast, so you can safely sanitise them without ruining the fun colours or prints on your kids’ bags.

We have a dedicated page on how to sanitise mouldy textiles that includes instructions as well as bleach dilutions. Our patrons have easy access to this premium resource! 🙌

Transformation spotlight ✨

A Facebook group member, Yvette, used our method to transform her neglected lunch bag.

I decided just to go straight for a bleach sanitise even though the label says do not wash or bleach – I figured it would be for the bin if I couldn’t get it clean anyway.

I did a small scale sanitise using the moderate stains dilution. It came up looking pretty good, and the staining that was left was taken care of pretty quickly with a hot hand wash with Persil and Sard, scrubbing with a dish brush.

Now it looks much more presentable and has not suffered any ill effects from the treatment it had!

The bottom line is: you don’t have to be afraid to give those school bags a wash in the machine or even a bleach sanitise. They’ll turn out looking fresh and clean, ready for the new school year!