I thought I'd write in more detail about how I launder vintage Vera Bradley bags, in case anyone else wants to clean one they own or thrift.
Some disclaimers upfront: Vintage textile bags with great personal or high market value should be appraised and cleaned by a professional expert. I am neither. The bags I clean are those I thrift for very low prices, and I would not be upset if any of them got destroyed in the process. Bottom line, I can't guarantee my methods will work the same for you, so use at your own risk.
Here I have a group of five vintage Vera Bradley bags and wallets that are of similar colors that I'm going to wash (I'll tell you about this particular lot in the months ahead.) Two are quite soiled and all of them have a faint storage smell to them. First I check all the pockets and compartments, and then zip up everything and tie any long straps in a big knot so they don't get caught in the agitator.
I use Gain liquid laundry detergent to wash these bags in cold water on the delicate cycle in my washing machine with a sheet of color grabber in case there is any dye bleed. I add a half-cup of vinegar once the washer has filled and turn it off, leaving everything to soak for one hour. The vinegar helps to deodorize the bags and will not leave any lingering smell.
You can already see how dirty gray the water is from just an hour soak. Now I turn the washer back on and let it run through its full cycle.
The color grabber sheet came out gray and dirty looking, but the bags washed up nice and bright with no dye migration.
Found this in the bottom of the washer. Looks like I missed a souvenir pressed penny. Check those pockets, my friends. :)
Now I let the bags and wallets hang for 24 hours to dry. I will then turn them upside down (pin the bags to a hanger with big safety pins) and let them dry another 24 hours. That's usually enough, but sometimes bigger bags or those with plastic compartments can take up to 72 hours to dry.
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