How to maintain a cloth bag ?

24 February 2025

Cloth bags are very trendy today. To keep your cloth bag in good condition, it’s important to follow some care and storage guidelines. Below, we’ll share practical tips and tricks to help you maintain your woven bag over the years. You can also explore our collection of woven bags, including the Pré Fleur tote bag in black/white/gold.

Regular Maintenance of Your Fabric Bag

First: Organize your bag regularly, once a week. It only takes a few minutes, but it’s the secret to avoiding the accumulation of unnecessary items like old receipts, crushed candies, and other clutter—keep only the essentials.

Second: Don’t wait for your bag to get stained before cleaning it. Regularly use a soft brush to dust off the surfaces of your bag, preventing dust from settling in. For larger bags, you can use a vacuum cleaner to do this. Vacuum both the interior and exterior, paying special attention to zippers and the corners of the bag.

Regular maintenance will increase your bag’s lifespan.

Cleaning Your Cloth Bag

Just one or two stains?

If your bag has one or two stains, you can use a damp sponge with a small amount of soap to gently rub the stain in circular motions. Rinse with clear water and let it dry. For stubborn stains, there’s a miracle product: alkali or ammonia, which is very effective at removing stains and revitalizing colors. Apply in the same way—rub the stain with a sponge soaked in ammonia water and rinse with clear water. This highly volatile solution avoids leaving marks.

Is the bag uniformly dirty?

First, check if your bag can withstand washing. Be careful—some bags may contain cardboard inserts to reinforce the bottom or leather straps. If that’s the case, you cannot fully submerge it in water. Instead, clean the fabric surface with a damp sponge. Otherwise, the best solution is hand washing in cold water with a mild detergent, like Marseille soap. Place it alone in a basin and let it soak for 15 to 30 minutes. If certain areas are stained, use a small soft-bristled brush, like a toothbrush, and lightly scrub the stained area. Then rinse and allow it to dry while maintaining its proper shape.

Try not to wash your bag too often to preserve the patterns, colors, and small metallic accessories that adorn it.

All our Jacquard fabric tote bags are made of 100% cotton and can be washed in cold water with a mild detergent.

What Not to Do

Do not use strong, aggressive detergents that could damage the colors and patterns of your bag. Do not soak the bag in hot water, as the fabric might shrink, lose its shape, or bleed. Avoid scrubbing too hard to prevent tearing the fabric.

Waterproofing Your Cloth Bag

You can waterproof your fabric bag using a special spray available in stores. These sprays not only make your bag water-resistant but also protect it from most stains without discoloring the fabric. This will help keep your bag in good condition for longer.

Storing Your Cloth Bag

For optimal storage of your cloth bags, place them vertically on a shelf to avoid getting deformed. To maintain their shape, use bag inserts or stuffing materials, such as crumpled newspaper, to prevent them from flattening or developing creases. If your bag is made of a delicate material like silk satin, with decorative stones or metal buckles, wrap it in a protective cover and store it away from light to preserve its colors and patterns.

One important rule is not to store bags too tightly together so as to avoid zippers or metal buckles from one bag rubbing against the materials of another. Similarly, do not stack them so as to avoid any damage.

If you don’t have shelf space, hang them on a closet rod using S-shaped hooks. This way, your bags will hang side by side, making it easy to select the one that matches your outfit in no time!

Another option, if space is an issue, is to utilize the area under the bed. This often-overlooked space can be very useful! You can find rolling drawers or sealed storage boxes in stores, where you can store your bags horizontally or vertically, depending on the height available.

For seasonal storage, clean your bags thoroughly and try to place them in protective covers before storing them.

Discover our woven and embroidered tote bags, such as the black jute tote bag Trio Fleuri or the blue jute tote bag Soleil.

Tips for Keeping Your Bag in Good Condition

Avoid overloading it with heavy items, as this can cause the shape to become deformed.

Don’t fill it to the brim to prevent the seams from giving way or the fabric from tearing.

Regularly organize your bag—just a few minutes once a week! This is the secret to avoiding a buildup of unnecessary items, like old receipts, crushed candies, and other clutter, and to keeping only the essentials.

Use pouches to store certain items like makeup or keys to prevent them from moving around and damaging the interior of your bag.

As soon as a stain appears, clean it with a damp sponge—don’t wait for it to set. It’s much easier to remove a fresh stain!

Discover our 100% cotton Jacquard fabric bags, which are highly durable and can be enjoyed season after season. Check out the Vichy red tote bag, the Pré Fleuri beige tote bag, or the Vichy green tote bag—they are practical and easy to maintain.