You’re back from your recent adventure. You come home with memories of the trip, photographs and the remnants of dirt on your backpack. Photographs are there for you to hold on to forever, but dirt – maybe not so much? You need your Yatri for your next adventure, and many more to come, and the only way to prolong its life is to keep it clean. Here we share how you can care your Yatri Backpack for the entirety of its life.
1. Know Your Yatri
Know what you’re carrying. You’re carrying the finest of bag made up of Cordura Fabric on your shoulders. It is a rugged, strong fabric – repelling water and with very strong tear resistance. Made with the utmost care, the finest of craftsmanship, and the best material – you can make your Yatri Backpack last very long with these simple steps.
2. Storage
The bag cannot be ripped easily, it doesn’t catch scratches and tears that fast and is well enough in almost every climatic condition. But, what we recommend is for you to not store it in damp places. The damper the fabric gets; it becomes the host for various microorganisms – and that ages the backpack prematurely. This also results in abnormal smells. Thus, dry places are generally recommended for storage and normal resting.
3. Cleaning and Drying
The bacterial loads we most importantly are worried about currently is nearly a non-existent issue with Yatri Backpacks. The moving porous surfaces of Cordura Fabric, do not propagate bacterial transferal as effortlessly as smooth steady exteriors (like plastic). The bacteria hiding in the nooks and crannies and within the weaves of the fibre, are broken down and expired after exposure to sunlight and evaporation. And if you’re worried about cleaning it – cleaning your Yatri Backpack is easy.
For perfect washing and prolonging the life of your Yatri Backpack, we recommend the following steps:
i) Empty your backpack. Shake off any crumbs lying inside. Make sure to be thorough. If unsure, you can also vacuum the interior.
ii) Start by taking a clean sponge, and a soft nylon brush. Also, have detergent-free washing soap or mild detergent by your side.
iii) Soak your backpack at room temperature or lukewarm water.
iv) Scrub out the spots with a brush and drops of soap. Try not to scrub the whole bag.
v) Wipe the whole exterior with soap and sponge.
vi) Use a brush and soap to clean out the zippers. The dirt accumulation can be a major factor in degrading the lives of hardware.
vii) Pay special attention to the areas of sweat accumulation – the shoulder straps, the back panel – scrub softly with soap and water.
viii) Rinse off on running water.
Machine or tumble washing is not recommended but it does not mean that machine washing isn’t possible. For machine washing, the steps below can be followed:
i) Wash in a low-temperature setting.
ii) Use detergent free soaps or mild detergents.
Avoid bleach or chlorine-based detergents/soaps/cleaning agents. They prematurely age the fabric and reduce the life of Yatri Backpack.
Air drying is the most preferable method. We recommend hanging in a shade, on a dry spot, and let it dry naturally.
We do not recommend machine drying, but if it is to be done, use it on a low setting. If the soap isn’t washed properly, the white residue can be seen on the surface. If the dirt is low on the amount, a damp towel/damp sponge wipe works fine as well. For oil or grease stains, we recommend treatment with dry cleaning solvent followed by soap and water.
The odours caught on the bag in any way can be removed by home remedies, with a mixture of 1/4 cup baking soda to 1 cup water, followed by a quick rinse. Dry Cleaning works fine too.
Now that you know your Yatri Backpack and is clean, the world is your playground. Carry your Yatri and get out for your next trip.
Ready. Set. Adventure is now.
Text by Yugantar Paudel, Feature Photo by Sudin KC
