Hello Everybody, I’m SENHAN, a Person Who Understands Backpacks.
“Our backpack, is your adventure partner, and also SENHAN’s heart-blood crystal. We deep-know that you put high trust on its performance for every detail. So, cleaning and upkeep of the backpack, cannot be like washing common clothes, very random. Today, let me, this old friend, teach everybody how to scientific, very careful nursing your backpack, to let it can accompany you walk more far.”
Chapter 1: Prepare Before Go to Field—Treat it as a Precise System
Before starting the “Wet Wash,” first give your backpack a very comprehensive “Body Check.” Just like dismantle precise instrument, must be careful and cautious is the upper strategy.
1.1 Structure “Decomposition” and Material Soft Consideration
Please see your SENHAN backpack as a System, not a simple sack.
Empty and Detach: You must empty all! Take out water bladder, electric device, key, documents, everything cannot water wash. Then, the parts that can take down, all take down: waist belt, chest strap, even inside support stick, back panel. These parts put aside first.
The Secret of Stress-Relief Pad: Now backpack, the shoulder pad and back panel inside fill high-grade EVA or PU foam. This is our pack comfort key. If put into wash machine, the mechanical pressure will make the pad deform, affecting carry feeling. So, for SENHAN pack, detach or hand wash is the better choice, this can very good protect the load system.
1.2 Care Label: My “Product Instruction Book” is More Important Than Any Advice
I, SENHAN, know my product more than anyone. So when cleaning, must priority reference the instruction on the care label. This is the premise for us to give complete warranty!
Care label is not just guide, more is professional assurance on material test.
If ignore the label, use wrong cleaner, or exceed suggest temperature, may cause rainproof performance drop or warranty invalid. So, must check label!
1.3 “Emergency Rescue” for Stubborn Stain and Deep Dust Remove
Cleaning must start from “Pat the Dust,” not just casually deal with.
- First Dust Remove: Turn backpack upside down, like shake carpet very hard, or use vacuum cleaner to suck clean surface and inside pocket dust and debris.
- Pre-Treatment: For very dirty stain, not hurry to water. Pour a little mild stain remover on the stain, then use sponge or toothbrush gentle scrub. Let cleaner stay 30 minutes, decompose the dirt.
- Why Pre-Treatment? Because pre-treatment reduce later clean burden, let you finish hand wash more fast. Remember, soaking time cannot pass 10 minutes, this protect nylon cloth and inner waterproof coating.
Chapter 2: Core Clean Method Choice—Gentle Hand, or High Efficiency Machine?
Choose hand wash or machine wash, directly relate to backpack’s “lifespan” and “performance.”
2.1 Fine Hand Wash Process: Most Safety Caring
For SENHAN high-tech backpack, hand wash is forever the safer, risk-controllable choice.
- Prepare the “Bathtub”: Find a container big enough, at least two times the size of the pack, fill with warm water, pour in diluted mild cleaner or soap water.
- Gentle Scrub: Use sponge or soft cloth gentle scrub pack inside and outside, very dirty places (strap, back panel) can scrub few more times.
- Soaking Iron Rule: Soaking time cannot pass 10 minutes! This protect PU waterproof coating, seam tape, and adhesive, avoid “bubbling” (delamination).
- Complete Rinse: After wash, use shower head complete rinse clean, not allow any cleaner residue, otherwise affect DWR performance.
2.2 Machine Wash Method: Efficiency and Risk Assess
Machine wash is fast, but risk is also high, like coating become thin, pad deform, fabric rub-damage etc. So, if must machine wash, you must obey these “Safety Operation Regulation”:
- Protect Outer Coat: Must put backpack into a laundry bag or pillowcase, avoid zip and buckle damage wash machine, also protect backpack not rubbed by drum.
- Mode and Temperature: Choose Gentle Mode, water temperature cannot pass $40^{\circ}\text{C}$ ($104^{\circ}\text{F}$), cold or warm water is better. High heat is very big damage to nylon and PU.
- Control Wash Load: Absolutely cannot mix wash with other clothes. This mainly avoid wash machine load uneven, violently shake, increase pack structural damage risk.
Chapter 3: Cleaner’s “Black and White List”—Chemical Risk Analysis
“What to wash” is more important than “how to wash.” Traditional home cleaner, for functional gear, is simply “poison.”
3.1 Specialty Cleaner Importance—Function “Revival” Key
Traditional powerful laundry liquid is an absolute ban! They will weaken, strip waterproof coating, even block breathable membrane.
Please use gentle Technical Cleaner, like Grangers Performance Wash. They can remove oil on DWR, recover breathable and original water-repellent function. This is not chemical damage, but clean the obstruction.
Physical Form Ban: Must use Liquid Cleaner. Powder laundry powder easy clump, residue on fibre, affect fabric function.
3.2 Absolute Ban List and Chemical Hazard Mechanism
Please completely remove these two items from your backpack clean world:
- Bleach: Absolutely cannot use! Bleach will destroy nylon or polyester fabric structure or color, also waterproof coating.
- Fabric Softener: Absolute Ban’s Absolute Ban! Softener form a wax-like residue on fibre surface, block fabric micro-pore, destroy DWR surface tension, causing backpack “saturated water absorption” (Wetting Out).
3.3 Old Gear Special Maintain Consideration
If your SENHAN pack use long time, appear degumming (seam tape loose) or delamination (PU coating peel off), means already old.
- Avoid long time soaking! This will only accelerate damage.
- More steady solution is: only use spray for local clean and water-repellent treatment.
Chapter 4: High Performance Maintain—DWR Coating “Life Extension” Project
DWR (Durable Water Repellent) coating is SENHAN pack keep “high performance” first defence line. Maintain DWR is clean final purpose.
4.1 DWR “Health” Self-Check Method
Water Bead Rolling Method: Spray a little water on pack outer surface. If water bead can stable form and roll off, DWR is effective.
Saturation Sign: If fabric meet water then start absorb water, color become dark or feel wet, means DWR already worn, need “life extension.”
4.2 Heat Activation: Small “Resurrection Trick”
Many DWR treatments are “Heat-Activated.” As long as you clean the pack completely, appropriate heat can recover hydrophobic property.
Operation Method: After wash and natural air-dry, if care label allow, can use dryer low or medium heat. This is necessary step before DWR reapply.
4.3 DWR Reapply Technology: SENHAN Recommend “Spray-On”
Before reapply DWR, must use technical cleaner complete clean the pack!
- Expert Recommend (Spray-On): Use Spray-On DWR! For backpack this kind of structure, spray-on advantage is: can focus spray on highest wear area (bottom, back), not need chemical treat the whole inner liner.
- Wash-In DWR (Not Recommend): Wash-In DWR cannot sure solution distribute evenly on pack, may cause some area over-treat, some not enough. So we SENHAN not recommend this way.
Chapter 5: Mission Complete—Drying, Storage, and Long-Term Care
Closing work is also very important, can avoid mold grow and keep material intact.
5.1 Best Dry Practice: Shady Ventilation “Upside-Down Hang Big Law”
- First use clean towel pat dry surface extra water.
- Then, let backpack air-dry naturally in shady ventilation place. Suggest hang upside down!
- Upside-Down Purpose: Use gravity, sure water completely discharge from bottom, corner, and stress-relief pad inside, avoid water accumulation grow mold.
5.2 Sunlight and Dryer: Two Big “Killers”
- Strictly Ban Dryer: Except for low-temp quick tumble usable during DWR activation, generally not suggest put pack into dryer. High heat will cause irreversible damage and twist to nylon fabric, PU coating, EVA foam.
- Avoid Direct Sun: UV ray in sun will decompose fabric fibre, destroy DWR coating. Nylon directly sun-expose, will quick old, fibre decompose, color change and brittle.
5.3 Long-Term Storage Suggestion
Before put in box, must sure pack inside and outside complete dry, including zip, buckle, liner etc. Moisture will cause mold grow. Store backpack in dry, well-ventilated place, never long time put in damp sealed cabinet.
