How to Clean Your Dirty Tennis Bag? [Easy & Proven Steps]

How to clean your dirty tennis bag? [Easy & Proven Steps]

Tennis bags just like clothes become sweaty and soiled over time. And it is even worse when you regularly play on clay.

Or when you buy a used tennis bag to save some money, you want to know how to make the best out of your deal by restoring the bag to its shining state.

Tennis bags are either a little dirty or very filthy. This is when you start seeing stains and smelling sweat and other bad odors.

In this article, we will show you how to wash your dirty tennis bag and restore its glory.

Why You Should Clean Your Tennis Bag?

It is a good idea to clean your tennis bag every now and then for these main reasons:

A tennis bag is an extension of a player’s clothing and an important component of his gear. Treat your bag like your shirt or your shoes. It should be clean.
A clean bag will keep your items nice and fresh inside without bad smells.
A clean tennis bag maintains good ventilation and heat protection.

How to Clean Your Tennis Bag?

Retrieving your tennis bag in a cleaner condition isn’t difficult. We recommend hand washing as the safest option.

These are the items you’ll need to hand-clean your tennis bag:

cleaning towel or cloth,

brush
laundry detergent (optional: vinegar)
vinyl cleaner (amazon link)

Now that you have what you need. Follow these steps.

Clean the debris and big dirt inside and outside.

Soak the cleaning towel in lukewarm water + laundry detergent and gently scrub the inside part. You may add ½ cup of vinegar to the laundry solution if the bag is really filthy with a bad smell.

For the outside, prepare a solution of vinyl cleaner with water. Soak in the brush and scrub the bag from the outside. Focus on hard parts like padded straps, corners, and zippers.

Rinse with warm water and a towel.

Hang dry the bag and the straps

You can also lubricate the zippers with some oil.

Your tennis bag should look brand new. Remember to take care of it once every 3 to 6 months if you play tennis regularly.

Can You Put Your Tennis Bag In the Washing Machine?

As we’ve discussed earlier, it is preferable to hand-wash your tennis bag. But what if you’re in a hurry and you want it done quickly.

Can you throw your tennis bag in the washing machine?

You can wash your tennis bag in the washing machine if it is a relatively small bag. A 12-pack bag or above will not fit nicely in the washing machine drum, which may damage both the bag and the machine.

Tennis Bag	Average size (cubic feet)	Average Washing machine capacity	Machine washing?
3-pack	1.2	3.1 – 4.0	YES
6-pack	2.3	3.1 – 4.0	YES
9-pack	2.9	3.1 – 4.0	YES
12-pack	3.5	3.1 – 4.0	NO
15-pack	4.1	3.1 – 4.0	NO
backpack	1.3	3.1 – 4.0	YES
duffle bag	1.5	3.1 – 4.0	YES

How to Clean Your Tennis Bag Using the Washing Machine?

If your bag fits nicely in the drum, follow these easy steps:

Clean out the bag entirely

Remove the straps so they don’t get tangled

Turn the bag inside out if you can for good deep cleaning

Wash the bag using low-temperature or cold water with a delicate cycle. Throw some towels of the same color as your bag, or use a washing net to avoid friction hence damage on the surface of the bag.