What You Should Know Before You Throw Your Vera Bradley Bags in the Washing Machine

Do you experience this problem with your Vera Bradley bags? They need cleaned long before they wear out, picking up dirt and stains from everyday use. If there was one downside to quality, I guess that would be it. However, fortunately, there may be an easy fix. Did you know that some styles are machine washable?

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Take a look inside your handbag. If you can locate the tag, there may be simple washing instructions. For example, mine states the following: "100% cotton. Machine wash cool gentle cycle. Do not bleach. Line dry." These are fairly standard instructions for handbags made from cotton fabric. However, some products from the Vera Bradley collection are not machine washable, including purses made from silk and microfiber. Spot cleaning is the recommended method for cleaning bags made from these types of materials.

If you determine that your bag is made from cotton and decide to machine wash it, there are a few things that you should consider before you throw it in your machine:

1. What detergent are you using?

First, take a look at the detergent. If you are using the one that you normally use to wash your household laundry, you should not have a problem. If you are tempted to use a special detergent, perhaps the one that you use to wash your delicates, take a closer look at the label. Some detergents, such as Woolite for Delicates, are formulated to work with certain types of fabric, and are not suitable for washing cottons.

2. Does your purse have a baseboard?
Many Vera Bradley bags have a baseboard at the bottom. Even though the baseboard may be covered in the same material as your purse, the inner material which helps it keep its shape is not. Make sure you remove the baseboard prior to putting the bag in the washing machine. If necessary, you can spot clean the baseboard to keep it looking new.

3. Not all products made with cotton fabric are machine washable.
Many of the Vera Bradley accessories, such as wallets made from cotton fabric, may have directions to spot clean only. This is because there are other materials also used to manufacturer them. Wallets, for example, may have inserts sewn into their lining to help them hold their shape, and the lining itself may be made from a fabric other than the cotton used on the exterior. In this situation, spot cleaning is the recommended method for getting rid of stains and other spots.

4. Adhere to the drying instructions.
To avoid fading and shrinking, line drying is the recommended method for drying Vera Bradley bags. If your purse feels stiff after line drying, you may want to fluff it by placing it in the dryer on a cool or air dry setting for a just few minutes. Following these few simple points, you should be able to keep your favorite handbags looking like new with the help of your washing machine.