My husband has been using the LeConte Messenger as his go-to bag for work. He keeps everything from his laptop to photography equipment in it. Last week after he got home from work, he opened up the LeConte and retrieved his items but left it sitting on the floor. My female cat, who isn’t particularly fond of my husband, decided she, er, didn’t like it. The result is that she soiled the bag and he was angry.
“Don’t fret!” I told him. Maggie Bags can be machine washed! I had washed some of my other Maggie Bags before, but never something with as much hardware (buckles, slides, etc.) on it as the LeConte. Also, the LeConte is larger than a handbag, so I debated about whether to use a lingerie bag or not. I opted not to and was so pleased with the results. (When I’ve washed other Maggie Bags handbags, I’ve always used a lingerie bag, and I recommend that for those smaller products.)
Our official care instructions state:
Maggie Bags™ are machine washable on a “delicate” wash cycle with chlorine-free detergent. To dry, lay flat on a towel or hang in a dry place. Because many Maggie Bags™ are made from recycled materials and dye lots may vary, we recommend you wash your seatbelt handbag in a lingerie bag and separate from other items. We also recommend warm water and mild soap on a clean cloth for removing most common stains. Please be certain to thoroughly test an inconspicuous area prior to actual stain removal to avoid uncontrollable variations in material reaction.
Machine Wash Your Maggie Bag
I considered pre-washing the stained area, but decided I wanted to see how well it came out for testing purposes in the washer. Here’s what I did to get this stain out:
- Put the LeConte Messenger in the washer.
- Set on “delicate” cycle (aka hand wash) and used chlorine-free detergent.
- After washing, I hung up on a drying rack and it dried overnight.
The day after I washed it I removed it from the drying rack, presented it to my husband and said “Ta da!” It was all shiny and looked brand new. I love that I can machine wash all of my Maggie Bags collection and they come out looking like the day I bought them!
