You may be wondering what the manufacturer's recommendations are for when you normally wash your school bag in the washing machine and it still lasts a long time. However, these recommendations are crucial: the highest quality school bags and backpacks are treated with special technologies from the moment they are manufactured. These protect the product not only from moisture, but also from dirt and stains. These technologies include, for example, a "water-repellent" treatment on the surface of the product, which ensures that water runs off the material, or a polyurethane (PU) layer to protect against water. 

If you do wash your backpack, even at a low temperature and a low number of spins, remember that each time you machine wash it, it may lose some of its specific properties. The same applies to the construction of a school bag, which loses its original character and strength with each wash. 

Because of the variety of materials used, it is advisable to follow the manufacturer's recommendations to maintain the backpack's characteristics and prolong its life. One thing that can completely ruin a backpack, even at low water temperatures, is fabric softener, which can interfere with the technology. The same goes for dry cleaning, which can strip the material of its water-repellent properties and even change its colour. 

"The ideal and completely safe way to clean products that are not recommended for machine washing is with a lukewarm soap solution using a cloth, brush or unused sponge. Heavier stains can be effectively removed with nanofibre sponges, which are now available in drugstores and also work well with the currently popular bright motifs and pastel colours," reveals Marie Malak, brand manager of school supplies brand BAAGL. Another great innovation she mentions is special washable snack compartments with thermal foil, such as those found in the new COOLMATE range of student backpacks.