To learn more about how to take good care of your baggage, we spoke to a cleaning expert with 20 years of experience, Leslie Reichert, the founder and owner of Green Cleaning Coach. Here are her top cleaning tips for both soft- and hard-surfaced luggage, so you can have peace of mind both while traveling and upon returning home. Fill a spray bottle with hydrogen peroxide and spray liberally on hard-faced luggage. Use “just a light mist if your luggage has a fabric surface,” Reichert says. Or, Reichert recommends filling a spray bottle about 60 percent of the way with rubbing alcohol and then adding water. This solution will also rid your luggage of any viruses or harmful bacteria. RELATED: Don’t Know the Difference Between Sanitizing and Disinfecting? You Might Not Be Cleaning Properly “Stains on soft fabric surfaces can be sprayed or dabbed with hydrogen peroxide,” says Reichert. “Let it sit overnight to see if it lifts the stain.” That said, to remove grease-based stains, Reichert says to use rubbing alcohol or diluted dishwashing detergent. She also notes that you can add a few teaspoons of rubbing alcohol to a diluted dish soap and water mixture: “The soap will lift the dirt, and the alcohol will cut through the grease.” For hard surfaces, you may be able to dodge stains, but if you start to notice scuff marks, Reichert’s trick is to grab a tennis ball or Mr. Clean Magic Eraser Sponge. “You can also make a linen spray by mixing witch hazel and a few drops of your favorite essential oil,” she says. “Spray the inside of the [suitcase] and it will smell great when you go to use it again.” “I’d recommend storing the piece of luggage in a garbage bag for 48 hours to prevent contamination, then washing it inside and out with warm, soapy water,” she explains. “Then spray it with hydrogen peroxide or rubbing alcohol.”
