A golf bag is an essential accessory that allows you to carry your beloved golf clubs around the course conveniently. A pro golfer knows the importance of proper golf bag maintenance.
Not taking care of the golf bag can cause your golf clubs to wear down quickly, especially if you have packed all your stuff in the basement and are waiting for the next golf season to begin.
Over time mud, sand, grass, and other natural forces can lead the bag to look old and unpleasant.
The good news is that you can easily avoid this if you stay on top of it and clean your golf bag every time it starts to get dirty.
Cleaning task is always a tiresome and challenging task. To make this golf bag cleaning task more manageable, we will share some easy steps with you guys.
We will share some steps and methods related to cleaning the golf bag’s outer and inner parts.
Materials Needed to Clean Your Golf Bag
The process of cleaning your golf bag is much simpler than you think. Most people are already going to have what they need for washing your golf bag already around their house.
The things that you need to clean a golf bag are:
- Source of water like a sink, faucet, hose,
- A hose is very recommended.
- A mild soap, like the kind of soap that you would clean dishes with.
- A good optional thing to have is a stain remover that you would use for clothes.
- A washcloth or rag.
- Another rag for drying purposes.
If you have all of those things listed above, then it looks like you are in luck.
How to Clean the Outer Part of Golf Bag
- Removing everything from the bag
At first, you have to remove all the things from the golf bag. One more thing, do not forget to remove those items kept in the pockets.
- Spraying water
Then, you have to spray some water on your golf bag lightly. It will help you to make your bag softer for cleaning it.
- Collecting necessary items
You will need to arrange mild soap, a clean cloth or soft rag, and household stain remover for cleaning.
- Using mild soap
Then, you will have to mix the mild soap up in some warm water, and you have to use the mixed mild soap water on the bag.
- Scrubbing & removing stains
With the help of a clean cloth or a soft rag, you will have to scrub the bag very gently. In case there is any stain on your bag and you want to wipe it, you will have to use the stain remover.
You must have to be careful because if you scrub the bag very hard, then it may cause damage to your golf bag.
- Using a hose or pipe
After scrubbing the bag, you will need to use a hose or pipe to rinse your golf bag with clean water thoroughly.
- Drying the bag
Once your golf bag is cleaned, then let your bag dry for one day under a shaded area. Remember one thing that you should not keep your golf bag under the sun for drying. It may cause damage to your golf bag.
- Using vinyl protectant
If your golf bag is made of vinyl, you may use vinyl protectant to make the golf bag more shining.
- Reshaping the golf bag
If you find that your golf bag is out of shape after cleaning, then you can restore its form. For reshaping your bag, you will need to keep towels or clothes in all the pockets of the bag.
How to Clean the Inner Part of Golf Bag
It is important to know how you can clean the inside part of your golf bag. For cleaning the inside part of the bag, you may follow two methods. Now, we are going to talk about those methods, and here, they are-
- First step
This method is straightforward for any golfer. You will need to wash your golf bag with cleaning clean water. You will scrub the bag with clean cloth by using the cleaning water.
After cleaning, you will need to let your bag dry for few hours under a fan. Many golfers follow this method to clean the inner part of their golf bags.
- Second step
The following method is washing with mild soap. This cleaning method will take a long time, and you will have to give some labor too. It is the same as cleaning the outside of the bag.
After cleaning, you will need to let your bag dry for few hours under a shaded area.
How Should You Dry Your Golf Bag?
The best way to dry your golf bag is to give it time in a dry place with room temperature or slightly above room temperature.
Depending on your bag’s material, it is a bad idea to let your bag dry on a very hot day outside.
It is up to you to do your due diligence on your golf bag and see if setting your bag in the heat will harm the material and make your golf bag’s lifespan much less.
Like with all of the steps, be sure to do your research before using any product or method to clean your golf bag.
Using the wrong soap, stain remover, or cleaning method could be detrimental to certain types of bags in some cases.
Can You Reshape Your Golf Bag?
After using your bag, you might notice that the bag’s foundation is messed up a lot on the course, and it just does not look the same. This state is referred to as an “out of shape” golf bag.
The best way to get your bag back into shape is to fill up all of the pockets almost to their total capacity with towels, clothes, or any material that could work like those.
After letting it sit for a few hours, you will notice that the bag will go back to its original state. Think of it like being a chiropractor and popping the spine back into the right spot for your golf bag.
As a bonus for you, we will narrow our cleaning process to specific materials, say two:
How To Clean A Leather Golf Bag
Leather is what’s known as a naturally occurring polymer. Polymers, on a molecular level, are extremely tough. They’re resistant to just about everything.
An example of a synthetic polymer would be plastic, so in a sense, you can say leather is as stubborn as plastic in many regards.
Here is the cleaning process:
- Vacuum
Leather is stitched together, not molded, so it’s reasonable to assume that dirt and debris could get in between those stitches.
Using the nozzle narrower attachment that comes with most vacuums, suck up as much of the dirt out of those hard-to-reach spots in your bag and exterior pockets.
This will make everything easier going forward and takes out the bulk before you start cleaning with liquids.
- Dry-wipe
Start with a paper towel, cotton rag, or anything that you can get your hands on that will wipe away debris and dirt from the interior pockets.
It would be best if you had your golf bag up on a table or surface so that you can wipe off the bottom, handles, and main surface of it as well.
- Wipe with a safe substance
The cardinal sin of leather uses a harsh chemical on it, like bleach or ammonia-based household cleaners.
Just because something is on the shelf doesn’t mean it’s good for leather. Because leather is a natural polymer, it has a way that it can be broken down, usually through synthetic means (like harsh chemicals).
Use rubbing alcohol to wipe away stains or spots on leather, such as grass stains, by gently dipping a cotton swab into a shallow bowl of it.
- Use a spoon
You can use the spoon as a handle to gently maneuver the rag around the interior of the golf bag and its pockets.
- Let it dry
Do not put in the sun.
Do not try to dry it with a hand dryer. Hang it upside-down, so gravity can do some of the work and let it dry.
You can have a cooling fan (not an air conditioner) blowing on it if you wish, but nothing with a drastic temperature change. This can take a while to dry.
- Seal
The leather needs to be sealed off after it’s been cleaned.
You don’t have to polish it (though it does look good), but sealing the leather will prevent dirt and debris from being absorbed into any imperfections.
How To Clean A Canvas Golf Bag
Canvas is just as resilient as leather; it’s just not as puncture-resistant or tear-resistant as leather is. Against average abrasion and use, it will last you for ages if you maintain it properly.
- Vacuum
Vacuuming helps to pull up loose dirt that could otherwise unintentionally be rubbed into the canvas and spots stitched together.
You don’t want to make the later stages harder on yourself. Much like our leather bag cleaning instructions, use the narrowing tool for your vacuum’s nozzle to reach the corners without being too harsh. This will lift the majority of the dirt.
- Treat spots
Spot treating means taking a non-abrasive or harsh chemical and applying concentrated amounts of it to problem areas on your canvas.
Most notably, in the instance of golf bags, grass stains and dirt will be the two most significant issues you’ll face. Using a gentle nylon bristle brush, move in clockwise circles to gently press the cleaning agent into the canvas.
This will work deep to remove the stain, if all goes well, and make later stages more manageable.
- Scrubbing
The higher the denier rating (example: 500D canvas), the more it can handle. That means that the canvas is thicker due to tighter thread counts, which means it’s less likely for dirt to penetrate, but it doesn’t want to leave when it gets in.
Using that nylon brush, use some warm water to scrub the circle into your nylon bag and lift that dirt out.
- Spot sponge
Go over those treated spots from earlier, gently dabbing to pull up any dirty water and discoloration that may have risen to the surface during step three.
You can do this in any area that appears to have been a little too saturated with water. This will expedite the drying process.
- Drying
Drying a canvas bag is infinitely more egregious than drying out a leather one.
We still don’t want to use high heat, but we want to hang it upside-down to allow gravity to do some work.
There’s a tip below to use for your canvas bag that will help it retain its shape. Keep in mind that canvas is more porous than leather, so that drying times will take a lot longer.
You can expect your canvas bag to take anywhere from one to three days to dry thoroughly. Give it the time it needs; otherwise, you’ll end up rusting your clubs, pushing more dirt into the open threads, or damaging your bag.
Conclusion
Like with all of the steps, be sure to do your research before using any product or method to clean your golf bag. Using the wrong soap, stain remover, or cleaning method could be detrimental to certain types of bags in some cases.
We hope our article was of help to you. Feel free to share with your friend and family members.
