You may have noticed that jute totes and other jute products are currently trending. Burlap tote bags come in handy for most occasions. One of the great reasons behind this is eco-friendly trend-setters trying to find a permanent solution to the problem of disposable plastic bags and other fashion accessories.
Because of their high value and bright yellow hue, jute tote bags are often referred to as the "golden fibre." Jute is an incredibly durable natural fibre, more commonly known as burlap. That it thrives with minimal inputs of water or fertiliser makes it a favourite of ecologists. However, most jute bags are made with a blend of natural and synthetic fibres, despite the appearance of being all-natural. Therefore, you should never wash your jute items. This brings us to the question: How do you clean jute bags? Let’s look at the tips and tricks we gathered to guide you.
How to Clean Jute and Burlap Tote Bags
Jute fibres and woven jute fabrics have a number of limitations, the most significant of which is that they are significantly weakened by water. For this reason, jute is frequently blended with other fibres, such as cotton or polyester, in order to increase its strength when used for cleaning. Any garment or home accessory made of structured burlap should be cleaned in a dry solvent. If there are any stains, you will receive the most remarkable results from your professional cleaner if you take the time to point them out and identify them.
So, What is Jute Exactly?
The most common uses for jute are in the production of twine and rope, as well as the weaving of burlap cloth, which most of us are familiar with as carpet backing. Jute fibres are increasingly used in fashionable apparel and home textiles because they are breathable and do not wrinkle as easily as linen. With its golden hue and usefulness as an environmentally friendly crop, jute has earned the nickname "golden fibre" worldwide. In terms of global fibre use, jute is second only to cotton. Its rapid growth and low fertiliser requirements make it both cheap and simple.
In India and Bangladesh's hot and humid climates, annual jute plants thrive. The Corchorus family of plants is the source of fibre. After the bark of the jute plant is peeled away, the resulting fibres can be dried and used. The plant can be grown in around 120 days without pesticides or fertilisers.
Dundee, Scotland, was the origin of jute textiles in the 1880s. Around a million bales of jute were shipped from India and unloaded in Dundee that year. Over 50,000 locals had found work in the city's 100 jute mills by the turn of the century. At the close of the nineteenth century, British farmers began making the journey to Bangladesh in search of agricultural opportunities. During World War I, more than a billion sandbags made of jute were shipped to defend allied fronts, leading to a boom in the jute industry. The Dundee neighbourhood of Verdent Works is home to a museum dedicated to the city's once-thriving jute industry.
Long, smooth, and sturdy, jute fibres are made up of cellulose and lignin. Caustic soda can be used to soften the fibres, making them more pliable and comfortable to work with. Fabrics' breathability can be improved by mixing these refined fibres with wool, cotton, or synthetic fibres. The resulting fibres are biodegradable but coarse if not treated. They work wonderfully as twine and rope, jute rugs, and agricultural product packaging.
Cleaning Jute and Burlap Tote Bags
Once you put your burlap bags to use, they will need to be cleaned sometimes to ensure they last as long as possible. Burlap bags must be thoroughly cleaned before being stored for the season. Insects may permanently damage burlap sacks if they are not cleaned thoroughly before being stored. Here are a few simple guidelines to keep your burlap in pristine shape.
Preparing the Tote Bags
In order to pre-treat a bag, you must first clean its surface by removing any tenacious stains or dust that may be present.
- Vigorously agitate the jute bag in order to dislodge any excess dust that may be accumulated on its surface.
- Repeat the previous steps, except this time, turn the bag inside out.
- Make sure the dust is expelled from the bag's nooks and crannies.
- Now, sprinkle a few drops of stain remover or a gentle detergent on the soiled sections of the Jute Tote Bag.
- After that, apply a few drops of water to the area, so it is damp, and then rub the surface with a soft brush in a circular motion.
- After allowing it to sit for around ten minutes, you should thoroughly rinse it with hot water.
Tips and Tricks on Cleaning Jute
If jute goods need to be cleaned, do it by hand in lukewarm water with a gentle detergent. Burlap and jute textiles can be fragile. Therefore, it is essential to treat them carefully. Do not wring the fabric or twist it while it is damp. Due to the fact that it might lose fibres, burlap should always be cleaned by itself. These are hard to remove from other materials, particularly terry cloth and napped fabric.
The treatment for stains should involve adhering to the precise stain removal instructions for the kind of stain. Be aware that the colour of the cloth may shift if you wash it or try to remove stains with different detergents. If you have the opportunity, test a stain remover on an area of the cloth that will not be seen. For the best results, burlap should be air-dried or line dried in an area that is not directly exposed to sunlight. When exposed to strong sunshine, it may become yellow.
If the item has to be ironed, you should do so while the burlap is still moist so that the ironing will adhere properly. A garment, placemat, or draperies that have been moist should be stretched to their normal size and form before being ironed. To avoid leaving any pressing marks on the fabric and to ensure that the natural weaving is maintained, iron the item on the reverse side while using a low heat setting on the iron.
Stain Removal
Before beginning the process of hand washing jute tote bags, you need to remove any stains and spots first, just like we demonstrated a while ago when we were talking about cleaning such bags. You should use a damp sponge to blot the stain rather than rub it, and then you should use a dry towel to remove any extra moisture.
You may use an oxygen-based stain remover if you need to get rid of stubborn stains; however, you should be careful and perform a test run of the product on the interior of the tote bag to determine how the fabric reacts when it is exposed to the material. If all goes according to plan, you should let the oxygen-based stain remover take a few minutes to work its magic. After removing the extra material with a damp towel, you should then hand wash the burlap item in the same manner as we described before.
To erase stains, combine soda with water in a separate container. Baking soda and water can be connected to make a paste that can be applied to the stain and left there for a few minutes.
Odour Removal
Baking soda is a helpful ally to eliminate odours from your burlap shopping bags and other objects, and it can also be used for this purpose. What you need to perform if your jute shopping tote bag has picked up an undesirable odour as a result of hard wear is as follows:
- Baking soda should be dissolved in water and sprayed into a spray bottle.
- Take the item made of burlap outside (the balcony of your apartment should work just fine) and spray it with the mixture. After allowing the tote bag or tablecloth to aerate for a few hours, flip it inside out and spray it again. If you have some odours that are difficult to get rid of, you can treat the burlap product with lemon juice (spray the fabric with lemon juice and let the product dry outside in the fresh air); however, you should not overdo the acidic treatments, or you risk damaging the fabric. The best time to remove odours and stains from burlap is when the warm outside air and the sun can dry the burlap bag quickly.
- You can get rid of excess moisture by laying your burlap fashion bag between two thick towels and letting it dry in the fresh warm air; lay the product out on a level surface. Mildew can be prevented from developing on the burlap bag by allowing it to dry in fresh warm air.
- Be careful to read the labels before using any stain removers or other cleaning chemicals on your burlap tote bags, tablecloths, Santa sacks, or pillows. This is especially important when it comes to removing stains from burlap. If the manufacturer provided detailed instructions on cleaning and maintaining the product, you must adhere to all of them precisely.
Tote bags made of burlap that have been hand-washed need to be dried properly to prevent unpleasant aromas, mildew, or even mould from developing. Your burlap products should not be dried in a tumble dryer. Here are some suggestions:
Leaving the jute tote bag to dry on a flat surface where it may be exposed to fresh and warm air is the most effective drying procedure. The sun is quite effective in preventing mould growth; however, you should exercise caution since prolonged contact with the sun might bleach the fabric.
Large burlap purses with gusset handles, an interior cotton lining, zippers, and a rigid bottom should be dried on a flat surface. You should check to see that they stand upright and maintain their original shape.
Cleaning Burlap Bag in the Washing Machine
Because washing by machine is more aggressive than washing by hand, you should only put objects made of burlap into the washing machine that you are certain will maintain their original integrity and structure. Put another way, and you should only wash large, hefty, and long-lasting burlap pieces. Suppose you want to understand how to wash burlap bags and other non-delicate materials in the washing machine (tablecloths, burlap upholstery, or heavy-duty jute tote bags). In that case, the following are some tips to take into consideration from washing machine experts:
- Employ ice-cold water and a brief cycle explicitly designed for fragile materials.
- Do not use a program that involves wringing; instead, transport the item to remove any excess moisture and dry it outside in the fresh air.
It is not advisable to put small and delicate burlap items through the washing machine because they can shrink, fall apart, or accumulate a significant amount of lint during the process. On the other hand, the conclusion ought to be satisfactory if you properly program the load and avoid mixing your jute bags with different types of clothing.
We hope you found our tutorial on how to wash burlap tote bags and other things helpful and that you have many years of usage out of these eco-friendly, reusable pieces of clothing! If you still have questions or concerns about burlap/jute upkeep, please contact us for further information and specifics.