There was a recent question about how to clean grubby gig bags in another thread this week. I thought I would share my experience here.
I had a moderately-grubby Reunion Blues SF tuba bag that my B&M Marzan tuba lives in. I took it to my local laundromat, confirmed that the music pocket was empty, removed the RB-SF label from the inside, turned the bag inside-out, and put it in a large washing machine. I chose the middle size machine and added a typical amount of detergent for a load that size. (If the bag had had areas of extreme grubbiness, I would have sprayed it with some kind of detergent and let it sit for an hour or so and then scrubbed it with a brush.) I added an extra rinse cycle for the heck of it and donated $4.50 to the machine. After taking it home, I dried in my dryer on "low heat" for 45 minutes or so. I kept the bag inside-out for all of this. I also spread it out on top of a couple kitchen chairs to continue drying overnight to be on the safe side.
It looks MUCH better! And the leather parts were unaffected by this.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/c2hY3Kyd9Qb6BbXQ7
Cleaning a gig bag
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greenbean
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Cleaning a gig bag
- These users thanked the author greenbean for the post (total 4):
- bloke (Wed Apr 13, 2022 11:38 pm) • York-aholic (Thu Apr 14, 2022 12:25 am) • Nworbekim (Thu Apr 14, 2022 3:18 am) • BuddyRogersMusic (Wed May 21, 2025 7:05 pm)
Tom Rice
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bloke
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Re: Cleaning a gig bag
I’m sure that several of us appreciate this.
We probably were mostly concerned about how much heat foam padding could withstand.
We probably were mostly concerned about how much heat foam padding could withstand.
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Nworbekim
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Re: Cleaning a gig bag
the bags that came with my horn, after getting the dust off, look new...
i hung them from the door tracks in the garage and used a big shop vac on them then sprayed them with febreze... if they've been used, it was very little.
i hung them from the door tracks in the garage and used a big shop vac on them then sprayed them with febreze... if they've been used, it was very little.
Miraphone 186 - King 2341 - JP179B - York & sons 1910 Eb - Meinl Weston 2145 - Wessex Festivo - King 2280
Play it with emotion and play it strong! Don't make a face and they won't know it's wrong!
Play it with emotion and play it strong! Don't make a face and they won't know it's wrong!
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bloke
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Re: Cleaning a gig bag
Soon after we started using Febreze on things, we ended up selling our washing machine. 
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Nworbekim
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Re: Cleaning a gig bag
these were dusty from being stored on a shelf somewhere, i guess... the dust came off easily but there was still a little "closet" smell (my wife calls it) of being stored away. the febreze freshened them up.bloke wrote: Sat Apr 16, 2022 9:24 pm Soon after we started using Febreze on things, we ended up selling our washing machine.
if our washing machine ever tears up i'll have to try your idea...
Miraphone 186 - King 2341 - JP179B - York & sons 1910 Eb - Meinl Weston 2145 - Wessex Festivo - King 2280
Play it with emotion and play it strong! Don't make a face and they won't know it's wrong!
Play it with emotion and play it strong! Don't make a face and they won't know it's wrong!
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YorkNumber3.0
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Re: Cleaning a gig bag
How did this work out for you? I have a used cronkhite bag that is in good shape (zipper is going to be repaired) that could use a cleaning. I may do what the @greenbean did at the laundromat.Sousaswag wrote: Thu Apr 14, 2022 12:33 pm Thank you for this! I will be taking mine over the weekend. I'll report back...
Todd Morgan
Besson 995
Rudy Meinl 4/4 CC
Miraphone Rose Orchestra
Robert Tucci RT-45
Various others
Besson 995
Rudy Meinl 4/4 CC
Miraphone Rose Orchestra
Robert Tucci RT-45
Various others
Re: Cleaning a gig bag
Worked great for me, but I no longer have that bag nor that tuba anymore to show for it. Oops! I forgot to report back 
Meinl Weston "6465"
B&M CC
Willson 3200RZ-5
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B&M CC
Willson 3200RZ-5
Holton 345
Holton 350
Conn Double-Bell Euphonium
Re: Cleaning a gig bag
I know some big violin players that think like this….bloke wrote: Sat Apr 16, 2022 9:24 pm Soon after we started using Febreze on things, we ended up selling our washing machine.
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Hirsbrunner Euph
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Hirsbrunner Euph
I hate broccoli.
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Mary Ann
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Re: Cleaning a gig bag
The bags for the two Alex tubas were, um, aromatic, as was the inside of those tubas. Tubas ultrasound cleaned, perfect, bags --- I ozoned them. I have used my ozone machines for quite a number of things and always been happy with the result. I have an allergic reaction to cover-up scents, including Febreeze.
I still have to ozone that van I bought, every once in a while, because the Major Stinkum they used to cover up the cigarette odor is worse than the cigarette odor would have been, for me. And nope, Febreeze would not work for me. I need to remove the odor on the molecular level, not cover it up with more molecules.
I still have to ozone that van I bought, every once in a while, because the Major Stinkum they used to cover up the cigarette odor is worse than the cigarette odor would have been, for me. And nope, Febreeze would not work for me. I need to remove the odor on the molecular level, not cover it up with more molecules.