My kiddos head back to school in a little over a week. That means we’re getting ready for the new school year with lots of prepping of our systems, getting school supplies, and just trying to get ready for the new routine. One of the things we’re doing this week is to check backpacks and give them a wash. Typically I would have done this back in June but we went on vacation the day after school got out and I guess we just kind of forgot 🙂

Most fabric backpacks and soft lunch boxes CAN be washed – here’s how to do just that. (I’ve washed numerous backpacks and lunch boxes this way over the years and have never lost one :))

Empty the backpack and/or lunch box completely – open all the pockets and compartments and make sure that there isn’t anything hiding.

Place in your washing machine and wash on gentle with a gentle detergent. I use Clean Mama Laundry Detergent Spray – perfect for backpacks and lunchboxes.

Leave all the pockets open and hang to dry or place outside to dry in the sun.

We keep backpacks and lunch boxes in our mudroom in this giant basket. When the kids come home from school, they empty their lunch boxes and take out homework. The backpacks and lunch boxes are easy for them to access and they have a ‘spot’. Making sure that everything has a place makes it easy for kids to take responsibility for their own things.

Check out this post for some of my best ‘mom shortcuts’ – perfect for back to school!