How to clear that musty rucksack smell?

[Highbinder]

I leant a rucksack to a friend when we went hiking. It pished it down and I don't think he emptied the rucksack straight away when he got home. Anyway it smells off, more so than usual, and I was wondering what the best way would be to clean it?

I've left it sitting out in the shed for a week and brought it in a few days ago, the smell is milder now but has permeated the room it's in - smells like camping as the other main smell is stale woodsmoke... together not altogether unpleasant but not the nicest either!

If you stick your head in it still pongs. Need to use it next week, will bagging my clothes be enough to stop them smelling? If not what can I clean it with?

 

[Shewie]

Fabreeze or chuck it in the washer mate

 

[Samon]

If the febreeze doesn't work I can lend you my ferret, he'll stink up so it smells different..

 

[Imagedude]

Mild bleach, rinse then freeze once the sack is dry.

 

[mountainm]

Give it a very liberal covering of bicarb inside. Leave for a few days. Then Hoover out.

 

[Manacles]

As mountainm said bicard and hoover it out. It might not hurt to hang it outside for a day or too either...........

 

[RonW]

I put mine in the washer.
Just take out the frame, if present, use a mild detergent and wash at 30 degrees. Than hang it out to dry upside down. Never had any problems and I even managed to get a wet storage smell out of my UK Bergen.

 

[Highbinder]

It's an 88l rucksack, even without the frame it doesn't fit in the washing machine. Going to try and give it a scrub out in the shower I think.

 

[SimonM]

Wash it in the shower, the hang it out on the line, upside down, for a few days.

Simon

 

[Highbinder]

Done and done. Its' hanging outside just now. Last time I lend a rucksack to someone.. more hassle than it's worth..

 

[bojit]

Done and done. Its' hanging outside just now. Last time I lend a rucksack to someone.. more hassle than it's worth..

Thats what i do just give it a good wash out then hang it outside .

I gave up lending kit to people years ago after lending my only sleeping bag (a 4season salewa down bag) to a good friend .
never saw him again or the bag , but i am still looking forward to meeting him one day !

Craig..................

 

[Rabbitsmacker]

my berghaus crusader that i bought off the bay stunk of stale fags, washed it in the bath using a nail brush and shower gel, three rinses of water later the water was finally clear-ish. did the inside as best i could but the frame is fixed in there. then hung it out to dry which took 2 days, then febreezed it. it still smells slightly, got a weird wallpaper paste smell to it, just bagged up everything inside, no smells passed on to the contents. it'll go with use i'm sure.