How to Clean a Golf Bag
Cleaning a golf bag doesn’t take more than the right materials and a little elbow grease.
With just some warm water and mild soap, you can restore your golf bag to a condition fairly close to how it looked when you brought it home.
A golf bag needs maintenance to look great while protecting your valuables and helping to keep your golf clubs dry and protected while traveling to the golf course.
But where do you start?
In this guide on How to Clean a Golf Bag, I’ll give you a step-by-step method to clean your golf bag without spending too much money or wasting time.
What is the best way to clean a dirty golf bag?
Before you start the cleaning process, you’ll want to empty all of the pockets in your golf bag. Keeping anything inside the pockets, such as a golf towel, golf balls, or tees, can cause unnecessary delays or potentially damage golf bags.
After you remove all the possessions, you can take a vacuum cleaner and remove all the loose dirt from the bottom of the pockets. After you vacuum out the pockets, turn the golf bag upside down to shake anything out from the bag you missed the first time.
Once the bag is ready for washing, you’ll need a garden hose, a bowl of warm water with a few drops of dish soap, and a clean cloth or sponge that you can use for cleaning.
First, I like to take the stand bag to an area of my driveway where I know the water will run off. Then I take the water hose and lightly spray the bag to get the exterior wet.
During this cleaning method, you’ll want to avoid the valuables pocket because the soft material inside can fall apart if saturated. Zipping up all the pockets, including the apparel pocket, can prevent any unnecessary fluid from entering the bag.
Once I’m done, I take the soapy water and sponge and lightly scrub the entire bag.
While I gently wash the bag, I’m not worried about stubborn stains or giving the bag a deep clean at this point. I’m solely interested in getting rid of the easy-to-see dirt and grime.
Once I rinse the soap off the bag, I look for stains that need more attention. When I find a dirty spot, I take a soft bristle brush and gently scrub the area with soapy water, hoping to remove any remaining dirt or lingering stains.
If that doesn’t remove stubborn stains, I add baking soda to my dish soap and water, spray some stain remover on the affected area, wait for it to dry, and lightly wash it with a soft brush.
Once done, I use a dry rag to remove moisture and reevaluate any troublesome areas.
After rinsing the nylon golf bag, I dry wipe the golf bag clean and then place it in direct sunlight to help it dry completely.
How can I make my golf bag look new?
You only need water, soap, and a sponge to make your golf bag look new again. Most dirt a golf bag holds can be easily removed with gentle cleaning and the necessary materials.
However, if your ultimate goal when you clean a golf bag is to make it look new again, you might need to make sure and cover the bag a few times with your rag and sponge to remove all the excess dirt and grime.
How do you get dirt out of a white golf bag?
If you need to get the dirt out of a golf bag with white material, you’ll need rags or sponges, some warm soapy water, and possibly your favorite stain remover to get that pristine shine that drew you to the bag in the first place.
With a white bag, you’ll also want to ensure that you keep your golf balls and clubs clean on the course because any residual grime or dirt could easily transfer while you play golf or after your round.
A dirty golf club can easily smear mud along the exterior of the golf bag if it’s not immediately cleaned after hitting the ball.
How do you clean a faded golf bag?
You can only do so much to restore a faded golf bag. Since the material on a clean golf bag fades due to sunlight, you can only remove the unwanted dirt and grime as the bag ages over the years.
Some golfers with a faded golf bag aren’t worried about being delicate while cleaning, so they spray it down with a hose and let it air dry before putting their clean golf clubs back in the bag.
They don’t use stain remover or other chemicals to clean it because they know the bag is in its last days.
Can I clean a leather golf bag?
Cleaning a leather golf bag demands patience and focus because the last thing you want to do is ruin your leather bag. You never want to use a bristled brush to clean leather as it could cause permanent damage.
Also, you should not use an over-the-counter stain remover because the spray could leave spots on the leather exterior.
Since leather golf bags remain one of the most sought-after pieces of golf gear for serious enthusiasts, you’ll want to make sure to first use dry wiping over the bag, then use a clean cloth with warm soapy water to remove any possible problem areas on the bag.
After cleaning a golf bag, how can I protect it?
One of the easiest ways to protect your golf bag for future use is by applying a vinyl protectant spray to the outside of the bag. You should always apply the spray in an open area and allow it to dry overnight to cover the durable materials of the bag’s material.
You can also place an air freshener inside the apparel pocket to remove odors in your golf bag. The freshener helps revitalize golf equipment such as gloves, towels, and shoes.