I finally gave my 14 year old cheap backpack a proper wash and it feels brand new

I bought this no-name daypack from a street vendor in Austin back in 2011 for like $25, just for a weekend trip. It's been through two moves, a rainy season in Seattle, and daily commutes since then, but I never really cleaned it. Last Sunday I soaked it in the tub with some mild soap, scrubbed the zippers with a toothbrush, and let it air dry for two days. The fabric colors are brighter and the zippers slide like they did on day one, honestly shocked it held up this long. Has anyone else had a cheap bag surprise them like this, or did I just get a lucky one?

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taylor92913d ago

Zippers are usually the first thing to go on cheap bags, so the fact that yours are still sliding smooth after a decade is wild... the fabric holding up is one thing but the hardware surviving is the real miracle. I've had $100 bags where the zipper pull snapped off within a year, so you definitely got a stealth tank there. That toothbrush trick on the zipper tracks is key though, people forget gunk builds up in there and makes them stick way before they actually break. Makes me wonder if a lot of "cheap" gear is actually fine and we just treat it like dirt because we assume it's disposable... maybe that weekend street vendor knew something the big brands don't.