how to clean cornhole bags
As you may already know, there is always the option of buying a new set of cornhole bags when your current ones begin to look worn out, but let’s be honest here:
It is hardly attractive for friends and family to see dirty, grass-stained, and grubby bags before an afternoon of fun and games.
Considering that it only takes a few everyday essentials to rejuvenate the look of your bags, and a little bit of time to make them resemble the new ones, this is not a very cost-effective approach.
Furthermore, one of the things that make matters a little trickier is the fact that most of the bags included with even the most excellent cornhole boards around simply cannot be washed in the washing machine.
It is most likely that when you throw these bags in the laundry and give them a good shake, they will simply rip at the seams, and a huge explosion of bag-filling will take place on your machine (and possibly on the rest of your laundry as well).
It is with this in mind that we present you with a way to wash your cornhole bags in a quick, easy, and efficient manner.
How Do You Wash Cornhole Bags?
Cornhole bags should come with washing instructions, just like clothes? Cornhole bags can be complicated to wash, so there are many more questions than answers. The following post gives some advice on how to wash your cornhole bags, one of the most often asked questions in the world of cornholes.
I would like to start off by getting one very important thing out of the way right away. It is not recommended that you use these methods if you have cornhole bags filled with actual corn. I think there’s an excellent way to tell if your bags are corn-filled or not, if you’re not sure. In the course of using your bags, do you find that they produce a fine white powder? It is likely that they are filled with corn, if this is the case.
Since corn does not respond to water well, there isn’t much you can do in terms of washing cornhole bags that have been filled with corn, since corn doesn’t respond very well to water. This is why we are always recommending buying resin-filled bags over bags that are not filled with resin. It is with regret that we have to inform you that you cannot wash your corn-filled cornhole bags, if you came here seeking instructions on how to do so. In case you would like to replace your dirty corn-filled bags with our best value resin-filled bags, you can do so by clicking here.
You have a few options when it comes to resin-filled cornhole bags, so let’s discuss them. As we work our way down from our favorite method to our least favorite, we will present these methods in order starting with our favorite.
Method #1: Bucket, Hose, Mild Laundry Detergent
Cornhole bags are best washed the old-fashioned way, which is our favorite method. Grab a bucket, get your hose, preferably one with an attachment so that you’ll be able to spray more powerfully, and get yourself a mild, liquid laundry detergent. The detergents we prefer to use are those that do not contain any fabric softener whatsoever. The first thing you need to do is fill up the bucket with detergent. Once you have added the detergent, you need to pour it into the machine until it is about the size of a silver dollar. Once the detergent is sprayed in with your hose, don’t put too much water in at first, but spray as much as you need. In order to cover the two stacked bags on top of each other, just enough tape was used. One bag at a time should be put into the water and dipped in and out several times before it is placed in the water again. After that, you should just kind of massage the bag with your hands as you do this. Using some of the suds, work them into the bag, especially in the areas that are dirty. You will only need to remove one bag at a time, so it should not take more than a minute. The next step is to place all four bags in a bucket, and spray them with a fairly high-pressure nozzle once you have finished doing four bags. To dilute the soap, the water is sprayed on the bags, and the idea is to dilute the soap with the water.
It is best to pour all of the water out of the bucket once it is full, but leave the bags in the bucket while the bucket is filled with water. Let the bucket of water fill up again with water and then spray the bags until they are no longer wet. Let the liquid drain out of the container. This should be repeated until there are no suds in the bucket at all after you have rinsed the bucket in this manner. After we discuss how to wash the garments, we will discuss how to dry them at the end of this post because the drying method should be the same regardless of how you wash them.
Method #2: Sink, Mild Laundry Detergent
The method used in this method is almost identical to the method used in the method described above. Instead of using a bucket, you can just use your kitchen sink instead. Usually, when you spray from your garden hose compared to your kitchen sink, you will get a much more powerful spray compared to when you spray from your kitchen sink. Later on in this post, we will share with you the drying method we used.
Method #3: Clothes Washer
Some people prefer to wash their bags in their clothes washer even though we don’t really recommend this method. In order to achieve the best results with this method, make sure you use cold or lukewarm water when you do so. It is also recommended to run the cycle for a short period of time. There are two sides to the argument: the bottom line is that taking your cornhole bags and washing them in the washing machine will cause them to bounce around and will shorten their lives. This is not a problem for some people, but it is a concern for others. It is reported that some people find that this method helps them to break their cornhole bags in faster.
The use of this method should not be performed if your bags have any snags in them. When the bags are washed, they are prone to breaking open, so then you will have to empty your washer thoroughly to get all of the resin out of it. It will be covered at the end of our post how to dry your cornhole bags, but suffice it to say that we don’t recommend putting your cornhole bags into the clothes dryer after they have been washed.
Method #4: Dishwasher
Likewise, we do not necessarily recommend this method, as we did with the method above. It is actually the first and second methods that we really prefer. In spite of this, it is worth mentioning that some people have reported success washing their cornhole bags in their dishwashers. In the washer, the bags are laid out on the top shelf and they use warm water to wash them instead of hot water in a hot water cycle. There is no way to overemphasize how important that is. In some dishwashers, water is heated up to a very high temperature. It might be a good idea not to try this if you are unable to adjust the water temperature or to test it with an old set of bags if you cannot.
As long as you use a liquid detergent instead of a powder detergent when you run your dishwasher, you can use whatever soap you usually use for your dish washer. In addition, you should be aware that you should not put anything in the dishwasher with your bags. There is no need to wash cornhole bags at the same time as you wash pots/dishes. I would like to warn you one last time; some dishwashers use a lot of heat to dry the dishes while they are in use. The bags might need to be removed right after the washing cycle if your machine does this. The extreme heat from the washer could damage your bags if you do not remove them right after the wash cycle.
Washing cornhole bags by hand
It is possible that one of the oldest ways to do so is to use a brush and detergent, and this is also the least popular way to do so. It is recommended that you wet the bag(s) that you are going to tackle first (you may let them soak overnight or start washing them immediately), then fill a cup with dish/laundry detergent, start scrubbing them individually, and finish the washing process once they are completely dry. This method works best on white fabrics but if you wish to get rid of some of the deepest germs and residue from your bags then you should try it as it digs into the fibers of the fabric and can get rid of some of the deepest germs. Using a fan or placing the bags in the sunlight will allow them to air-dry, but you can also let them dry by using a fan.
Bulk washing bags in the driveway
Compared to other methods of cleaning the bags, this method is less invasive and does not clean the bags as well as the other methods. Basically, what you want to do is lay out all your bags on your driveway, take a water hose and spray them all down with water, flip the bags over and spray them again, and then set them out to dry as per the instructions. To achieve better results, it is recommended that this method be combined with the above scrubbing method. As one of the quickest ways to wash cornhole bags in bulk, this is probably one of the best methods to do so, but it’s limited by the weather conditions at the time.
How To Dry Your Cornhole Bags
You should use the same method of drying your cornhole bags regardless of which method you use to wash them. Using a towel, you should first dry off the bags to remove any moisture that has been trapped inside them. In warm weather, we recommend that you let the bags air-dry. However, make sure not to put them in direct sunlight, which can cause them to fade over time. The air-drying can be done inside your house for several hours if it isn’t too warm outside. As a way of expediting the process, we recommend that you lay out the cornhole bags on a dry towel, cover them with a towel and use the low heat setting on your hair blower to speed up the process. Alternate between bags so that the temperature does not become too high in any one bag at a time.
Top Tip for Drying Cornhole Bags
In spite of how tempting it might be to put the cornhole bags in the tumble dryer, please avoid doing this as it has the same damaging effect as putting them in the washing machine.
In addition, if you put them on a radiator or right next to a hot air vent, there is a possibility that you will melt the bag filling if the excessive heat gets to the bag.
You are not limited to using them near such devices, however, you should at least keep them at a safe distance in order to prevent any damage from being done to the devices.
Frequently Asked Questions About Cleaning Cornhole Bags
How do you get rid of the smell of a cornhole bag?
The best approach is to let your bags air outside for a few days after you have bought them, whether they have this new chemical spell or they have picked up odors from outside.
As an alternative, you can pour baking soda on them to get rid of the smell and it is also an effective odor-eating agent.
Can you put cornhole bags in the dryer?
Putting cornhole bags in the dishwasher or tumble dryer is a bad idea, since they could rip open at the seams if they are put in there.
Can you wash cornhole bags in the dishwasher?
There is no doubt that cornhole bags can be washed in the dishwasher, but if you wash them, do be sure to set the dishwasher’s heat to a low setting since too much heat will damage the cornhole bags.
The Final Word
In spite of the fact that cornhole bags are not the most expensive items on the planet, you should never simply replace them once they start to look worn out.