I never put my suitcase on my bed. Every time I come home from a trip, I spray everything with Lysol. My shoes don't extend past the entrance to my house and I don't wear “outdoor clothes” indoors. Some of this behavior is rooted in my upbringing, but I became more vigilant after reporting on the travel industry. Traveling can be so gross!
There is bedbugs And communicable diseases. People and animals are pee, to poop, bleedingAnd vomiting on planes. Hell, there are even people make shrimp in the plane sink and make leaven by coach. I could go on, but I won't. Even without all the bodily fluids, vermin, and junk food, traveling inherently picks up a bit of dust and dirt along the way. You're really not doing things right if you're not making a little mess.
But while collecting souvenirs is great, bringing all the grime home is not. Today I'm sharing a friendly reminder to wash travel gear that probably comes in contact with all kinds of germs, sweat, and dirt of the world, but probably hasn't been cleaned since you bought it : your fanny pack.
Whether you wear it cross-body, around your waist, or slung over your shoulder, most travelers carry a small bag with them wherever they go. When you're at the airport, it holds your passport, phone, boarding pass and wallet. When you're out and about, it probably contains local currency, your phone, and your hotel room key. But no matter what stage of the journey you're in, this bag is probably with you.
Instagram user @ShireenAroundTheWorld_ recently posted a video about how dirty her Uniqlo bag was after spending the last 18 months traveling to 15 countries. After washing it in the sink, the water quickly turned brown.
“Honestly, I knew it wouldn't be great, but I didn't realize how bad it would be,” she wrote. “I can’t even imagine the amount of pieces from different countries that were transported on that.”
His darker bag was clearly able to hide most of the wear and tear accumulated over the past year and a half. But just because you can't see the gunk doesn't mean it's not there. Consider this post a sign to wash your fanny pack/fanny pack/cross body bag ASAP. Even if you just carry it around in your daily life, it could probably benefit from a good soap and warm water. Just be sure to follow the material's care instructions.
