Removing marks from waxed canvas

Waxed canvas is meant to look lived in. The creases, the lighter patches where your hands hold the handles and the slight shine along the edges are part of what makes a bag like the Canvas Weekender worth owning. But after a wet season, mud, salt and the odd coffee spill can make it look tired rather than worn.

Waxed canvas is one of the easiest materials to bring back. It needs no special products, only a brush, cold water and a bar of fabric wax. It takes an afternoon, most of it waiting.

Start with a brush

Most marks on waxed canvas sit on the surface, held by the wax rather than soaked into the cotton, so they come off with a brush far more easily than you would expect.

Let the bag dry completely at room temperature first. Wet mud smears; dry mud flakes. Then empty every pocket, turn the bag upside down to shake out the grit and brush the outside with a stiff, dry brush. A clothes brush or a clean vegetable brush both work. Brush along the weave rather than across it, and pay attention to the seams and the base, where dirt collects.

Do the inside too. Pull the lining out as far as it will go and brush out the sand and crumbs that gather in the corners. Grit inside a bag wears through a lining faster than anything outside it.

For many bags, that is enough. The wax closes back over small scuffs as the bag warms up in use.

Spot-clean what is left

For marks that stay after brushing, use cold water and a soft sponge or cloth. Cold matters: warm water softens and lifts the wax, and you will end up with a pale patch that is harder to fix than the mark.

• Dampen the sponge, do not soak it
• Work in small circles from the edge of the mark inwards
• Rinse the sponge often so you are not moving dirt around
• Let the bag dry naturally, away from radiators and direct sun

Never use soap or detergent on waxed canvas. It strips the wax and breaks down its water resistance. The same goes for the washing machine, which will ruin the finish in a single cycle.

Salt marks from winter pavements come out with a cloth dampened in a mix of one part white vinegar to two parts cold water. Oil and grease are the hardest. Dab them with a dry cloth to lift what you can, then leave them. They usually fade into the wax over a few weeks.

Re-wax once a year

After a year of use, or after a very wet season, the canvas will start to look dry and pale in places and may no longer bead water. That is the time to re-wax. You will need a bar of fabric wax, a soft cloth and a hairdryer.

1. Brush and spot-clean the bag and let it dry fully, ideally overnight
2. Warm the bar of wax slightly in your hands or on a radiator
3. Rub the wax into the canvas in small sections, working it into the weave
4. Pay extra attention to seams, corners and the base
5. Go over each section with a hairdryer on a low setting until the wax melts in and the surface looks even
6. Buff off any excess with a soft cloth
7. Leave the bag in a warm, dry room for 24 hours before using it

Do not wax the webbing handles or the inside of the bag. They do not need it, and wax on the lining will mark whatever you pack.

What not to worry about

Not every mark is a problem. Pale creases along the fold lines and a darker, shinier patina where the bag is handled most are signs of age, not damage, and they will come back however carefully you clean. Most people who have owned a waxed bag for a few years come to like them.

A waxed bag should never look new again. Clean, dry and creased is exactly right.

Marta Nowak, Common Goods

If a mark truly will not shift, or if a seam has lifted or a zip has stopped running smoothly, send the bag to us. Our repair service covers everything we make, free for the first two years, and we can re-wax a bag in the studio if you would rather not do it yourself.

Once the bag is clean and waxed, store it empty and stuffed loosely with paper so it keeps its shape. Keep it somewhere cool and dry, not in a plastic cover, which traps moisture and can leave the wax cloudy. Treated this way, a waxed bag like the Weekender gets better with each year, and is always ready for the next long weekend.