We have made a very conscious decision not to put any anti-mould coating on our lunch bags or any other Spencil products. As a company we make every e ffort to reduce our impact on the environment and not create products that can have an adverse impact on the health of our customers. The coatings available to us for use on products like the lunch bag do not meet this fundamental standard. They can cause harm to our environment and to humans.
Lunch bags with ice packs can create a moisture rich environment for naturally occurring mould to form, particularly in the humid parts of the world many of us live.
With the use of any frozen ice pack or our own Chill Pack, condensation will form on the Chill Pack and this means moisture in your lunch bag. Add in the heat and humidity of our Australian climate with the airless environment of the backpack a lunch bag sits in all day and mould has the perfect conditions.
To help reduce the likelihood of mould forming on your lunch bag, follow these simple steps.
The black outer pouch that comes with the chill pack is specifically designed to reduce the moisture inevitably created by the frozen gel pack. To minimise condensation (moisture) finding its way into the lunch bag, freeze the inner (silver) part of the Chill Pack flat and without the outer black cover. Ensure the cover is completely dry before putting it on the frozen gel pack and into the lunch bag.
Wash the outer black cover regularly in warm soapy water (or every now and again in the washing machine) and thoroughly wipe over with vinegar before drying out completely (preferably overnight).
At the end of every day, as soon as possible when the kids get home from school, empty the lunch bag, shake out any leftover food scraps or crumbs and wipe over inside and out with a splash of vinegar on a wet cloth.
Your lunch bag can be washed in a washing machine. Not every day, but do give it a regular gentle cycle wash on its own. Add a cup of white vinegar to your wash to kill any mould spores that may have developed.
For added protection or to treat any mould that may already be visible, soak your lunch bag in a bucket of water with a cup of vinegar for at least an hour before rinsing or putting through a washing machine gentle cycle with additional vinegar or your normal detergent.
Drying thoroughly in a well-aired position before use is the most important ingredient in preventing mould.
After giving it your daily wipe-over, air your open bag on a drying rack or on a clothes line each night, either hanging or standing on-end. Ensure there is plenty of air-flow where you’ve chosen to dry it.
The lunch bag will dry out best outside, preferably in the sun with the print side facing the sun.
After washing your lunch bag thoroughly, the final mould insurance is the sun which is the most powerful mould prevention and removal treatment.
Wherever possible, dry your lunch bag as well as the Chill Pack black cover in the sun. Dry it with all print sides of the bag facing the sun, either pegged to a clothesline or upended on a drying rack.
Inner padding can take longer to dry out than the visible lining and exterior fabric. An overnight dry is always recommended before placing into the confined space of a backpack for the day.
