Golfers spend a good chunk of change on their equipment. Just a stand golf bag costs upwards of $200, even more for a hybrid or cart bag.

Knowing that, it makes sense that most golfers want to take care of their bags.

In this post, I’ll cover everything you need to know about cleaning a golf bag, including whether its white, nylon, leather, or even just faded.

How to wash a golf bag

Here’s what you’ll need to gather before cleaning a golf bag:

• Soap, preferably dish soap
• Cloth, rag or sponge, preferably microfiber cloth
• Stain remover
• A bucket of water
• Water hose or faucet nearby

Once you have all of that gathered, I would find a place outside that you don’t care about soapy water draining into. A driveway or garage works well. I would avoid washing on grass in an effort to not kill it.

Cleaning a Golf Bag

1. Empty out your golf bag contents.

Start with a blank canvas as they say.

That means clean everything out of your bag, as if it was when you originally got it. This includes your clubs, gloves, balls, pencils, old scorecards, clothing, and/or rangefinder.

Any trash in the bag should be thrown out at this point as well.

2. Turn the pockets inside out and use a dry wipe if you please.

At this point the bag should be completely cleaned out, but dirty still.

You will want to turn the pockets inside out if you can. In doing so, you should be able to shake out loose crumbs, grass or dirt and sand.

If you have a little dustbuster or portable vacuum, you can clean the inside material this way too. Since not all pockets will be able to be turned inside out, this may be the better option for some.

Finally, if you want, you can use a dry wipe to clean the inside.

3. Wash the outside of the golf bag with lightly soapy water.

Add a little bit of the dish soap into the bucket of water and mix well. 

Dip the microfiber cloth (or sponge) into the bucket of soapy water and start cleaning the outside of the bag. Pay extra attention to the areas with noticeable dirt and grime.

You’ll want to be careful not to apply the soap directly to the bag as it may damage the material. If you have a leather or nylon bag, check out the sections below to make sure you’re cleaning them the correct way.

If you want, you can scrub stains with a stain remover. With darker bags that shouldn’t be an issue, but it is perfectly fine to use on your bag.

4. Rinse the golf bag with a hose.

After cleaning the entire outside of the bag, use a hose to lightly wash off the soapy water.

You can use whatever method you need to if you don’t have a hose. The bag just needs to be completely rinsed so all the cleaning solution is removed.

At this point you should have a completely clean bag that is soaking wet!

5. Let the bag dry overnight.

Bring your wet bag inside of the garage or in an area where you don’t care if it gets a little wet. If you must leave the bag outside, you should leave it in the shade, protected from the sunlight. Direct sunlight can cause the color of your bag to fade.

Remember to leave all your pockets open and allow for the water to dry out. When you go to replace all your clubs the next day, you don’t want to put them back in a wet bag.

Now you’re done! Replace all your clubs and bag contents as before.

How to restore a faded golf bag

Being out in the sun for hours at a time will cause golf bags’ color to fade over time. This usually happens to a bag you’ve owned for some time.

Instead of buying a new bag, you can try a few different things to help restore a faded golf bag.

Nylon Golf Bags

Many golf bags are made from nylon, which also happens to fade due to prolonged sun exposure. 

Try buying some nylon dye in a similar color to your bag. I like Rit Purpose Liquid Dye which you can purchase on Amazon.

You should follow the instructions on the bottle. An effective method is to use a spray bottle and lightly spray the affected area. This should help restore the color and make your bag look fresh again.

Leather Golf Bags

Leather bags come with their own unique set of caretaking needs. Since leather is a premium material, you will want to make sure you are handling it with care.

Using a brush and saddle soap, which is a cleaning solution, rub all over the bag. Let the saddle soap do its magic for at least 20 minutes (or however long the bottle says) and then remove any excess solution.

Next, delicately rub neatsfoot oil on the bag. This oil is a conditioning agent that helps the bag not dry out, an important step after using the saddle soap. Leave the oil on the bag for a couple hours and remove with a brush.

Your leather bag should be good to go now!

How to clean a white golf bag

A white golf bag is more prone to stains and dirt marks than a darker bag, for obvious reasons. That said, you need to be extra careful to not unnecessarily dirty up your bag.

You can clean a white bag the same way as you would wash a darker colored bag, just giving more attention to stains. That means you would follow the same steps as above.

An abbreviated version would look like this:

1. Empty out the bag
2. Clean the inside pockets
3. Wash the outside of the bag with soapy water
4. Rinse the bag
5. Let dry overnight

Best way to clean a nylon golf bag

Many golf bags are made of nylon since they’re remarkably durable. As tough as they are, they will still collect dirt and grime the same way a bag made out of polyester or another material would.

You can follow the same steps as above, but may need to spend a little more time scrubbing the outside of the bag. Nylon has a tendency to hang onto stains longer, I’m not sure why.

If you wanted you could also use a light amount of laundry detergent in your soapy water solution. That will help combat the dirt and stains while still making sure your bag isn’t damaged.

Best way to clean leather golf bag

Leather golf bags come with a different set of problems when it comes to cleaning. Since the material is a little more rigid to help your bag keep its shape, you will want to take a little extra care.

Instead of using dish soap or something similar you will want to use a cleaning agent specifically designed for leather. Saddle soap and a horsehair brush will do the trick. Make sure you use neatsfoot oil aftwards to help restore the oils in the leather so it doesn’t dry out.

Now you have a clean golf bag!

Following these steps will help make sure your bag stays looking new for as long as possible. 

Preventative care is always best so try to keep your bag clean and you’ll get the longest life out of it.

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