How to Clean a Fabric Wallet

At Allett, we made our vegan nylon wallets to move. This premium ripstop leather fabric is specifically designed to be taken with you as you hike, bike, camp, and travel the world. It is breathable and paper thin, despite being capable of withstanding immense abuse. Many people use this type of wallet at jobs where leather would be ruined by oils and chemicals, like auto shops.

That means that your fabric wallet is going to get dirty and grimy. Nylon – and some other types of fabric – all washable, but you will still want to do so in a gentle way so as not to affect the look of the fabric.

Can You Put a Fabric Wallet in the Washing Machine?

The easiest way to clean any type of fabric is to throw it in the washing machine and let it run. But the vast majority of fabric wallets, especially those not made with nylon, will not respond well to the wash. Most fabric wallets have PVC or leather trim that does not respond well to the wash, or is made with a fabric that may shrink, like cotton. Some also have colors that will bleed out in the wash.

Premium nylon wallets, like our vegan nylon wallets here at Allett, can be washed in the washing machine. Washed with like colors and in cold water, the nylon should wash very well, and can then be flattened to air dry after it has been washed. It is not ideal for the fabric, as washing machines put the stitching under immense abuse, but if you do have some significant grime that doesn’t respond well to other cleaning methods, you can absolutely throw it in the wash.

Hand Cleaning Your Wallet

Before you throw a nylon wallet in the wash, you should first try to clean it by hand. To do so effectively, you will want to:

• Remove anything that is in the wallet. Make sure that you do not keep anything in your wallet at all, removing cards, cash, the micro pen (important!), and any other items you may have.
• Prepare a gentle cleaning solution. Nylon does not require (or respond well to) harsh chemicals. The easiest way to clean it is to take a small amount of detergent and dilute it with clear dish soap. This creates a very soft cleaner that is gentle on the wallet.
• Scrub the solution into the wallet with a toothbrush. The soft bristles of a toothbrush create the friction you need to clean the wallet without damaging it. Continue to scrub until it appears that the stain or dirt is coming off and the soap has been lathered over the area.
• Wipe the soap off with a wet rag. Because non leather wallets with nylon tend to be very flat and breathable, they typically respond very well to cleaning with a wet rag without applying too much pressure to the wallet. It is best to use lukewarm water, rather than hot water.
• Air dry it. It is best not to hurry the drying process along since too much heat can potentially damage the wallet. Nylon is very durable, but because the fabric is also breathable, it tends to air dry fairly quickly so risking damage with heat is not necessary.

Any designer vegan wallet – for men or women – can typically be cleaned in this way, though it will depend on the material. The nylon wallets we have here at Allett are absolutely washable. They can withstand a washing machine, but to support the longevity of the wallet, we still recommend that you hand clean the wallet first. If the stains absolutely do not come out, then throw it into the washing machine, but make sure that you still take it out and air dry it so that it doesn’t heat too much.