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Billingham bags are designed to grow old gracefully! Professional photographers usually prefer a well worn, battle-scarred Billingham to a new clean version, however, you may wish to reduce the grime level on your Billingham so here are a few tips:

• Remove any padded inserts, dividers and the base foam.
• DON'T put your Billingham into a washing machine; the detergent will almost certainly ruin the leather.
• DON'T dry clean your Billingham.
• Place the bag on a draining board and wash the bag with warm soapy water, using a nail brush on stubborn areas of dirt (don't submerge the bag in the water).
• Wash all soap away with clear water and allow to dry naturally (airing cupboard) or at least without too much heat. Excessive heat might affect the Stormblock waterproofing or the leather. Also, DON'T put the bag in a tumble dryer or equivalent device.
• When the bag is dry carefully apply leather dressing to the binding and leather areas. We recommend Mars oil or Nikwax. Try not to mark the canvas when you are applying the dressing.

The canvas is tough, the dyestuff resistant and Billingham Stormblock waterproofing pretty incredible, but hard scrubbing might lighten the colour and excessive heat or exposure to acids (such as battery acid) might spoil the Stormblock so please go carefully!

Please note:

• When storing the bag we would strongly recommend that you make sure the bag is dry first and is stored in a clean and dry place to prevent bad smells or mould developing. Storing it in a shed or garage is usually a bad idea.
• The cleaning instructions for removable padded inserts and dividers are the same as for the bags themselves above.
• We would especially recommend against petroleum based shoe polishes for treating the leather as they can cause the leather to dry out over time.