Vera Bradley backpacks, purses and tote bags feature bright and bold, quilted cotton prints. The company also produces bags made of a quilted microfiber. If you own a Vera Bradley backpack or purse and notice it is less clean than you like, you can easily clean it yourself at home. The company suggests machine or hand washing its products, rather than dry cleaning.

Check the bottom of a cotton backpack to see if the base is sewn in. If it is not, remove it before washing. If it is sewn in, it is washable.

Set your laundry machine to the gentle or delicate cycle. Use the cold water temperature setting.

Place the backpack in the machine and add the appropriate amount of laundry detergent. While you should use a gentle detergent, use one designed for cotton and not for silks or wools. Turn the washing machine on.

Drape the backpack over a drying rack or hang it from a clothesline to dry after the wash cycle is complete. Don't put it in the dryer.

Use a washcloth dampened with cool water to clean any spots off a backpack made of microfiber. Don't put a microfiber bag into your washing machine.