Care & Repair

Care & Repair

We always encourage people to take as much care in looking after our bags as we do in making them. If you have any care or repair questions, please get in touch or check out our tips below.


Care Advice

Here’s our advice on how to care for the main ingredients we use to make our bags. If you’re unsure about the specification of your bag or the type of materials used then please check our product pages for more information or email us to be sure.

Organic cotton canvas (outer fabric)

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To clean dirt from organic cotton canvas, wait until the dirt is dry and brush off with a soft, clean brush. The outer organic cotton canvas is weatherproof and can withstand some exposure to rain showers. If you’re unlucky enough to be caught in heavy rain and the canvas becomes very wet, we suggest that you empty your bag and leave to dry naturally away from direct heat.

Bionic® cavas (outer fabric)

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Our exclusive Bionic® Cotton Canvas is made from 38% cotton, 57% recycled polyester, 5% HT polyester and is impregnated with a paraffin wax and a C6 DWR (durable water resistant) coating.

This creates a protective barrier to keep the wet weather out. Your bag will continue to repel water droplets as long as the fabric is kept clean and nourished every few years with a protective treatment such as Otter Wax (hard wax) or Nikwax wax cotton proof (spray).

If your bag becomes dirty, here’s how to clean it:

To remove mud and dirt, leave your bag to dry completely and then brush off the dirt using a clean, soft brush. To remove stains, use a light concentration of soap flakes with lukewarm water. Use a soft, clean brush or microfibre cloth and rub gently in a circular motion to lift the stain. Then wash away any residue with cold water and hang to drip dry away from direct heat.

After washing, you may need to protect the canvas again with a product such as Otter Wax (hard wax) or Nikiwax (spray).

  • Do not machine wash or dry clean the fabric
  • Do not tumble dry
  • Do not use HOT water (this damages the finish)
  • Do not use any detergents such as Eco-Cover
  • Do not submerge fully into a water concentrate (this leaves marks)

Recycled Polyester (lining and waterproof cover)

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To clean dirt from recycled polyester, simply wipe down with a clean, damp cloth and leave to dry naturally away from direct heat.

Vegetable tanned leather (components or full product)

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All our leather is designed to wear in with use – not wear out. Our vegetable tanned leather is water absorbent, so if the leather gets wet then wipe off any residual water with a dry cloth and allow it to dry naturally away from direct heat.

It takes time for good leather to age naturally. While you’re waiting for the leather to mature it can help to apply a leather balm from a reputable supplier. Apply this sparingly with a soft cloth (being careful to avoid contact with any other materials) and leave overnight to dry. Then buff the leather with a soft bristled shoe brush to bring back the shine.

A quick tip without notebooks: you might notice that the covers show a dull waxy finish when you unwrap them. This is completely normal and is caused by the natural wax coming out of the leather. You can remove this by buffing the leather with a soft cloth or soft bristled shoe brush.

Stainless steel (drinks bottles)

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Our bottles are made from food-grade stainless steel, with BPA free plastic lids. The main body of our drinks bottles are dishwasher safe, but the lids need to be washed by hand. You can clean both the bottle and the lid using a mild washing up liquid and a bottle brush – or use the old trick of white vinegar and baking soda for stubborn stains. Remember to rinse the bottle thoroughly before use.

Blank canvas (outer fabric)

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Our Blank Canvas fabric is made from 100% recycled plastic bottles. We have brushed the face of the fabric to give it a soft cotton handle feel. We then apply a waterproof PU film for extra water resistance, to make it up to 1000mm waterproof on the hydrostatic head test – a standard for technical outdoor fabrics.

The face of the fabric is treated with a C6 DWR coating. This creates a protective barrier to keep the wet weather out. Your bag will continue to repel water droplets as long as the fabric is kept clean and nourished every few years with Nikwax Wax Cotton Proof.

If your bag becomes dirty, here’s how to clean it:

To remove mud and dirt, leave your bag to dry completely and then brush off the dirt using a clean, soft brush. To remove stains, use a light concentration of soap flakes with lukewarm water. Use a soft, clean brush or microfibre cloth and rub gently in a circular motion to lift the stain. Then wash away any residue with cold water and hang to drip dry away from direct heat.

After washing, you may need to protect the canvas again with a product such as Nikwax Wax Cotton Proof.

  • Do not machine wash or dry clean the fabric
  • Do not tumble dry
  • Do not use HOT water (this damages the finish)
  • Do not use any detergents such as Eco-Cover
  • Do not submerge fully into a water concentrate (this leaves marks)

Harris tweed (lining fabric)

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Our Crafted By range of bags are lined with Harris Tweed woven from 100% virgin lambswool in Scotland’s Outer Hebrides. The fibres contain a naturally occurring wax called lanolin, which offers basic water resistance. This is enhanced with an additional wax impregnation. Harris Tweed also has a natural crimp and coil that gives it good elasticity and resistance to abrasion.

If the fabric becomes dirty, here’s how to clean it:

To remove mud and dirt, leave your bag to dry completely and then brush off the dirt using a clean, soft brush. If the fabric is stained then we recommend using an environmentally responsible dry cleaner that does not use perchloroethylene. You can also iron the fabric on a low heat setting if there is noticeable creasing.

  • Do not wash fabric in cold or hot water as this shrinks the wool.
  • Do not use any detergents on the fabric.

Cotton canvas (outer fabric)

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Our Crafted By Collection is made from 100% waxed cotton canvas outer fabric produced in Dundee, Scotland. The wax creates a natural weatherproof barrier to protect against water. Your bag will continue to repel water droplets as long as the fabric is kept clean and nourished every few years with a protective treatment such as Nikwax Wax Cotton Proofing (spray).

If your bag becomes dirty, here’s how to clean it:

To remove mud and dirt, leave your bag to dry completely and then brush off the dirt using a clean, soft brush. To remove stains, use a light concentration of soap flakes with lukewarm water. Use a soft, clean brush or microfibre cloth and rub gently in a circular motion to lift the stain. Then wash away any residue with cold water and hang to drip dry away from direct heat.

After washing, you may need to protect the canvas again with a product such as Nikwax wax cotton proof (spray). Cleaning link needed.

  • Do not machine wash or dry clean the fabric
  • Do not tumble dry
  • Do not use HOT water (this damages the finish)
  • Do not use any detergents such as Eco-Cover
  • Do not submerge fully into a water concentrate (this leaves marks)

Buckles (components)

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We use aluminium buckles on all our Maverick bags. These are tough enough to withstand an average force of around 122 kgf (kilogram force). The aluminium is anodized, which provides a weather resistant surface without tarnishing, and the anodized trims we use are non-toxic and contain no nickel.

Felt (outer fabric)

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Our felt accessories are made from industrial felt. This is a compressed blend of 50% polyester, 40% viscose and 10% nylon. Felt is strong and has good abrasive resistance, but the material can be easily damaged if you clean it by washing machine or expose it to heat.

To clean felt, we recommend that you use a soft brush to remove any dirt. To remove stains, use a light concentration of soap flakes with COLD water. Gently clean the area and rinse away any residue. Allow the fabric to dry naturally away from direct heat.

Maverick leather (components)

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All our leather is designed to wear in with use – not wear out. For our Maverick Collection we use a spray dyed cow skin leather for durability and resistance to bad weather. If the leather gets wet, you can simply wipe off any residual water with a dry cloth and allow it to dry naturally away from direct heat.


Repair advice

Our bags are made to last. We check them thoroughly during and after production to make sure they meet our high standards, but it may be possible that you spot something that we missed. If your bag has any defects or damage then please let us know. We’ll review the defect or damage and will offer you a refund or exchange – it’s your choice.

We can also help to repair damage that happens as a result of excessive wear and tear. As every adventurer knows, accidents can happen. If your bag has seen better days then we can assess the damage and advise you on possible repair options.

If you would like us to take a look, please contact us.

A good repair job can make a huge difference in extending the life of your bag, so we’ll confirm here at Millican HQ and with our production partners to see if a repair is possible and if so, at what cost.


Contact

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support@homeofmillican.com

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