Mom sparks major debate over how to wash your kids’ backpacks before the school year starts
A mother has sparked a huge debate among other parents about the best way to wash your children’s backpacks before the school year starts.
Balkan Paar, a mother of five, shared a video on TikTok of herself cleaning her children’s school bags. The video has already been viewed more than 10 million times.
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But other mothers and parents were also bewildered, especially after they saw what brands the school bags were.
Balkan, which bears the name of @mumunddadvonfivekids on TikTok filmed herself washing the Ergobag school bags, which cost between £58 and £180.
She said the best way to do this was to put them in the bath and then rinse them off with a shower hose.
The mother started by placing each sachet in the bath, then filled a bucket with what appeared to be body wash, a sponge, and a cleansing powder.
She then tears any excess materials, such as stickers, out of the bag and sets them aside.
The mother then sprays oxidizing foam into the bags, trying to remove the stains from the pens.
Balkan then filled the bucket with water from her shower hose and then let the bags soak in the bath.
Then she takes a scrub brush and uses the soapy water from the bucket.
The mother makes circular movements with a brush to remove dirt and grime.
She makes sure to scrub the inside and out well, cleaning out any hidden cavities before hosing them down and letting them dry on the side of the tub.
Damn, she’s been using it for two years
TikTok Mom
The video, which has been shared more than 10,000 times, has undoubtedly sparked debate among parents.
Someone wrote: “Honestly, the washing machine would have saved you time and energy.
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“But 42.1k people liked your video, so I think the time and effort put into it was worth it in the end.”
However, someone else added: “Those backpacks are almost $200 each. I would wash them the same way.”
It seemed the parents were divided over whether she should have used the washing machine or not, as another parent wrote: “I use the washing machine.”
A second said: “The washing machine works fine too. Just saying.”
Shower hose
A third wrote: “I also wash my daughter’s school bag weekly.”
Someone else said: “Yup. My daughter’s backpack was $101 plus tax! Damn, she used it for two years! And now I’m using it for swim lessons.”
Back to School Deals
SEVERAL major supermarkets and retailers are set to launch their uniform clearance sale.
Prices for the bundles and deals start from just £5
Chains offering cheap children’s uniforms include Aldi, Marks and Spencer and Tesco.
Asda
Asda’s George range includes the following key items:
Boys uniform
- 2 Pack Polo Shirt – Regular Fit or 2 Pack Short Sleeve Shirt – From £3
- 2 Pack Slim Leg Adjustable Waist Trousers – From £8
- 2-pack basic sweatshirt – from £5
- Black Double Strap Cup Sole School Shoes – From £10
Girls uniform
- 2 Pack Scallop Polo Shirt – Regular Fit or 2 Pack Short Sleeve Shirt – From £3
- 2 Pack Pleated Skirt – From £8
- 2 Pack Basic Vest – From £8
- 2 Pack Short Sleeve Shirts – From £5
- 2 Pack White Short Sleeve School Polo Shirts – From £3
Peacocks
Discount fashion chain Peacocks is offering a 20% discount on its budget uniform range in all stores from July 28.
The children’s uniform is available for children from 2-3 years up to and including 14-15 years, a new age category for this year.
Key points include:
- Children’s Blouse – £5/£6/£7
- Children’s polo 2-pack – £6/£7/£8
- Kids Skinny Trousers – £9/£10/£11
- Kids Bootcut Trousers – £9/£10/£11
- Kids Bengaline Super Skinny Trousers – £8/£9/£10
MADAM
M&S has been offering the same prices on school uniforms since 2021 and has confirmed that its popular 20% early bird discount on school uniforms will be back in place from 2 July.
You can get a discount by shopping online or in stores where the uniform is in stock.
Some examples of the range are:
- From £7 for a 3-pack of 100% responsibly sourced cotton unisex polo shirts, with stain resistant technology
- From £11 for 2-pack of boys slim leg school trousers
- From £12 for 2 pack of girls pleated school aprons
Tesco
Tesco is introducing another 25% discount on uniforms this year. The sale starts on 23rd July.
It usually doesn’t take long to work, so it might be a good idea to stock up while you can.
Make sure you have your Tesco Clubcard or app to hand when you get to the checkout so the discount is applied.
Tesco has not yet announced exactly which items are on offer.
Sainsbury’s
Sainsbury’s says it has left prices unchanged for 2022 school uniforms.
The 25% discount promotion is reportedly set to launch on June 19.
Last year you could buy two packs of polo shirts from £3, trousers from £4 and two packs of gingham dresses from £10 online and in stores.
