Got tired of my fading bags...

...and finally got motivated to do something about it. I apologize in advance that I forgot to take pictures as I went. I meant to do only one bag so I could show before and after pics, but it was easy and the initial results were promising so I just kept rolling.

Like several people here, I had trouble with my bags fading to a nasty gray. I could see the start of the fading when I lived in Seattle, but the lack of sun and the fact that my work parking was indoors meant that it really didn't look that bad. But once I moved down to Santa Barbara and had to park outside at work, the fading really took off.

I probably could've pursued a warranty claim, but hey, they were just going to fade again anyway. So I went and looked for some other options and ended up at a craft store. I decided to roll the dice on a bottle of spray fabric paint that I found at Michael's.



http://www.amazon.com/Fabric-Spray-...3909&sr=8-4&keywords=tulip+fabric+paint+spray

Don't let the name 'spray paint' deceive you. It's really one of those cheesy pump spray bottles. The pattern is basically a circular blob. I just blasted enough on to to wet most of the surface, if unevenly, then worked it around with a two inch wide paintbrush. After a day of drying, I'll say the bags look nice and black again. What will happen when it rains? I don't know, I'm not sure it's ever actually going to rain down here again. I'll keep you guys posted on how well this lasts.

Supposedly this is safe to wash with other clothes in normal use, but yeah, I'll be cautious. I have already sprinkled water on it as a test with no rub off. But mostly, It rains so little now it could be months before my first real test.

BelloStrada said:

If you're new to SB, I'm sure you've been clued in that it's typically November or December before the first rain can be expected. Fingers crossed for a good El Niño and you'll feel like you're back up Seattle until about mid April!

Click to expand...

I've been here a little over a year now, and had been down visiting friends many times before we moved, so yeah, I know about the weather patterns. The difference between here and Seattle is that I rode year round up there, rain or shine. Down here I don't bother when it rains as just like in Seattle where no one can drive in snow worth a crap, down here everyone seems mystified by the rain.

I'll get some pics of the rejuvenated bags once I've got today's collection of dust washed off. I've also been re sculpturing the seat, so there's a dusting of foam too.