No, for both hardside and softside luggage. A hardside shell isn’t built to withstand the agitation and impact of a washing machine drum and can crack or warp. A softside case, even without a rigid shell, usually has internal structure — a frame sheet, reinforced base panels — that a machine wash can damage just as easily as it would damage a structured backpack.
Hand-cleaning is the safe approach for both: warm water and mild soap on a soft cloth for a hardside shell, and a gentle hand-wash with the same mild soap for fabric panels on a softside case, followed by thorough air-drying away from direct heat.
The exception is a small number of genuinely unstructured, frameless soft bags explicitly labeled machine-washable by the manufacturer — check the care label specifically rather than assuming any fabric bag is safe, since most travel luggage isn’t built with a machine wash in mind even when it’s entirely fabric.
Last reviewed 26 August 2026