Can I put the outer Kirby bag in the washing machine?

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I made the mistake of buying generic set of Kirby bags. They are extremely hard to put on. On one occasion, i thought it was on. about a month later, when i thought it must be time to change it, I opened the bag and the outer bag was filled with dirt. at first, I thought I must have forgot tot put a bag on. I started digging the dirt out, wondering how i could be so stupid when put my hand in there again and among the dirt, I found the empty bag. I spent he next hour pulling out dirt until I thought it was good enough. But now, every time I vacuum, the house smells. So if there are any Kirby experts out there, can I put this in the washing machine or do I have to buy another one?