Washing down items

[Lophophaps]

Advice is sought about washing down items, typically sleeping bags, quilts, down jackets and booties. I know how to wash a duck or a goose.

There's three aspects to consider:
1 Conventional soap or soap designed for down;
2 Washing machine or soaking; and
3 Drying in a washing machine or drier, or on a clothes line.

TIA.

[mushroom]

I've use Granger's Down Wash for washing my sleeping bag and down jacket, then just follow their instructions (hand wash, tumble dry on low heat). Add a few tennis balls to the dryer to break up wet clumps of down and help it dry. Periodically stop the dryer and rub both sides of the item to further spread out the wet down. Take care lifting or moving the items while wet, as the heavy wet down can damage the internal baffles that seperate the down into sections.

The only disadvantage I've found with Granger's is that it is quite expensive in Australia.

[Strider]

I hand wash with Lux soap flakes. Spin in the machine to help dry then lay flat for a few days to dry fully.

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[zac150]

+1 for down wash and drier except I use the bouncy hand balls in the drier.

[Orion]

There is a lot information about this online. Not so hard to find if you're willing to search a bit.

I don't know enough about soaps so I buy one specifically formulated for down. It's not expensive since I use it so infrequently.

I have used front loading machines but prefer to do it myself at home in a tub. It's not that much work; the number of rinses required to remove all of the soap to satisfaction is the most laborious part.

Despite warnings not to use a top loading machine I think they are fine for *spinning*. I use ours for that purpose. It really speeds up the drying process by first spinning out the water. It also provides a convenient way to do more rinses since the washing machine can be set to "rinse" and then "spin" repeatedly. I dry items in the clothes dryer, first at normal temp then at reduced temp. I toss in some tennis balls for the last part. It takes a long time... but you don't need (or want) to wash down items very often.

That reminds me, my wife wants me to wash her down jackets!


For a professional viewpoint I think the Western Mountaineering recommendations are good:

The best way is to hand wash it in a bath tub or you can use a front loading washing machine. Never use a top loading or agitator machine as this can damage the baffle construction. Only use a soap especially prepared for down products. Dry cleaning is not recommended since the solvents can strip away natural oils contained in the down.

When you hand wash, fill the tub with warm water, add down soap and put the bag in the tub. A tip here is to keep your bag in its stuff sack and put the whole thing underwater. That way air has already been forced out of the bag and you won’t have to fight air filled baffles floating to the surface. A Gore Windstopper bag should first be turned inside out before being put into the tub. Carefully pull the bag from its stuff sack and gently knead the soapy water through the bag.

It may be necessary to change the soapy water more than once, but don’t over do it. When you are satisfied that your bag is clean be prepared to rinse it with clear water several times. It is important that all of the soap is removed from the down before it is dried. If in doubt rinse again; five or more rinses are not uncommon. Do not wring water from your sleeping bag, instead drain the tub and then roll the bag up tightly and carefully to remove all of the water. Use both hands (and caution) when picking the sleeping bag up, as it may be heavy from any water still trapped inside the baffle chambers. A washing machine that will allow you to select additional spin cycles will remove more water and save dryer time. Find a large dryer with good heat control, and set to low heat. Be sure there are no nicks, burrs, or other sharp items inside the dryer that may damage the shell fabric on your bag. Feel around inside the dryer with your hand to be certain. Once you begin drying, watch for hot spots on the dryer drum that could melt the nylon shell. If in doubt use the no heat setting. A couple of clean tennis balls tossed in with the bag will help break up clumps of down and give you something to look at. Be careful! Don’t just tumble your bag till it feels dry, that may not be enough. Carefully feel the down insulation. If you still feel lumps, no matter how small, then your down is still wet! Break a twenty and add more quarters. It may take two or more hours depending on your bag, but you will have a clean sleeping bag back to its original loft.

http://www.westernmountaineering.com/product-details/product-tips-care/

[slparker]

How often do you need to was a sleeping bag? I've always aired my down bags and jackets after each use and never felt the need to wash them.

If it doesn't smell, or appear visibly soiled, is it necessary to wash it at all?

[Mark F]

My rule of thumb is when it looks dirty or is not lofting as well as it did originally. Down jackets/vests I usually wash once a year, sleeping bag/quilt perhaps every 2 years.

You need a pure soap, wool wash or specialised down cleaner. I use wool wash.

Soak and hand wash ONLY. No machine washing.

Best to dry in two stages: one to get the majority of the water out and then a second to fluff up the down. I tend to dry on a couple of towels as you would with a wool jumper but have done an initial spin dry, very carefully in a front loader machine. Drying in a tumble dryer to finish off is good with a couple of tennis balls etc to help fluff up the down. Be careful to keep the heat way down.

[Giddy_up]

I use down wash, what ever is on special.

Use a front loader machine and hand rinse carefully.

Use the big tumble dryers at a laundromat. They are so much larger and have more airflow and surface area for your bag, quilt etc to move in. Add tennis balls too


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