Washing Down Bags

“I have to wash my down bag so I can send it in to be worked on. I've never had to wash a down bag but I know I have to use a soap that doesn't hurt the oils. Do any of you know what to use? I'd prefer to not have to get the specialized down soap. Any off the shelf stuff I can use?

Sorry for the gear thread BTW. 8)”

“Send it to the dry cleaners. What would you wash it in? You have an industrial washer?”

“Letting the dry cleaners have it makes me uncomfortable. The soap they use totally strips it of all oils and I don't trust anyone to know what they are doing. I'm going to take it to the laundry mat and use those big front loader machines.”

“DONT SEND IT TO THE DRY CLEANERS!!!!!!!”

“The chemicals are carcinogenic and will also destroy the down or fibres of your bag.

You should only wash a down bag with "Down Soap". Nikwax make a good one and so do Sportwash, the people who make Snoseal.”

“If ya don't want to buy any special cleaner for down, you can use a powdered one like Ivory Snow or powdered Woolite (not the liquid) in the commercial front load washers. Dry for a looooong time on really low heat. Handle the wet bag carefully so the baffles & such don't tear due to the much heavier wet bag. I've washed them this way & it worked fine.”

“And when you dry it, is this a case where you put something in the dryer with it to help keep the loft fluffy?

OMG, I contributed to a gear thread!! 8)”

“Like Bunyip said..DONT SEND IT TO THE DRY CLEANERS!!!!!!!

Cowpatty and Liz also have good suggestions (tennis balls or a small kids sneaker to break up the clumps, after its kinda dry)
Something else you can try is check with a trusted local outdoor outfit (especially if they do rentals) to see who does their stuff..I found that The Fifth Season in Mount Shasta, a well known and trusted outfitters and rental shop, sent all their bags to a local cleaners down in Redding..they only charge $20.00 per bag. I used to do all my own bags, took forever (rinse, then rinse again, then rinse again) the local place does a better job then I was doing, and I'm real fussy when it comes to cleaning my bags.”

“I've got some down suds, and it says "to speed drying, add 1 or 2 dry towels and a clean tennis ball to enhance loft."”

“Good thread! Very handy info yall. One day I may wash my down bag.”

“You should get a liner. They're easier to wash.

Powdered soap. Two tennis balls in the dryer on low for about 2 hours.”

“Oh yeah. And wash only in a front loading washer. DO NOT USE A TOP LOADER.”

“Don't take any chances with drycleaner. I like the home wash in the bathtub idea. Light on the soap, just walk around on it in the tub,flip it around and walk around somemore. Repeat for rinse.

Dryers are OK for the bulk of the drying,(lowest heat) then air dry the rest.”

“Just be careful with the tennis balls and running shoes in the dryers kids. You've got heavy down in thin nylon baffles. I would squash as much water out as possible, and let it air dry, for a couple of days, FLAT, then consider putting it in a tumble dryer.

If your going to go to the trouble of washing it, why Nikwax TX-10 it as well, makes the down highly water repellent and you can do it at the same time as washing it.”

“I guess I should add here that I SENT MINE TO THE DRY CLEANER - what's the big deal?”

“Check out this article: Washing Down”

“From Western Mountaineering:

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 DryLoft? 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 roll it up tightly and carefully. A washing machine that will allow you to select the last spin cycle will remove a lot of water and save dryer time. Find a large dryer with good heat control, and set to low heat. First, 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 dimes. In a couple of hours you will have a clean sleeping bag back to its original loft.”

“Not a GEAR THREAD!!!

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