Washing down products
Not only does washing down products improve the hygiene of their use, but it also causes the down to expand and, of course, have a much nicer scent. We always include the basic information about laundering the product on its label.
Washing in practice
Check if the pockets are empty and fasten all the zippers prior to washing. Turn the sleeping bag inside out.
Purchase appropriate laundry detergents, designed specifically for washing down products. For this purpose, we recommend Granger's® Down Wash cleaner. On the other hand, we strongly discourage the use of traditional washing powders and fabric softeners. When washing products filled with hydrophobic down, we recommend Nikwax® Down Wash Direct.
Hand wash
We recommend hand-washing our sleeping bags in a bathtub instead of using a washing machine. To do so, fill your bathtub with enough water to be able to fully submerge the sleeping bag. Afterwards, add the amount of washing fluid indicated by the manufacturer on the product label. The water temperature should not exceed 35 °C. Place the sleeping bag inside of a small slipcover and then carefully take it out once it has been submerged. This way, most of the air will be evacuated before the sleeping bag is submerged and tediously removing air from each subsequent chamber of the sleeping bag will not be necessary.
Carefully wash the sleeping bag. We suggest draining the bathtub and adding fresh water and detergent as many times as you believe is necessary, however, 1 to 4 times should suffice. The sleeping bag should be rinsed with clean water until there is no soapy water left in it. Do not wring the sleeping bag after draining the water. Simply roll it out flat, just like you would do with a foam mat. This way you will quickly pump all of the water out of it.
Using the washing machine
The down jackets that we produce can be machine-washed without any issues. When it comes to sleeping bags, we recommend laundering them in washing machines with large drums (especially in the case of sleeping bags which contain large amounts of down). Certain washing machines have programs specifically suited for washing down products. If your washing machine lacks such a program, it is best to choose a gentle washing cycle with additional rinsing. Thanks to this, any excess liquid will be removed from the filling. It is a good idea to soak the products in water prior to placing them in a washing machine, as many devices adjust the amount of water, based on the weight of the products in the drum. As such, the amount of water that they would normally draw may not be enough in the case of our super-light jackets and sleeping bags! If the instructions on the label do not state otherwise, the jackets can be spin-dried after washing.
Drying
Down products can be dried in an automatic dryer, preferably on a gentle cycle with a reduced temperature. You may also put several tennis balls into the dryer to help break up the down. Stop the program several times during its course, in order to break up the clumps of wet down that form inside of the product. The drying process can take up to several hours. If you plan on drying your down products in the traditional way, simply lay them out on a flat surface in a warm and well-ventilated room. Remember to periodically check the product to break up any clumps of down that may form during the drying process. For this purpose, you can pat each individual chamber with an open palm until you are sure that no down clumps are left.
PRACTICAL ADVICE
Though this process takes a significant amount of time, following the advice provided above is recommended as it will ensure that your products look brand new after washing. We recommend using silk insoles inside of the sleeping bag for increased durability and to make sure that there is no need to wash the product too often:
Thanks to the insoles, the sleeping bags will stay clean for much longer, as they absorb most of the dirt that is produced during the use of the product. We can also achieve a similar effect by sleeping in thermal underwear or just wearing a T-shirt. In addition, we advise you to sleep with your socks on, as it will reduce the wear and pilling of the inside of the bottom of the sleeping bag.
