Static electricty and washing/drying a down bag

**nobanjo15** · 10-05-2007, 15:44

Can anyone give advice on the best way to wash and dry a down sleeping bag in a way that doesn't generate static?
I have read on a recent post here that static can reduce the insulation properties of down by causing down to be attracted to itself and reduce thermal efficiency.
In the past I have used up to 12 tennis balls in the dryer to knock out the lumps of down that form during the wash process. I wonder if this could be causing the generation of static.
Help please, my sleeping bag is looking skinny.

**FanaticFringer** · 10-05-2007, 16:16

http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/show...ricity+washing

**slowhike** · 10-05-2007, 20:37

i use a couple tennis balls when drying mine. i also toss in a couple fabric softener sheets. that should help w/ the static.

**warbonnetguy** · 10-05-2007, 23:53

every time my bag comes out of the dryer completly dry, the loft is always way better than when it went in. never noticed any loss of loft or anything.

**slowhike** · 10-06-2007, 07:39

Originally Posted by warbonnetguy

every time my bag comes out of the dryer completly dry, the loft is always way better than when it went in. never noticed any loss of loft or anything.

yeah, i'm puzzled at why nobanjo14's bag would keep getting more "skinny".

**headchange4u** · 10-06-2007, 10:05

Originally Posted by warbonnetguy

every time my bag comes out of the dryer completly dry, the loft is always way better than when it went in. never noticed any loss of loft or anything.

I recently bought a North Face down bag from Craig's list. It smelled kinda musty so I washed it and I was amazed on how much loft came back. It was staticy(?) when I took it from the dryer but that disappeared after a while.

I avoided using dryer sheet because I have heard that the farbic softener in them leaves a coating on the fabric and I didn't want that. Most department stores sell an anti-static spray in the laundry dept. You may try using that while drying.