Can anyone tell me if they know of a way to wash a down underquilt (or jacket for that matter) without taking it to the dry cleaners.? I know there has to be a way since they do get wet sometimes and it does not ruin them. Any one have any tips? ( my wife said she heard something about putting tennis balls in the wash or dryer with them but i told her she must be a alcoholic to say something like that..... she said she wasnt. )
The Real Deal
Your wife actually is offering some sage advice, after washing any down product, throwing some tennis balls into the dryer with it help to restore its loft!
http://www.ehow.com/how_4733490_wash...comforter.html
-In case you need more details
DO NOT dry clean down. It strips the oils and ruins it. A commercial front loader on gentle with a natural soap (eg: Ivory Snow) or a special down cleaner. Do not use detergent. Again it strips the oils. Tumble dry on very low heat, with a couple sneakers or tennis balls thrown in for good measure to break up the clumps.
I may be slow... But I sure am gimpy.
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DO NOT take your down to the Dry Cleaners! The chemicals they use, strip the down of it's natural oils (I think it's the oils) and the down will deteriorate faster.
You need to HAND wash with "down detergent", or use a front loading washer.
Then tumble dry on very light heat (or no heat) with some tennis balls to help break up the down clumps.
It takes a real long time to dry, and you may need to stop and break up the clumps by hand a few times, then continue drying.
When down gets wet, it gets really clumpy...sorta reminds me of cold oatmeal. So expect it to take a while. Once it's washed and dried correctly, you might find the down has *way* more loft than you remember it (because it was properly taken care of!
Edit to add: I must type slow. Rev beat me to it.
First DO NOT TAKE THEM TO A DRY CLEANER!!!!! The cems that they use will break down the fine fibers on the down causing it to loose loft and warmth.
Do use a clean front load washing machine or a clean bathtub in conjunction with Down Wash. A good one is made by Nikwax and available at most outdoor stores like REI and EMS, or online at a lot of places. Rinse the quilt/jacket with cool clean water a couple times, then either by hand or on the gentle cycle wash with the Down wash do not use home detergent. If by hand massage the quilt thougougly and need the clumps of down to gently work the wash in. Then rinse, a lot, 5-8 times should be good. Get all of the wash out of the gear. Then on low heat or air only with a couple of clean tennis balls dry. Dry and dry some more it will take a number of cycles to get the down dry and the tennis balls will break up any clumps of down as they dry so that you don't have blocks of down clumped together in your gear.
Jackets that are heavily used probably need this once every 5-8 years. I have done it once to a jacket I have had for 14 years about time again. Under quilts even less if you are keeping it off the ground, as your body and oils are mostly kept off. A TQ or sleep bag probably once every 3-5 years. Unless the gear is clearly visibly dirty or is not lofting very well any more then you probably do not need to wash them.
Be gentle, dry well longer than you think you need to. It has to be 100% dry before you put it away or the down will mold.
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http://sectionhiker.com/washing-a-down-sleeping-bag/
Good article link above from section hiker
I washed a used down sleeping bag in my tub, used Nikwax down wash. Go slow, don't try to pick up a soaked bag. You can tear the shell or baffles.
I rolled mine up to squeeze out more water and carried it in a tub to the dryer.
I didn't use tennis balls, but I would dry it for 30 minutes, and then gently break up the clumps of down and start the cycle over. Took 3-4 hours to get it dry, then I hung it up for a couple of days.
When I was done, it was really fluffy!
"Do or do not, there is no try." -- Yoda
link to how the real pros do recommend you do it...
http://www.westernmountaineering.com...s%20and%20Care
Thanks for the advice, I wasnt sure because she has a down jacket ( from old navy I think ) that says dry clean only. Iam sure old navy gear is not the pinnacle of hiking gear though.
Glad to hear the tennis balls isnt just my wife sneaking the whiskey, I will cancel the intervention I had planned.
I will speak from my time working in a fabric store- the dry clean only label is put on by Mfgs because washing will remove some of the finish/chemicals/treatments added to the fabric/item during the creation/mfg process; if you wash it the surface texture can change, or it can shrink, or pill, or other changes are possible. this way if you wash it and it changes the mfg is not liable for the changes and does not have to replace it because it is not just like when you bought it,.
this came up when I asked or regional mgr why all the silk and wool were labeled Dry clean only when those fibers had been in use for ages, and dry cleaning for only about 50 years..
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