Washing a down sleeping bag?

[Jason Snyder]

Okay, so I picked up some Nikwax Down Wash. It says I can machine wash it in a commercial front loader. We have a HE front loader. Can I use this, or do I need to hand wash it?

 

[fair-chase]

First, I would contact the manufacturer to see what they recommend. But I have washed down comforters and sleeping bags several times using the same setup and had no issues. I hang dry them for a day or two before putting them in the dryer (no heat). The down will be "clumped up" after washing. Adding a couple of tennis balls to the dryer usually works for breaking up the clumps.

 

[Becca]

Check the capacity on your HE front loader. Some may be large enough to be almost comparable to a commercial washer, but I suspect that most home units just aren't big enough to safely wash the down without compressing it...the risk of tearing the outside shell is increased in smaller washer or a top loader.

Sounds like a commercial dryer is pretty much required too...apparently it needs to be a big enough drums for the bag to free fall inside.

Here are some links I found about washing down...I would probably defer to your specific manufacturers instructions.

http://featheredfriends.com/washing

http://www.montbell.us/products/techinfo/maint/

http://www.mcnett.com/gearaid/blog/wash-your-down-sleeping-bag