View Full Version : What to wash a down bag in???
HiKen2011
12-17-2010, 18:36
Is there a special detergent that's better than normal detergent?:-? How about drying? Low cycle or what? Thanks
Wash it in a bath tub with warm water with nikwax and then air dry it.
WM has a guide...http://westernmountaineering.com/index.cfm?section=product-tips-and-care
I think you can buy special down soap for it. Use a front-loading washing machine, but make sure it's okay to use the special down soap. You might have to use the special front loading soap depending on the laundromat.
I think I used the special down soap for mine. I remember walking to the laundromat with my bag and holding a cup of liquid soap, anyway. My bag came out fine.
Many Walks
12-17-2010, 20:00
I got the down soap at an outfitter and washed a WM Caribou bag in a front loader. I tumbled it dry in a front loader dryer on no heat. That worked great. Drying with no heat is critical since a lot of commercial machines have poor temp control so it's better to spend the extra time for a good dry and fluff. We ran into a hiker in Damascus who washed all of his stuff and tossed them in the dryer. Went for a snack only to return to find all of his stuff had melted. Bad day!
As others have said: use the special down soap. Wash in front loader or by hand in perfectly clean bath tub.
Alternately I just washed my down bag in a top loading high-efficiency machine on gentle cycle. I was happy with the results.
Tumble dry on low with tennis ball.
Panzer
There was an interesting thread at BPL recently about some damage done to a WM bag using a front loader.
The bag developed "balls" that did not come undone after another wash or two.
My opinion is that there was detergent residue in the washing machine.
So if you cannot or don't want to use the bathtub (that is what I use...) I suggest running at least one cycle of hot water without any clothes or detergent before you do the bag.
And yes, you need pure soap (such as the Nixwax Down Wash ) , don't improvise...
If you do use the bath tub, then don't lift the bag up once you have left it there to drip dry for a while but slid it in something like a laundry basket to drip a bit more than take it to the dryer or clothes line still making sure you do not put any stress whatsoever on the fabric. (the baffles come apart...)
Franco
I wouldn't ever put a sleeping bag that costs hundreds of dollars in a washing machine.
bigcranky
12-17-2010, 20:29
If you go to a laundromat, be careful with the dryer. Some of them are wired wrong and put out high heat no matter what setting you use (bad.) Other times, the attendant will helpfully turn up the heat when he or she notices that you've "accidentally" set it to No Heat. Also bad.
bulldog49
12-17-2010, 21:55
I wouldn't ever put a sleeping bag that costs hundreds of dollars in a washing machine.
Front loading washer is as safe as hand washing.
Yamagame
12-18-2010, 04:07
While you're on the trail, there is nothing more heinous than handwashing a bag in a hotel room tub and then schelpping it a mile across town to the laundromat to stick it in a dryer (all the while, trying to carry your now heavy, wet, bag carefully so as not to rip the baffling). I was skeptical about using front-loaders at laundromats, but have been impressed by how a good front-loader does the job with SO much less effort on my part.
Make sure your frontloader is free of detergent, pins, pricks, deformities etc. Also, the de-clumping and drying process will be improved if you find the rare and special laundromat that gives you an option to run the rinse cycle twice and the spin cycle twice.
The WM website mentions it, but making sure it is dry all the way (you don't feel ANY clumps) is the most important thing. FYI, pay attention to when the laundromat closes before you start the process, as a drying bag can take 2 hours+. I had a laundromat owner shoo me out of the building with a sopping wet bag. If I hadn't been able to beg a hotel owner to let me use her private dryer, I would've been SOL.
Make sure you put your sleeping bag in a giant plastic bag before putting it in the washing machine. You can use a trash bag. If you don't do this the bag will get wet.
springerfever
12-18-2010, 08:52
One thing I have found useful when washing a down bag is to leave the bag in its stuff sack to begin the process. BEFORE putting the bag into the washer, hold the bag/stuff sack under water (like in a full sink) to let the bag soak up water. You can squeeze/knead the sack and air bubbles will escape. Continue doing this till the bag/sack is saturated.
CAREFULLY remove the bag from the sack. You can actually just peel the stuff sack, turning it inside-out in the process. The main thing is to gently remove the bag and do not tug. Now both bag and storage bag can be put into a front load washer on delicate cycle with extra rinse if available.
I prefer ThunderDown (by McNett) over Nikwax for the simple fact that it smells better (actually no smell at all), but both are great products.
Why do this ? If you follow the standard procedure, you will see it takes quite a while for the sleeping bag to actually get WET in the washer. The confined space in a frontload washer coupled with great lightweight fabrics w/DWR actually keep the bag from getting wet for quite a while. By presoaking the bag is ready to accept the soapy solution and wash more thoroughly.
It's amazing to see the difference between a bag that has been used for quite a while and needed washing and the final result after a good wash and a thorough, low-temperature drying. The substantial increase in loft and the clean feel/smell is well worth the effort. Weighs less too !!
Make sure you put your sleeping bag in a giant plastic bag before putting it in the washing machine. You can use a trash bag. If you don't do this the bag will get wet.
Words of wisdom.
HiKen2011
12-18-2010, 16:01
Make sure you put your sleeping bag in a giant plastic bag before putting it in the washing machine. You can use a trash bag. If you don't do this the bag will get wet.
Thanks Einstein!!!!!!!:p