Washing a Sleeping Bag

Yup, in my experience. Considering your expressed fear of over-compressing that bag in it's stuff sack, I'd have to say that it's not worth the risk to a bag you want to last a while.

Wash in the bath tub. Then rinse, rinse, rinse, rinse, repeat.

Or splurge for the big capacity front-loaders (the bigger the better for an effective rinse, and again, I repeat the rinse a couple times even at the laundry mat.

The big risk of the top load agitator washers is that they will tear the seams or baffles on a sleeping bag as they stretch it back and forth. Using the delicate cycle helps and lot, as does pausing the washer and swishing it around by hand. The main benefit of the washer that the bathtub can't provide is the spin cycle to get the water out of it before drying.

Overall, it's probably worth gathering up your sleeping bag with a couple of other piece and trudging over to a laundromat for the wash cycle. Then, you can dry it at home (or finish drying, as sleeping bags take repeated dryer cycles.

For down bags, three tennis balls bouncing around in the dryer will fluff up the down.

I'm leery of laudro-mat washers, too. Who knows what the last person washed in there? Their oily rag collection? Their hazmat cleanup gear? I'd slide my hand around the inside of the washer, listening for a nice clean squeak.

I have a follow-on question…has anyone actually ruined gear on the gentle setting of a top-loader? Or is it a story that gets passed down from generation to generation?

…

"For me airing the bag out, and spot wet wiping specific areas is better than the shredder."

You mean, don't wash in a washing machine?

I have never washed a synthetic or down garment. Seems crazy to me.

Unless you lose loft from body oils, in which you have no choice?

Maybe don't sleep naked in sleeping bag?

Use only a little detergent? Even the type designed to wash down like the Nikiwax?

I've ruined two out of 4 synthetic bags that I've washed in a top loading washer. Neither were due to seams ripping apart or failing, both were due to the filler bunching up internally. All were done on the gentle cycle.

To me, the biggest reason to buy down gear over sythentic puffy insulation is that down washes fantastically well and will last essentially forever — or until the stitching on the fabric gives way.

A good wash, every so often, and a tumble in the dryer with tennis balls and down gear is as good as new. I use NikWax down wash and, as long as I'm going thru the aggravation, I run a cycle of NikWax DownProof to restore the DWR to the fabric.

I have done it on a delicate setting at home, with mostly hand swishing, but it's worth it to go do it the right way in a laundromat if you don't have a front loader at home.

Here's a Marmot YouTube on washing sleeping bags:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=coxKybCKaa8

Maybe there's no reason to wash synthetic because by the time it gets dirty, it's lost much of it's loft due to being compressed in your backpack?

down will not last forever …

should you wash it enough it will get to the point where the loft doesnt recover no matter what

now sleeping bags tend to last a long time as most people dont use it daily for years

these down sweaters on the other hand … ive worn an EB down light, basically 200+ days a year for the last 2-3 years and washed it every few months … the loft recovers somewhat after a wash, but never fully

interestingly enough i have a 19$ old navy synth puffy which i bought 2 years ago which now has some holes … but the cheap synth insulation still has decent loft …. i use this daily as well, often with the down vest right under it

im wearing my mammut 650+ fill jacket right now and have been wearing and sleeping in it since november close to 18+ hours a day, every day, and have done so the last 2-3 years for 4+ months a year … we have no heating at our place … and i can tell you thats starting to lose some loft to despite the occasional washing …. though i suspect its more "durable" in that sense than the 800 fill in my EB

heres a blog someone who uses her down bag ALOT

Sleeping bag: I have been using Western Mountaineering sleeping bags most of the time and depending on the climate I am alternating between the Summerlite, the Ultralite, the Versalite and the Puma. Generally speaking the bags are high quality and very durable. After about one year of constant use the slider of the zipper can wear out. As all WM bags have two sliders and usually only the top one that is most used wears out this is not a life-threatening problem. The slider can be replaced very easily if you have the appropriate spare. After about half a year of constant use the down in the bag will start clumping and thus reduce the warming capacity of the bag. Washing will restore part of the loft, but still it is my experience that no matter how and how often you wash the bags, after one year of constant use they will have reduced loft and after 2 years of constant use the down has so much deteriorated that I think of replacing it.
After a lot of problems with clumping down due to extended use and/or humid conditions I have now changed to synthetic quilts. I am using a BPL 240 quilt for 3 seasons and a Enlightened Prodigy 20 for colder temperatures. The BPL quilt has about 300 nights and the Enlightened Prodigy about 120 nights of use without any significant deterioration of loft or any other substantial defects.

http://christine-on-big-trip.blogspot.ca/p/what-breaks-when-and-why.html

its a myth that down last forever … down can last longer if properly cared for … especially with infrequent use …

but use it every day, all the time, and itll wear out like anything else …

as to washing synths … simply wash it in the bathtub, let it dry a bit, then throw it in the dryer on low/moderate … itll fluff up decently much faster than down

;)

The oft maligned Ray Jardine is apparently none to fond of down and very critical of its longevity. I've had good luck with it, but don't don't put it to hard enough use other than a feather quilt which held up great for 30 years.

Did you put tennis balls in the dryer to break up the wet down clumps after each wash?

The oldest down sleeping bag I have is from 1970. It's shot, so I guess it hasn't lasted forever, but 40 years is pretty damn close to forever.

I think the shell on a high quality down bag will be too worn out and disgusting to keep using before properly cared for down fill gives up the ghost. Will it still have exactly the same loft after 20 years? Probably not.

> "im wearing my mammut 650+ fill jacket right now …. though i suspect its more "durable" in that sense than the 800 fill in my EB"

That's an interesting observation. Is the implication that lower FP down lasts longer…? Is it possible the higher FP down has a shorter lifespan? I have no idea.

For synthetics, you still cannot use a standard washer, ie, anything with an agitator. As was reported it causes clumping, loss of seam strength, if not outright seam tearing, and broken baffles…that is more difficult to detect. Do not do it.

Even with the loss of loft, a good synthetic bag still wants washing every couple weeks of use, like any other bedding at home. There isn't really any difference, except, maybe they actually get dirty a bit quicker, being outside and/or subject to more soiling.

Syntheics loose loft rapidly. It depends on what type you have. Even today, with all the much vaunted technology, there is nothing better than down for a light weight sleeping bag. Synthetics all take a "set" over a relativly short lenght of time. On the order of hours(synthetic) equal months(down.)

Do not wash with any form of heat. Hot, or warm water is terrible on synthetics. Hot water on down does not hurt it. Cold water only. Washing will NOT restore loft with synthetics. A good hot washing of down, will. (Hot water up to the point the shell/zipper can handle is OK with down.) The plastics used to make the fibers have a memory. Even slight heating will cause them to pull tighter or compress.

The BEST of the synthetics is roughly equivalent to 500fill down. Always store a synthetic bag hung. NEVER in a sack. Even slight compression will cause loss of loft. Down can be stored loose, in a sack because the fibers can "slip" by each other.

Drying will take a while. You do not want to apply heat so very low or off is best. I do not bother with balls on a couple synthetic jackets I had. It is just as likely to mash them down as fluff them up(synthetics don't fluff.)

For synthetics, you still cannot use a standard washer, ie, anything with an agitator. As was reported it causes clumping, loss of seam strength, if not outright seam tearing, and broken baffles…that is more difficult to detect. Do not do it.

same with down baffles, especially UL ones

Even with the loss of loft, a good synthetic bag still wants washing every couple weeks of use, like any other bedding at home.

no … i wear my synth puffy daily for 18+ hours a day … with my down vest underneath

and i sleep in my cats meow nightly … for the last few years … i wash it every few months … it does not "want" washing

i use both down and synth daily … i eat, sleep, climb, defecate while wearing it at home and out side … synth does not "need" washing every couple of weeks

Do not wash with any form of heat. Hot, or warm water is terrible on synthetics. Hot water on down does not hurt it. Cold water only. Washing will NOT restore loft with synthetics. A good hot washing of down, will. (Hot water up to the point the shell/zipper can handle is OK with down.) The plastics used to make the fibers have a memory. Even slight heating will cause them to pull tighter or compress.

DRYING with low/moderate heat is absolutely fine… i do it all the time and it DOES restore some loft

http://www.primaloft.com/en/performance/customer-support/consumer-support.html

"Follow these instructions when caring for your garments made with PrimaLoft® insulation. Machine wash and rinse in cold water, gentle cycle. Tumble dry warm, remove promptly. Do not dry clean, bleach, iron or steam."

The BEST of the synthetics is roughly equivalent to 500fill down. Always store a synthetic bag hung. NEVER in a sack. Even slight compression will cause loss of loft. Down can be stored loose, in a sack because the fibers can "slip" by each other.

these days the news ones are claimed to be comparable to 600+ fill … the technology of synthetics keeps on advancing

as for loft loss … a loose cotton or mesh sack is fine … just dont stuff it

BPLers go on and on about synthetics dying like the dynos …. well enough people have bought "quality" synthetics like MLD spirit quilts or EE's synth quilts … who here is willing to step up and say they die fast … i posted one review from someone who uses it daily who says she prefers it over down bags and they last for her under daily use

theres ALOT of BPL "hate the synthetics" myths going around

now synthetics DO have significant advantages and disadvantages …

but they dont die at the drop of a hat … and i use mine daily, close to every day, close to 18+ hours a day in the winter for the last few years

im wearing an 800 fill down vest, an el cheapo synth puffy, a 650 fill down puffy, and a TNF cats meow synth bag as i type this with the window open and no heat at night

;)

That's an interesting observation. Is the implication that lower FP down lasts longer…? Is it possible the higher FP down has a shorter lifespan? I have no idea.

we know that lower FP down tends to be more resistance to moisture and humidity as the higher feather count provides more rigidity under such conditions …

i WILL say that CHEAPER down jackets tend to last longer than the $$$$$ UL ones with daily use …. the shells alone are more durable … and i also suspect that with high levels of use where the down may not re-loft despite washings … the higher feather content may provide more rigidity in a similar situation

unless you are talking about something like canada goose where the heavy fabric and the ~650 fill down is quality and durable

now dont get me wrong .. high fill power UL jackets are the most EFFICIENT for the weight and warmth … but for durability???

like anything else UL … you tend to pay a pretty penny and it doesnt last as long

after a few years of daily use youll need to break out the seam grip, not from tears but from general wearing out of the UL fabric

EB downlight worn daily seam grip ….

;)

I use tennis balls on larger down pieces but not the smaller UL down ones … The fabric on mine as you can see above is held together by seam grip, repeated bashing from balls might nit be the best … I break up any clumps by hand every now and then while drying

One thing to remember is that those OLD bags and jackets were generally buil to last with beefier shells and lower fill power higher feather content down … Not the 7D and 900 95/5 fill we have now

And back then they were quality made in first would country goods

Nor did most of us use the bags anyways daily for years

;)

I don't think using synthetic a lot is the problem

It's stuffing it in your backpack every day for many days, even if you don't stuff it really tightly

Based on several quilts I've made. They measure to less loft, like maybe even 1/2 of when they were new after maybe 50 days of backpacking. But I haven't measured that really carefully.