Washing my down quilt

[Amber]

I have a JRB down quilt that needs a wash. I know a top loader isn’t recommended, because of the agitator, but I have a top loader without an agitator. Is this essentially the same as washing it in a front loader? Or do I need to actually go to a laundromat?

[JCH]

You can also wash by hand in the tub. Might actually be the best option. Sorry…that doesn’t really answer your question.

[John L]

Top loader without agitator is ok… if worried and trying to avoid laundry mats, hand wash in a tub….

 

https://www.cleverhiker.com/blog/how-to-wash-a-down-sleeping-bag

https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/caring-sleeping-bag.html

 

[John L]

Here is one closer to home…

 

https://backpackinglight.com/forums/topic/57506/

[Elliott Wolin]

I’ve always washed down bags in a tub and had great success.  Just be careful not to squeeze the down in your hands, this makes clumps that are difficult to unclump when drying.  Better is to repeatdly press the down into the tub bottom or sides with flat hands to work the soapy water in or get the soap out.  Dry on low in a dryer with tennis balls or dryer balls to beat the wet down as it tumbles.

[Amber]

JCH, I’d thought about doing it in the tub (before I thought of asking you guys). But without that spin cycle, I’d actually be more worried about damaging it while trying to wring it out and transfer it down the hall to the dryer. I was actually planning to sell it soon, so I also wanted to make sure it was washed GOOD (there’s a smoker in the house).

My instincts tell me as long as the agitator isn’t there, it shouldn’t be an issue. But with something that cost me almost $300, I wanted to be SURE!

[JCH]

Amber – I suspect you are right.  Use the gentlest cycle and you should be fine.

Even so, you may want to keep an eye on it.  You may have to interrupt the cycle and press it down under the water as @ewolin suggests.  The outside fabric is loathe to let the air out (and the water in) once it gets wet.  The tumbling action of a front loader generally takes care of this.

[Amber]

Thank you, John. This is probably the one time I’ve posted a question without trying the Google-fu first. That’s what I get 😉

[JCH]

The links @snakejon provided are good reads :)

[Amber]

Yep, it’s convinced me to save my quarters. Thanks, everyone!

[Mark Ries]

I bought a new washer a top loader with no agitator just a plate with ribs on the bottom thinking it would be the thing for washing down bags. When I got it home I unscrewed the strike plate and stuck it in the lock hole so I could leave the lid open and watch it wash. It was the roughest washer on clothes I’d ever saw, they use hardly any water and that agitator twists and knots up the clothes and even the deep water settings did not add enough water on the gentle cycle  to keep clothes under water and that plate is rough on things. I brought it back and bought a front loader thinking this would work better. It was still high efficiency and uses very little water and you can’t control water depth. I tried one of my older beater bags on gentle and as it tumbled it pumped air in the bag and inflated it. It was ugly to watch and although the bag was not damaged I’ll never do it again. Hand washing three season bags are just not that hard to do that’s what I do. Now washing a -20 bag with a tight micro fiber shell is a WHOLE lot harder.

[Jerry Adams]

I’ve hand washed my down bag

Not too difficult. Seems prudent.

Agitate it for a while.  Let it sit for a while…  rinse quite a few times…

[Amber]

Wow, thanks for that, Mark! My washer is like that, but I’ve never watched the clothes washing – even though mine has a see-through lid. I’d already said a prayer and went for it by the time I read your post, or I might’ve thought twice. Luckily, it seemed to work out for me this time. My washer DOES have a deep water setting, but I thought the delicate cycle would be more prudent. I also selected the “light soil” and “light spin” options, trying to keep the agitation to a minimum.

I’ll likely hand wash my MYOG quilts, but, again, I wanted to make sure I got as much of the grime and smoke odor as possible out of this one, since I intend to sell it. It’s a nice, 0* quilt, but I’m trying to find the material and down to make a couple of lighter 30*-40* quilts (TQ and UQ).

[Ken Larson]

Machine Washing Down Equipment – LARSON

1.    Weigh item to be washed PRIOR to washing & AFTER drying.

2.    Use the LARGEST front-loading commercial washer you can find. Do not use top-loading washers with agitators; they will damage your garment or sleeping bag.

3.    Use down soap such as Nikwax Down Wash or ReviveX Down Cleaner Concentrate. These specially formulated cleaners will help to preserve the natural oils in the down while still getting your item clean and restoring its loft. In a pinch, you can use mild, non-detergent soap diluted with water. Never use bleach, bleach-alternatives or fabric softener.

4.    Apply soap ( ~1.0 oz) directly to heavily soiled or stained areas and soak for up to one hour. Be sure to turn garments and sleeping bags inside out prior to washing. Water will escape through the lining material more easily than it will through the water resistant or waterproof shell material during the spin cycle.

5.    Use the NORMAL OR GENTLE CYCLE, cold water cycle with use about 2/3 the amount of soap that the down-soap-bottle manufacturer suggests (Aprox. 2.5 oz soap for a sleeping bag or quilt), with a cold water rinse. Run the item just washed through a complete second cycle WITHOUT soap. This will ensure that the soap residue is completely rinsed out.

6.    Carefully squeeze as much water out of the bag as possible before attempting to lift it. Although we use a durable tricot baffling material, the down in your garment or sleeping bag will be heavy when wet, making it easier to tear the baffles inside the item if it is not handled carefully.

7.    Before putting the item in the dryer, place in on a flat and clean surface. Take two clean towels and press it against the down item to try and soak any excess water out of the down clumps. (Don’t press really hard though, just medium resistance).  Do this for about 10 minutes on a full sized sleeping bag.

8.    Drying can easily be the most time intensive step in cleaning down items. This is especially true with larger down garments, sleeping bags, and comforters where the drying process can typically take several hours. It is important to dry your down products properly, and not to cut corners.

9.    Take the item over to the LARGE COMMERCIAL TUMBLE DRYER and place inside. Medium heat is usually sufficient, but use your best judgment. Let it run for 5-10 minutes and feel the item to check the temp.

10.  Now that the item has had some time in the dryer, you want to hand separate the clumps of  fill down, both by patting and gently pulling clumps apart. Return to the dryer for another 15 minute or so and repeat ad infinitum.

11.   IT’S VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU DON’T TRY TO USE OBJECTS TO SHORTCUT THE WORK; THE SHOE OR TENNIS BALL MAY TEAR OR DAMAGE THE DOWN ITEM.

12.  Weigh item AFTER drying and compare to weight PRIOR to washing.

13.  When you are sure your item is completely dry laying the item out in a area for 8 hours before storing them. ( I lay them on a spare bed overnight and gave them a couple of hours in the sun the next day, then put them away.)

[J R]

“I’d actually be more worried about damaging it while trying to wring it out”

Do not wring it, you can tear up the baffles that way. Squeeze or press the water out.

[Monte Masterson]

So is it okay to just let a down bag completely air dry, given enough time of course?

Related to that, I’ve often wondered what I’d do if I got a down bag soaked in the backcountry, far away from a dryer.

[Jerry Adams]

I took my DWR quilt out without tent because it wasn’t going to rain, but it rained, so the quilt got wet at places

The next day I put it on a log in the sun all day and it was pretty dry.

And I used it the next night when it was dry, and the quilt dried out some more

You don’t need a drier but if it’s real wet it will take days. And the down will be really clumpy initially so you have to beat at them to break them up.  More elapsed time than time you actually have to do anything.

[J R]

I also wonder if down is left wet for days if that might promote growth of mold/mildew.

Letting it air dry also presents some challenges to preventing damage. You would want to lay it out over ideally something like a netting that supports the wet weight across the whole bag/quilt and allows airflow underneath. Draping it wet over a clothesline could damage the baffles from the weight of the wet down hanging down. In the field your options are limited — Jerry draped it over a log, which isn’t the best for airflow but it supports the weight evenly, and after a couple of hours on one side you can flip it over to dry it evenly.

At home I definitely recommend the dryer on no heat setting with some clean tennis balls or dryer balls, it will take several cycles. If you get it mostly dry and want to finish it in the sun that would work well too.

[Amber]

Thanks, Ken. I followed all of those steps, except for the commercial front loader (obviously). I did use the Revivex for down and I ran it through the dryer on low heat. Pretty much the same way I wash our down comforter, but of course, it’s not as delicate as the quilt is.

And I’ve always been really paranoid about keeping my quilts dry on trail. It can be really humid here, so if I’m going to be out for several days, I’ll lay it out in the sun during lunch. Otherwise, I’ll notice it accumulating moisture.

[Link .]

. How To Wash Your Quilt | Cleaning & Care video .

[Elliott Wolin]

“IT’S VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU DON’T TRY TO USE OBJECTS TO SHORTCUT THE WORK; THE SHOE OR TENNIS BALL MAY TEAR OR DAMAGE THE DOWN ITEM.”

My experience doesn’t bear this out, at least with very light dryer balls or tennis balls.   At least in my dryer they sort of gently beat the item to fluff up the down.  After multiple low-heat cycles the items come out dry, fluffy, and undamaged.

Maybe I’ve just been lucky…

[J R]

Same here, Elliott, never had any damage to my quilts that all have 10D fabric. It might be good advice for them to give to prevent anyone from thinking that gives permission to use something heavier (like shoes?), but I’ve never had a problem with tennis balls. I recently bought some “spikey” dryer balls that are lightweight and do maybe a slightly better job of fluffing without damage. I actually leave the spikey balls in my dryer now and they get used on every laundry load.

[Jerry Adams]

I used these spiky things from Granger rather than tennis balls

I think either method would work about equally – extra objects to declump down, or just declump it by hand between cycles in the drier.  By hand requires a little more work on your part, but not that much.  Even with tennis balls you probably still need to declump by hand some, at least to check to see if it’s dry

[Roger Caffin]

I never bother to do any declumping when I wash a quilt.
But I do let the quilt dry in the sun for a long time. That seems to get rid of any clumps – like when they really dry out. Gimmicks not needed.

Cheers

[John S.]

An interesting comment on the EE utube vid,

“Its easier to keep the sleeping bag in a stuff sack and open it up underwater.”

[Author]

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