Need advice on cleaning down gear

[Sally]

I have a down jacket and sleeping bag that are in sore need of cleaning. The main grungy areas are around where my neck is.

I have gotten directions on how to launder the items off the internet, but I was wondering if it might be better to just spot clean the offending areas rather than subject the whole items to the washing machine and dryer. I have special soap and would use a commercial washing machine and dryer if I decide to wash the entire items.

Or, would it be better to have them professionally cleaned? If so, can anyone recommend a good place to have it done?

[Hikin_Jim]

Sally:

I don't have a lot of experience with this, but from what I've read, it's actually good to wash your down bags every few years. The down apparently lofts better. I've read of people having good results with Nikwax down wash.

The one thing you absolutely do not want to do: do not dry clean down!. Apparently dry cleaning strips the down in some fashion and greatly diminishes its warmth. I would be very hesitant to take my down bag to a cleaners unless they had someone there who really knew what they were doing. I think you'd get better results using a commercial washer and dryer like you mentioned.

HJ

[halhiker]

If you have a front loading washer you can use that. I've used mine with success with both pillows and sleeping bags. I've used Nikwax soap but mostly just use Woolite. I use a small amount diluted with water. It works fine.

I dry on low to medium heat and put something in the dryer like tennis balls to beat out the clumps toward the end of the cycle. It takes a while to dry.

If you don't have a front loader DO NOT use a washer with an agitator. It'll tear your stuff apart. Go to a Laundromat and use the machines there. If you live in LA or SD, Adventure 16 offers service for cleaning sleeping bags.

I agree with Jim: do not dry clean.

[hvydrt]

http://www.youtube.com/user/marmotpro#p/c/EF90BDDD5694DF03/20/coxKybCKaa8

[Sally]

Thank you Jim, Hal and hvydrt,

Looks like I'm off to the laundramat, now that I'm a little less scared!