How to Clean and Care for Your Down Jacket
Unsure of how to wash your down jacket at home? Follow these easy steps to clean, dry and fluff a down jacket. All in the comfort of your own home, no professional needed. Treat your down jacket well and it'll keep you warm for many adventures. You can thank us later.
Hand Wash
1. Grab a bathtub or large bucket.
2. Fill with warm water and a specialty down cleaner.
3. Submerge your jacket and get your hands in there. Scrub a dub-dub, jacket in a tub.
4. Get rid of the dirty water, then rinse. Multiple times is necessary, until all soap is gone.
5. Hang to dry.
6. Down can clump up when it's wet, so don't just run off, return every so often to unclump the down with your hands. No tennis balls necessary.
7. Once completely dry, it'll loft up nice and fluffy on its own, just give it some alone time laid flat or hung.
Machine Wash
1. Find a front loading machine or top loader, just make sure it doesn't have an agitator.
2. Put your jacket inside (no other items) and add a specialty down cleaner. Amount of cleaner to be used can be found on the bottle. You can also use a non-scented, gentle detergent.
3. Choose a gentle cycle, cold or warm water.
4. Repeat rinse cycle as many times as necessary, until all soap is gone.
5. Carefully move your jacket to the dryer and add 2-3 clean tennis balls. Dry on a low, cool setting.
6. The tennis balls should prevent clumping, but make sure there aren't any clumps and separate with your hands if needed.
7. Let the jacket have some alone time out of the dryer, laid flat if possible, it'll loft up like new.
Storage
Don't suffocate your jacket; let it breathe. This means you want to hang it or put it in a mesh storage bag. Absolutely no stuff sacks or compression sacks. That's too confining and tight for a long summer! As long as it's in a cool, dry space, it'll be ready for the next cold season.