I have an Alpit down bag and it was recently washed in the machine on a hand wash cycle. It’s dry now, but some of the baffles appear completely void of down filling. I don’t get how that could be possible given each baffle appears to be totally isolated with stitching from other baffles.

Just wanted to post to find out experiences from others who may have washed down bags.

I think the down just clumps together.

Most down bags are recommended not to be washed. I’ve washed a couple of down jackets and there are special instructions. Basically you need to hand wash, drain and tumble dry straight away on low. Otherwise the down clumps and that is it dead.

There are companies that offer down cleaning, no idea how they do it.

You might be able to save it by tumble drying with a tennis ball in there.
Helps to break up the clumps, or stops them from forming.

One of two things
– clumping, which may restore with a tumble dry
– baffles are fragile and can tear with the weight of the down. A machine was may be too harsh and could have torn a baffle

Wash it again and tumble dry with a trainer in the machine.

What’s concerning is that all of the clumps have been broken up. All I can think is that the baffles must have torn.

Time for a new one.

if you must wash it …. you wash it in the bath gently… you roll it up to lift it out the bath and you dry it flat over a flat clothes horse in the garden in a breeze agitating it often to break up the clumps

Did you use down wash? Not using this = dead down.

Did you machine wash or spin it? Spinning = dead down. I either hand wash in bath or use a wool/silk setting on the machine after a soak.

How much have you dried it? A down bag can be dry to touch, with the down still wet. I have a 3 season down bag hanging next to me that was air dried laid flat all yesterday in the sun, tumble dried 3x for 30mins, hung to air and cool each time.

Is it a 3 or more season bag? Big bags can cause problems, and the down wash states ‘get 3, 4 or more season bags cleaned professional/ly’. I have done 3 season bags, but you do have to faff and follow procedure

Mine are cleaned every 5 years or so, as experience says that cleaning kills bags (synthetic and down). Just avoid doing it, and massively air well to avoid smells after use.

If you tumble dry with a trainer it should fluff up your down sir but don’t put a nice pair of shoes in the dryer as I learnt the hard way, they may melt 🙂

It’s the bloody wife’s fault. She wanted it washed for our daughter’s DoE camping weekend. I did say that my precious bikepacking down bag would be difficult to wash and that instead we should buy her a synthetic bag. Wife was adamant it had to be cleaned and away she went. Grrrr

It was washed in the machine with down wash, but I suspect she put it on a spin. I suspect the wet clumped down has torn the baffles and caused the down to migrate elsewhere.

There’s £200 down the drain 🙁

Just avoid doing it, and massively air well to avoid smells after use.

Mine came with an extra cotton storage bag, so its basically airing all the time. Only goes in the compression bag when i’m travelling somewhere.

There’s £200 down the drain 🙁

Not really, your daughter can use it for her DoE, then any further camping trips. And you can get the wife to buy you a new one.

Or maybe not.

Not really, your daughter can use it for her DoE, then any further camping trips

She could, but she might freeze given there are a couple of baffles on the top of the bag which appear to have zero filling in them now.

buy a new one on your wife credit card ?

i wouldnt send someone on their DOE with a down bag anyway , ime they dont fully appreciate the importance of not getting down wet …. in that it becomes worse than useless when wet……having been with a bunch of folk on their DOE where falling in the burn is seen as a laugh rather than a serious issue.

Nah, she’ll be fine, just declump and fluff.

😉

It’s not like she’ll be bikepacking with minimal kit is it.

buy a new one on your wife credit card ?

In theory yes, but given I pay said CC bill it doesn’t make me feel better.

i wouldnt send someone on their DOE with a down bag anyway , ime they dont fully appreciate the importance of not getting down wet …. in that it becomes worse than useless when wet……having been with a bunch of folk on their DOE where falling in the burn is seen as a laugh rather than a serious issue.

Totally agree and already had this conversation regarding using a synthetic bag instead, but as usual it fell on deaf ears.

Look, it’s probably knackered, but, but you may just be able to rescue it with use of a tumble drier, a tennis ball and a quick rinse in the bath. It may not work but to save £200 it has to be worth a shot.