MegaSack DRAW - This year's winner is user - rgwb
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just been googling it
some sites are saying don't put it in a washing machine
but on the grangers down cleaner I have it says a warm cycle in the machine
any advice?
I washed mine in the washing machine with some down wash from nikwax then tumble dried on low - worked fine.
Its drying it without the down clumping together that can be a problem, I have seen it recommended that you throw a couple of tennis balls in the tumble drier with it to help agitate the down.
I wash my sleeping bags in normal detergent and then hand it somwhere warm to dry, usualy over a towel rail in the bathroom as it drips gallons!
Then tubledry once its almost dry and stick it loosely in the airing cupboard over winter.
I washed one once, very carefully with Grangers etc., and it was not as warm afterwards. My next jacket was a synthetic Snugpak that can withstand washing - I put a fair bit of use into such kit. However, next time I'll buy a down jacket in colour that doesn't show the dirt, and never wash it.
I have a north face summit series down jacket with 800 fill. It has been washed for years at 40 deg and tumble dried on full afterwards, usually takes two or three cycles to get it properly dry. No need for any special treatment and it still looks as good now as the day I got it.
Send it to Franklins and it'll come back looking like new.
Just washed a NF down jacket with Nikwax down wash followed by Nikwax down proof - both in the washing machine and slow spin to dry, followed by hanging rather than tumble dry.
The down proof might be important as it is suppossed to restore the feathers.
Don't think detergent is a good idea.
Pfft. Don't waste money on that Grangers/Nikwax stuff; it's just [b]non-detergent soap[/b]*. I bought some pure soap flakes in Tescos for a quid something, does just as good a job, and enough for several washes. I also use it for my Gore Paclite jacket.
As MSP says; couple of tennis balls in the drier after. I take mine to the local launderette, where they have massive driers with more space. Takes a few quid to get it properly dry, but my Rab jacket is just about as warm as when I bought it 15 years ago!
*I think detergents break down biological material, such as feathers, which destroys the effectiveness of the down. Or something. Not good, anyway.
well I've done it now, used grangers down wash on a wool cycle
jacket looks a bit sorry for itself at the moment. I'm goign to dry it flat for a while then get it in a tumble drier with a couple of tennis balls
natural soap flakes for washing and tumble dry with somethings to re-fluff the down. I find a couple of nalgene bottles lobbed in the tumble do wonders and the jacket comes out like new all puffed up and it's like being hugged by a flock of ducks all over again 😀
The traditional thing to use in a tumble drier is a sneaker, a clean Converse or Van canvas and rubber hightop shoe tumbles well and the rubber 'grabs' at the material and fluffs up the down. Take the laces out first.
jacket looks fine now, a bit more loft than before it was washed actually
left it to dry flat for a few days, then put some grangers xt proof on it and put it in the dryer with a few tennis balls for 20 mins