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Home > Can You Wash a Down Jacket at Home?

Can You Wash a Down Jacket at Home?

February 4th, 2007 at 08:35 pm

I went XC skiing this afternoon. Due to the freezing temps and wind I wore on top:

Long underwear
Nike Dry Fit Top
Fleece Pullover
Down Jacket
Ski Shell

I figured it was better to be too warm than too cold. BUT, I ended up feeling like I was in a green house and sweating a lot! The down jacket is smelling less than fresh. The tag doesn't give any instructions for care (weird, eh?)

I found this web page from the Dollar Stretcher on Cleaning Down Filled Items.

Does anyone have any experience or advice with this? The jacket is a Sierra Designs Nylon jacket with 85/15 Goose Down Fill. It's something I paid a resaonable (but not inconsequential) amount of money for with the intention that it would last me awhile.

I'd rather have it dry cleaned than ruin it-- but if it's no big deal to wash it myself then of course I'd rather save the $$.

What do you think?

Posted in Saving Wisely | 4 Comments »

4 Responses to “Can You Wash a Down Jacket at Home?”

  1. mom-from-missouri Says:
    February 4th, 2007 at 11:33 pm 1170632014
    1170632014

    I would first 'air it out' for a couple of days.
    I have washed them at home before-by hand in the bath tub, using ivory dish soap. I then squeezed it out best I could and laid it flat to dry. I turned it every few hours as it dried, and it took several days to get completly dry.

  2. LuckyRobin Says:
    February 5th, 2007 at 02:45 am 1170643540
    1170643540

    My mother washed my daughter's down jacket in the washing machine on cold/delicate cycle and then she dried it in the dryer. It took a long time to dry. The coat was fine, though I was a bit freaked out when I found out about it. I wouldn't hesitate to wash it that way again, though.

  3. scfr Says:
    February 5th, 2007 at 05:41 am 1170654119
    1170654119

    I wash my down pillows at home. I use cold water, the delicate cycle, and just a bit of Woolite soap (not as much as you would in a normal load), and I add an extra rinse cycle because I can just imagine the soap clinging to those feathers.

    I dry for a LOOOOOOONG time (starting on medium for a bit and then going to low), and I put 3 tennis balls in the dryer with the pillows - I keep a sleeve of tennis balls in my laundry room just for this purpose. The balls bounce around hitting the down, keeping it fluffy and preventing clumping and therefore making the drying go faster. Makes quite a racket so don't do it when you are trying to sleep!

  4. alianora Says:
    February 5th, 2007 at 06:37 am 1170657473
    1170657473

    What scfr said. We've wash our down comforter at home and drying is where things get a little complicated. The tennis balls are a must.

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