Care Guide: How to wash down jackets and sleeping bags

Properly washing down gear can extend its lifespan. Follow these instructions to keep your sleeping bag and down jacket fresh and ready for adventure.

With the right care, your down jacket and sleeping bag can last for years and years. Here's how to wash, dry and care for your down jackets and sleeping bags.

Washing your goose down and duckdown products

1. Should I wash a sleeping bag?
2. How often do you need to wash your down sleeping bag or jacket?
3. How to wash your down jacket or sleeping bag
4. How to dry your down jacket or sleeping bag
5. Alpkit's down washing service
6. How to care for your down equipment

Should I wash my down jacket or sleeping bag?

Definitely, yes! Down gear that's looked after performs better for longer. A little bit of effort in the short term will keep you warmer in the long term.

When your down gets mucky, it loses its fluffiness and the baffles (down chambers) flatten. It's this fluffy loft that keeps you warm, so keeping your down clean is essential to staying warm and cosy inside.

How often do you need to wash your down sleeping bag or jacket?

It depends on how often you use it. Nowadays, plenty of people wash their down gear at the end of each season in preparation for the next year. In the past, washing your down gear was an act of absolute last resort – which led to some very ripe smelling jackets and stinky sleeping bags.

You may also need to wash your down jacket or sleeping bag after it's gotten damp or seriously wet. Don't worry – your down isn't ruined! But you do need to wash and dry it properly to restore its warmth-trapping loft.

Knowing more about how to wash down jackets and sleeping bags allows you to make informed decisions when heading outdoors. If you're looking for more insights, check out our guide on How to wash a waterproof jacket. Keep your waterproof coat functioning longer by following proper care steps. Dirt inhibits its DWR coating, but you can maintain its water repellency.

How To Wash Your Down Jacket or Sleeping Bag

What do I need to wash my down jacket or sleeping bag?

• A large tumble dryer is essential. You can air dry your down equipment but it's much less effective. Air drying takes a long time and you will have to constantly agitate the down as it dries to ensure that it doesn't clump.

• A large capacity washing machine (10 kg) or a bath for hand washing

What should I wash my sleeping bag with?

You'll need specialist down wash products. We recommend:

• Nikwax® Down Wash™, Grangers® Down Wash or Liquid Soap Flakes

• Nikwax® Down Proof™ or Grangers® Down Repel (optional)

• Clean tennis balls or Grangers® Wash Balls

How To Handwash Your Down Jacket or Sleeping Bag

Handwashing causes less stress to the fabrics and the stitching of your down gear. If you share a house with other people, make sure you negotiate an appropriate time slot though as this may take some time!

1. Fill your bath with lukewarm water mixing in either liquid soap flakes or a specialist down cleaner.
2. Make sure there's nothing in any pockets and place your jacket or sleeping bag into the bath and gently press it down until it's submerged.
3. Agitate it a little and then go and get a cup of tea and some biscuits (we recommend chocolate hobnobs).
4. After an hour or so let the water drain from the bath and refill with fresh water. Gently massage the bag to remove the soap from the down. You could use a shower head if you have one in your bath.
5. Keep at it until all the soapy water is removed. Gently push down on the down bag to get as much water out as possible.

IMPORTANT: Do NOT wring or squeeze the bag, this will damage the down.

How to Machine Wash Your Down Jacket or Sleeping Bag

We recommend using a large capacity front loading washing machine (over 10kg capacity), especially for bags with over 1,000g of down – the bigger the bag the more capacity you'll need. (A standard household washing machine usually has a capacity of under 7kg).

1. Run a quick empty wash cycle to thoroughly clean the drawer of any detergent or fabric conditioners.

2. Set the machine to a gentle cycle at 30°C and fill the drawer with the recommended quantity of Nikwax® or Grangers® Down Wash (this will depend on the weight of the bag/number of jackets).

3. After the wash cycle is complete, rinse your jacket or sleeping bag thoroughly.

Protecting Your Down From Damp

You can protect your down from damp conditions and replenish any existing durable water repellent treatment (DWR) by treating it with Nikwax® Down Proof™ or Grangers® Down Repel.

We treat the outer fabrics of all our down jackets and sleeping bags with a PFC Free DWR to protect the down from damp. We also use DownTek™ PFC-free hydrophobic down for our Fantom jacket, and 750FP goose down sleeping bags.

1. Before removing your wet bag/jacket from the washing machine, reload the dispenser with the recommended quantity of Down Proof / Down Repel.
2. Let your machine work its magic whilst you have a coffee and some custard creams. Or, if you are using the bath again, roll up your sleeves and get hands-on (and ask someone else to get your custard creams).
3. Rinse until the water runs clear.

Mastering how to wash down jackets and sleeping bags is key to improving your journey as an outdoor pro. If you're looking for more pro-tips, check out our guide on Down wash and reproofing service and find out how you can save money by reproofing and washing your down jacket and sleeping bag at an Alpkit store

How to dry your down jacket or sleeping bag

Can I tumble dry my down jacket or sleeping bag?

Yes - and we recommend that you do. Proper drying is the most important part of the whole process as it stops your down from clumping together. Your down needs to be dried thoroughly, slowly and with regular fluffing to regain its original loft. Here's how:

IMPORTANT: Your bag will be extremely heavy after washing so take care when you lift it out to avoid putting any stress on the seams.

1. Set your tumble drier to the lowest heat setting (take care with launderettes as they seem to only have one single setting that's hot enough to melt through glass) and throw in your tennis balls / drying balls.
2. Check your jacket / sleeping bag every half hour or so to make sure it's not getting too hot and give each baffle a gentle shake and massage to distribute the down evenly as it dries.
3. Don't take your jacket or sleeping bag out too soon. It can take 3-5 hours to properly dry out heavier down items on the low setting.
4. Leave your down items to air inside uncompressed for a day or so to ensure they are completely dry before packing them away.

Alpkit down washing service

We know that washing specialist equipment yourself can sometimes be a bit daunting. Never mind the fact that you need a bigol’ tumble drier too!

Take advantage of our down wash service, we will use Nikwax® cleaning products and can wash and dry: waterproof jackets & trousers, insulated jackets, sleeping bags, expedition suits and salopettes.

“Gear that is looked after performs better and lasts longer. With our down wash and reproofing service we can restore the natural loft of your down sleeping bags, fluff up your down jackets and reproof your waterproofs.”.

Prices from £30 excluding postage. Here's all the details about sending your down jacket and sleeping bag to us for a spruce up.

How to store your down jacket or sleeping bag

Down items can lose their loft if you store them compressed for a long time or in damp conditions. And then you'd need to wash and dry them all over again which wouldn't be good for your electricity bill! Here's how to look after your down to avoid washing for as long as possible:

During Trips

• Keep down items in a drybag when you pack them in your rucksack to stop them getting damp.
• Sleeping in (clean) long underwear protects your sleeping bag from skin oils, sweat and dirt. (We usually opt for a long sleeved merino base layer and long johns, and a thin hat to protect the hood)
• If it's too hot to sleep in long underwear or you don't have any clean clothes, you could use a cotton or silk sleeping bag liner instead. Then you only have to wash your liner at the end of your trip.
• Make sure your sleeping bag isn't pushed up against your tent flysheet when you go to sleep.
• Air your sleeping bag out before you pack it away or air it out whenever the weather allows.
• Don't squeeze damp down items into compression sacks.

After Trips

• Air your sleeping bag or jacket throughly, away from direct sunlight. Don't hang down items over a rail.
• Spot clean any dirt, spills or oil stains.
• Store your down items uncompressed in a large cotton or mesh lofting bag. If you don't have one (all our down sleeping bags come with an organic cotton lofting bag), you can use an old pillow case instead.
• Store your down items in a clean, dry and well ventilated area.

Understanding how to wash down jackets and sleeping bags helps you prepare for different conditions and challenges. If you're looking for more insights across other product areas check out our guide on How to wash and care for Merino wool clothing. Merino wool deserves special care. Our guide walks you through the best ways to wash, dry, and store your garments to keep them looking and performing great.