Is your fancy down jacket looking a bit dingy? Is that sleeping bag a bit too funky for good taste? Or maybe your favorite DWR shell coat is behaving more like a sponge? It is time to clean your down or synthetic outdoor gear. For this how-to guide, we brought in the pros. Heidi Allen is a gear cleaning guru and has rejuvenated hundreds of down items as part of Nikwax’ Gear Rehab program, and now she’s helping us freshen up our stuff. There’s never been a better time than right now to clean your gear, so read on for the path to enlightenment.
Cleaning your down jacket or sleeping bag
Allen’s first advice is basic, but often overlooked: always follow the care label. This applies to both down and synthetic products. Not following the label may result in voiding the manufacturer’s warranty, or even worse, destroying your gear! Start the process by spot-treating any difficult stains (jacket cuffs, sleeping bag hoods, etc.) with your cleaner of choice. I used Nikwax Down Wash Direct for both my bags and jackets. Dab a bit of the cleaner on the stain, and lightly scrub with a soft-bristle brush. Once the stains are treated, it’s time to wash.
“No agitators!” is the most critical point, says Allen. Agitators can tear baffles and damage feathers. Find yourself a high capacity, front-loading machine (or newfangled top loader with no agitator) and follow the instructions on the cleaning label. I used roughly 3 oz of Nikwax cleaner for one sleeping bag. Wash your items individually for the most thorough results (but honestly, two jackets in one load is just fine). If the machine allows, use a thorough spin-cycle to ring out as much water as possible.
Time to dry. Allen advises that you dry your products thoroughly and delicately. If your dryer of choice has a “tumble” setting, use it. Tumble dry on low for quite a few cycles. I had to do at least 4 full cycles of 40-minute tumble dries for both of my sleeping bags. Jacket drying time is shorter. Throw in a few clean tennis balls to help break up the clumps of down as they dry. If you have to hang-dry your item, do so in a warm, dry place. Massage the item from time to time to help break up any clumps.
Cleaning your synthetic outdoor gear
Take it from the expert: “Dirt hurts DWR! Synthetic items range from outer shells to synthetic filled items. These all need regular cleaning and occasional re-waterproofing to ensure that the water-repellent finish (called a DWR or Durable water-repellent) is working properly.” Allen advises yearly cleanings with Nikwax Tech Wash. Using Tech Wash or a similar product ensures that your gear won’t have residue from normal household detergents left behind on the fabric.
The process for cleaning is a bit more straightforward than down. Simply load a few items into the washer, add approximately 3 oz of Nikwax Tech Wash, and run the cycle called for on your gear. Most items will need to be hung up and air-dried after washing but check the tag to be sure. For apparel treated with DWR finishes, you’ll need to re-waterproof after every 3-5 washes. You can do this via a spray product (like ReviveX Air Dry Repellent Spray), or by washing with Nikwax TXDirect Wash-In.
The results
I’m amazed at how clean my down gear is now (especially my sleeping bags). This is gross, but I have one bag that I hadn’t cleaned A SINGLE TIME. It’s been my go-to bag for over five years. Yes, that’s dirtbag official. This bag came out as fluffy and clean as the day I bought it. Aside from resetting my tumble dry four times, it required minimal effort. Expensive gear like down jackets, sleeping bags, and synthetic shells are expensive and meant to last for many years. Do the bare minimum and clean them regularly. Your camping buddies, and your gear, will thank you for it!