You ll also want to gather some old cotton bath towels and a few tennis balls.
Non detergent laundry soap for sleeping bags.
Zip all zippers and close all velcro attachments.
Down can never be dried at a high temperature.
Because washing a sleeping bag subjects it to wear and tear and decreases the loft spot cleaning is your first line of defense.
These are special non detergent soaps that won t strip the oil from the down in your sleeping bag.
You might do a second rinse cycle as well.
Due to the way down sleeping bags are manufactured they re more sensitive to water and can actually sustain damage making it unusable if it gets too wet.
This laundry soap works.
Charlie s soap laundry liquid 50 loads 1 pack natural deep cleaning hypoallergenic laundry detergent safe effective and non toxic 4 5 out of 5 stars 727 11 99 11.
Use whatever is most delicate for your machine.
Dryer with low heat setting.
One that won t ruin them.
Next choose a detergent for cleaning.
I ve washed everything from brand new delicates in cold to heavy duty loads in hot.
If your sleeping bag is really dirty pre soak by filling a handwashing sink with lukewarm water and adding a small amount of mild laundry soap.
Down soap is a must have.
Make a paste of a little non detergent soap and water and use a toothbrush to gently clean the shell.
There is no scent left on the clothes.
For the majority of synthetic sleeping bags the recommended steps for how to wash at the laundromat are as follows.
I thought dreft soap flakes would work but the box said detergent when i find it i ll wash in warm water in the bathtub taking the bag into pieces as much as i can.
The laundry aisle wasn t helpful.
Mild non detergent means something along the lines of woolite.
Dish soap is not mild non detergent.
Do not use harsh laundry detergents.
Plus front load washers have a higher capacity and will accommodate large items like comforters sleeping bags and pillows.
Before you do anything buy yourself a product made especially for washing down such as nikwax down wash.
Strip back from all the ingredients and fragrances in laundry detergent now and you have this a very old formula for laundry soap.
So your first step must be to purchase a laundry soap specifically made for down feathers i e.
Specialty soaps designed for cleaning down or synthetic sleeping bags are highly recommended.
Drying must be done low and slow.
The eagle creek website and other places say to use a non detergent soap but i m not sure what that means.
Sometimes all your bag needs is a little tlc not a full blown bath.
Cold water most delicate cycle of the machine i e my machine has a handwash cycle delicate normal and heavy duty.