How to Wash Your Down Jacket
How to wash a down jacket.
Washing your down jacket or vest can be a daunting task, but it’s crucial to maintain its loft and performance and prolong its life. We would recommend washing once a season, or sooner if it gets visibly dirty or the down fill looks clumpy or flat.
The easiest way to do this is by sending it to our Service Centre for a professional wash. However, you can wash your down jacket yourself at home by following our step-by-step instructions.
How to wash a down jacket.
Our step-by-step process for cleaning your down jacket or vest.
Rinse your washing machine out before use. This clears any leftover detergent and softeners that might damage the fabrics and coatings. Clean the detergent drawer and then run one or two rinse cycles.
Close all the pockets (make sure they’re empty!) and zips on your down jacket and turn it inside out. This helps wash the down and protects all the fasteners.
Place your down jacket in the washing machine. Ideally, it’s best to limit yourself to one item per wash.
Add the detergent to the drawer. You can use a standard non-biological soap, but for extra benefits, we recommend using a technical down-specific detergent.
Wash your down jacket on a cool setting and a long, gentle cycle. This will ensure the outer and especially the down gets a thorough clean.
Rinse your down jacket thoroughly to remove any leftover detergent.
Spin your jacket to remove as much water as possible.
After spinning, the down jacket might still be heavy with water and being too rough can rip internal compartments. Support bigger items by ‘cradling’ in a bath towel or similar while removing it from the machine. If required, very gently squeeze out any excess water using a towel.
Immediately tumble dry your down jacket on a mid to low heat setting.
Every 20-30 minutes during the drying process, remove the down jacket from the dryer, give it a gentle shake and firmly pat the baffles. Down can accumulate in one part of the jacket and needs to be moved along the entire length of the baffle. You can be more vigorous with this as the down starts to dry out. Adding a couple of clean tennis balls or tumble dryer balls may help speed up the drying time and increase the loft.
Don't remove your item from the dryer too soon. It is tempting, we know. The outer fabric might feel dry, but the down inside may still be damp.
Drying can take anywhere from 3-5 hours. The bigger the item, the longer it takes. When your jacket feels puffy again, it's time to take it out.
Once you’re done, air your down jacket for a couple of days before use.
Tips
If you have a top-loading washing machine, place your jacket in a mesh bag to protect it.
To help your down jacket last longer, store it uncompressed in a cool, dry place.
If your down jacket has lost its loft or the down feels like it’s clumped together, this usually means it hasn’t dried properly. Try washing it again, and before tumble drying you can very softly pinch the baffles and manipulate the clumped down to fill the baffle more evenly. Be careful to do this as gently as possible, as down is particularly fragile when wet.