[pct-l] washing sleeping bags

[Jim Marco]

Please, if you intend on keeping your bags, do NOT use regular detergent on them. 

The fibers making up a down plume are very resilient to heat. But, washing the lanolin-like oils out of the plumes will ruin the plumes. Eventually causing them to get brittle, break and clump. Even trace amounts, like the detergent residue found in many washers, will cause this damage. Over washing, even with down wash, can cause damage. One or two washings with detergent can remove the lanolin-like oils permanently from a down plume, depending on the detergent.   

Heat from drying has little to no effect on the down. Keep the temp below boiling, generally. Plastics are usually safe enough at about 140-160F. 

Every 14-21 days of use is plenty of washing. This will keep your bag in good shape for 10-20 years, easily. Nor do you need to use much down wash. 1/4 or 1/3 of a capful is plenty to do a bag, not the full capful per bag that is normally recommended. 

Typically, lofting is a product of the resiliency of the feathers AND electrostatic repulsion. Often damp or dirty down looses electrostatic repulsion. Oil and dust can combine making a sort of glue, increasingly matting down a plume. It may take a couple washings to clean if you have let a bag go for 60-70 nights. Better to do independent washings than try to clean it all in one shot. 

My thoughts only . . .
		jdm

  

-----Original Message-----
From: pct-l-bounces at backcountry.net [mailto:pct-l-bounces at backcountry.net] On Behalf Of Carrot Quinn
Sent: Friday, April 05, 2013 1:48 PM
To: pct-l at backcountry.net
Subject: Re: [pct-l] washing sleeping bags

I have a down kilo-plus bag from REI that I've had for about ten years and I used it when I rode freight trains across the country several times and so it got really, really dirty. I've washed it many times. Here is how I wash it:

1. Put it in the washer (regular top-loader) on cold with some regular laundry detergent. Run the washer.

2. Put it in the dryer on regular (no tennis balls) and dry it until it's completely dry.

Each time I wash it it becomes like new again; it smells good and all the loft returns. Magic! Dirt and the oils from your body will flatten your down bag and you'll lose a lot of warmth- don't fear the washer and dryer.

-Carrot
_______________________________________________
Pct-L mailing list
Pct-L at backcountry.net
To unsubcribe, or change options visit:
http://mailman.backcountry.net/mailman/listinfo/pct-l

List Archives:
http://mailman.backcountry.net/pipermail/pct-l/
All content is copyrighted by the respective authors. 
Reproduction is prohibited without express permission.