Wash the down jacket properly and dry - how it works!
- machine wash
- The preparations
- The washing process
- Drying in a tumble dryer
- Handwash
- The preparations
- The hand wash of the jacket
- Dry jacket without dryer
The down jacket is the ideal companion in the winter time, hardly anything keeps so warm and is still so modern. Many people bring their jacket for cleaning, but that's not necessary at all. The chic fashion piece can be easily washed and dried in the normal household.
As comfortable and comfortable as the jacket is in winter, the downs that give you warmth are just as sensitive. It's the plush effect that keeps a down-filled jacket warm for many winters. However, improper cleaning or drying may cause the delicate down to stick and the jacket's heat to fade away. It is not difficult to wash a jacket with down filling in the normal household, it is not a walk to cleaning necessary. You can choose between manual and machine washing, even when drying, you can use the normal condenser dryer or your drying rack.
What you need for machine washing & drying
- 3 or 4 tennis balls
- Detergents for down
- Washing machine with at least 6 kilos capacity
- condenser
What you need for hand washing & drying
- big clotheshorse
- bathtub
- Bath thermometer
machine wash
The preparations
If you wash your down jackets by hand, you need to make some preparations. First, please make sure that all pockets are empty, as a forgotten handkerchief can lead to an unpleasant surprise after washing. Run the wash program of your washing machine for a short moment to remove any soap residue from previous washes. Commercially available detergent can damage the down delicate, therefore, the machine must be free of leftovers.
Before you wash the jacket, you should close the zippers. Turn the jacket to the left, as the inside in particular gets soiled by sweat. Velcro fasteners or buttons must be opened before washing, even trimming should be kept as loose as possible.
Checklist for preparation:
- Empty jacket pockets
- Free the machine of soap scraps
- Close zips
- Open buttons and Velcro fasteners
The washing process
Always wash and dry the jacket alone and do not put any other items in the machine. If the washing machine is too small, the jacket will not be able to unfold during washing and the lumps will clump together. It is therefore necessary that the washing machine has a minimum capacity of six kilos, so that there is enough space for the jacket.
Tip: Laundromats often offer industrial washing machines that are suitable for large washes.
Put the jacket in the washing machine along with three or four clean tennis balls and choose the wool wash cycle. The water temperature should not be warmer than 30 degrees, so as not to damage the down. Avoid the use of fabric softener, as this harms the down jacket due to the high of surfactants. When using the down detergent, please strictly adhere to the manufacturer's quantities to obtain the best possible cleaning result.
Tip : Set the highest possible spin speed on your washing machine.
After the wash cycle is over, set the rinse program again and rinse the down jacket. So remainders of the detergent are completely removed and the down can fully unfold again. Due to the spin, the down is already a little puffed up and completely regenerated during the drying process.
Drying in a tumble dryer
After washing your down jacket, drying takes place in the tumble dryer. But you have to be careful during the transport. Never knit the jacket in a laundry basket and do not let it hang down, because the down can be spread wrong, which results in an unattractive result. Lay the jacket flat over your forearms and transport as straight as possible to the condenser dryer. Immediately put them in and put the tennis balls out of the laundry.
The drying of the jacket takes more time than the laundry, since several drying operations are necessary to dry the down completely. The temperature in the tumble dryer should also be no more than 30 degrees. The motto is rather a slow, but thorough drying, than an overheating. The tennis balls in the tumble dryer ensure that the down is brought into shape, the drying is possible without balls, but not recommended.
Several steps needed when drying
Once you have completed the drying program of your tumble dryer completely (about one hour) and then remove the jacket. Now shake the down jacket vigorously and lay flat on a drying rack or other surface. Allow the material to cool completely and then repeat the drying process. After each drying process you have to remove the jacket, shake it up and let it cool well. Overall, depending on the size of the down jacket between five and six dryer passages required. Each round should take at least an hour and take place with tennis balls.
Handwash
The preparations
If you have decided to hand wash, you definitely need a bathtub. Clean them carefully before putting the jacket in. Remains of showering and bathing foam could lead to the destruction of down feathers. Fill the bathtub about halfway with water, pay attention to the temperature. This should not exceed 40 degrees, ideal is a temperature of 30 - 35 degrees. Before you put the jacket in the water, you have to put in the down detergent. Please adhere strictly to the manufacturer's instructions, as too much detergent could damage your delicate jacket.
Checklist for preparation:
- Clean the bathtub
- Fill with water up to half
- Empty the pockets of the jacket
- Put the detergent in the tub in front of the jacket
The hand wash of the jacket
Close the zippers and turn the jacket to the left. Shake it vigorously again and then pour it as horizontally as possible into the water. Lightly tap on the jacket under water and make sure that the detergent spreads well. Apply the garment several times and gently rub out any visible dirt.
Important: Please do not wring the down jacket, the delicate feathers thank you.
After removing coarse dirt particles, leave the down jacket in the water for about an hour. Then drain the water and refill the tub with clear water. Press gently on the jacket to squeeze any remaining detergent out of the fabric. Drain the water again and use the shower head to thoroughly rid the jacket of detergent residue. Rinse the fabric until no more foam from the down is flowing. Under no circumstances should you hold the jacket upright during the flushing process, as otherwise the springs will slip downwards and spread out wrongly.
Run clear water from the shower head over the jacket, squeeze gently, and rinse again. It usually takes a minimum of 30 minutes for the jacket to be completely freed of detergent. Now gently squeeze the excess water out of the fabric and you should not wrestle with it. Ideally, the clothes horse is in the immediate vicinity, so you do not have to transport the wet jacket over a long distance. If transport is necessary, wear the garment horizontally to prevent the down from slipping.
Dry jacket without dryer
When placing the jacket on the clothes horse make sure that all parts are spread out. Place towels under the clotheshorse as the downs are soaked in water and gradually release it. Drying on a tumble dryer takes a lot of time, it can take up to seven days, until the down is dried completely. During this period, the jacket must be shaken and turned every two hours on the first day. If the jacket has already become a bit drier, it is enough to shake well and turn every four hours. 
Lots of time for the drying process
Down is prone to clumping, so it is necessary that you actually regularly relax the feathers. If you skip this step, there are not only lime margins on the fabric, but it comes to clumped down, which can no longer fully develop their bulking power. As a result, the jacket does not warm enough and does not get back its original shape. Unfortunately, the jacket can not be dried on the heater because the hanging position is bad for the down. After about a week, the jacket is dry and can be worn again. Check again before, if there is no residual moisture left. For this, you can press a blotter for half a minute firmly on the jacket. If there is no moisture, the jacket is actually dry.
Tips for quick readers:
machine wash
- Machine wash along with tennis balls
- Select wool wash or down program
- select the highest speed when spinning
- immediately after the end in dryer
- first dry phase approx. one hour
- Remove jacket, shake out, dry again
- 4 - 6 drying cycles necessary
Handwash
- Hand wash in the bathtub
- Thoroughly clean the tub first
- Dampen down detergent according to manufacturer's instructions
- Lay the jacket horizontally in the tub
- Gently rub out dirt manually
- Do not wring jacket to protect the down
- Place well spread on drying rack
- Shake and turn regularly while drying
