I fu&$ed up- washed and dried my down jacket
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I threw my Rab down jacket into a washer dryer cycle.. as you might imagine as you are shaking your head and tut tutting, all the down is clumped at one end of the baffles. Tricks to redistribute the down? Putting it back in the dryer with a few tennis balls could work. I want to make sure that’s the best course of action. |
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Dyer with tennis balls works mostly in my experience. |
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I don't think putting your down jacket in the washing machine is so wrong. Gentle cycle, appropriate down wash/detergent. Even if you wash it manually in a bathtub, it's going to clump up. |
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I'd watch this. He starts talking about drying at 5:55 or so. |
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Dryer on low heat with a few tennis balls works great. It will take longer than you think but it works very well. I've washed many down jackets this way. Only difference was down specific detergent. |
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Alternately, beating it with a wiffle ball bat like it owes you money is great stress relief. |
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Regular soap takes the coating off the down tendrils that keeps them full and fluffy. Your jacket is toast. |
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I think you aren’t losing anything by throwing that jacket back into the dryer on low heat with several tennis balls. Try pulling the larger clumps apart with your fingers before throwing them into the dryer. |
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FWIW, when there is an oil spill the soap uses to clean birds and other animals is dish soap like Dawn. However, it should not be used in the laundry unless you like to watch a washing machine foam up and overflow. |
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Stiles wrote: Regular soap takes the coating off the down tendrils that keeps them full and fluffy. Your jacket is toast. Nonsense. Folks have been washing down gear for decades. |
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In addition to tennis balls, I add 2-3 clean dry towels to the dryer cycle to help absorb extra moisture. If you’re saying you already dried your jacket, you might just need the to put it with tennis balls in the dryer without heat, but a couple towels wouldn’t hurt in that case either |
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I had the same issue with my down jacket last time I washed it, but just in a few spots. Tennis balls in the dryer helps, but you really have to take it out towards the end of the drying when it's still wet and clumped in a few spots, manually pull apart the clumped down, and throw it back in with the tennis balls. May have to repeat a few times. After doing this, my down jacket came out much more puffy than before I washed it. |
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Gunkiemike wrote:
A few minutes research goes a long way... |
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Here are some tips on washing down garments: http://featheredfriends.com/washing/ |
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I may be safe because we use the hippy laundry soap. and I ordered some tennis balls. Hopefully, this jacket is still as warm as it was when it's all done. I've worn it a few times and the down actually seems to be redistributing a bit on it's own. And i'll give a plug for RAB here because it's the best down I've ever owned. |
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I wash my down coats several times a year, and have been for at least 45 years. Let it dry naturally and shake it out. Do yourself a favor & don't put it in the dryer. |
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Mark Frumkin wrote: Let it dry naturally and shake it out. Do yourself a favor & don't put it in the dryer. Rab, the manufacturer of the jacket in the OP disagrees. From their web site: Rab down products can be home cleaned, however, this is a difficult and time-consuming job as the drying process can take several hours. Please give it careful consideration before starting; box wall garments and sleeping bags may require you to redistribute the down after washing. Allow at least 3-4 hours for a jacket and 6-8 hours for a sleeping bag. 1) Hand or machine wash on a gentle 40º cycle with Nikwax Down Wash Direct, NOT DETERGENT. 2) Rinse to make sure there is no soap residue present within the product. If you are cleaning a box walled product, when removing it from the washing machine ensure that the weight of the item is supported by ‘cradling’ it in a bath towel or similar. Failure to do so may result in damage to the down compartments. 3) Immediate tumble drying should commence in a commercial dryer on a cool setting. Remove the item from the dryer every half hour, manipulating the down within the baffles to restore loft. Avoid the temptation to remove the item from the dryer too soon. Although the outer fabrics may feel dry and warm to the touch, down contained within the baffling can still be clumped because of moisture. Drying time varies depending on the jacket style and size but can take anywhere from 2-5 hours. 4) When finished it is advisable to store uncompressed in a dry, cool place. Airing should continue for two days before use. Failure to allow enough time for the item to dry will result in a flat looking garment that will need to be re-washed and dried again. |
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No way in h_ll am I putting anything I care about in a public commercial dryer. |
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Been washing down for years and it turns out BETTER than new. Hand wash with Nikwax, hot water in the sink. be sure to agitate and press all of the air out of the down. Agitate plenty and use enough soap for suds and make sure all of the air is pressed out of the down. |