How to properly wash a down jacket in a washing machine so that the down does not get lost?

There are several principles that help to properly organize washing in an automatic machine and drying a down jacket at home. Moreover, the main problem is drying, because after washing you can notice that the down has become tangled when wet, and the down jacket has turned into a windbreaker. The main rule in the question how to dry a down jacket after washingIn order for it to dry and straighten out, follow the special recommendations for drying a down jacket.

In addition to natural down jackets, the filling of which is goose or duck down, there are winter clothes that look like them, which are called similarly. This is a quilted jacket filled with cotton (cotton), and jackets made with synthetic padding and other artificial fillers. Drying a quilted jacket is not so difficult, so the drying tips do not need to be applied to it, and washing will be carried out under the same conditions.

Getting ready to wash the down jacket

If you decide to wash your down jacket in the washing machine, you should prepare it and the necessary accessories. Despite the fact that the answer to the question of whether it is possible to wash a down jacket in a washing machine is positive, this should be done only if absolutely necessary. Manufacturers treat branded outerwear with a water-repellent agent. After washing at home in an automatic machine, the protective layer will disappear. If, in general, the fabric of the upper is not dirty, but only has occasional stains, you can wash them by hand.To do this, apply detergent to a sponge, rub the stain (you can use a clothes brush) and rinse off the foam with clean water, also using a sponge, but not under running water.

Advice

You cannot wash a down jacket in a machine if the feathers are coming out through the seams. As a result of washing, the jacket may lose a significant part of the feathers, which can clog the drain hole.

If the contamination is severe, the jacket will have to be washed. A special product designed for washing down jackets at home, or a product in the form of a gel, will help with this. When using powders, streaks may remain on the outer material, as they are less rinsable than liquid detergents. It’s also worth preparing the hangers to size in advance. They are necessary for drying the down jacket.

To properly wash your down jacket, follow these simple steps before placing it in the washing machine drum.

1. Check the seams for feathers sticking out. If there are feathers, it would be correct to limit yourself to washing or hand washing, so as not to damage the down jacket and the washing machine.
2. Check your pockets - they should be empty.
3. Check buttons, zippers, crocodile clips, and rivets for tearing or breakage. The fittings should be repaired before washing.
4. Fasten zippers, buttons, rivets.
5. Unfasten the fur.
6. Wash “difficult” places that always get dirty: seams along the sleeves, cuffs, collar, places near the pockets, seams along the length of the down jacket. If there are stains, they can also be washed with a brush and soap.
7. Turn the jacket inside out.
8. Fold carefully and label into drum.

Now you can proceed directly to washing.

Wash and dry the down jacket

In order for the washing procedure to proceed correctly, we will focus on what temperature it is necessary to wash at, in what mode, whether it is necessary to dry the down jacket in the machine and whether it is worth turning off the spin cycle completely.

Let's look at the washing process step by step.

1. Place the prepared jacket in the drum of the automatic machine.
2. “Wash” tennis balls (2-3 pieces) together with the down jacket. Washing with tennis balls will prevent the down jacket from sticking to the drum. The balls will push the jacket and involve you in the washing process. For this purpose, it is best to use professional tennis balls that are soft on the outside or, as a last resort, rubber balls intended for dog games, but do not replace them with plastic balls. You can also find special ones in stores. balls for washing down jackets.
3. Fill the machine with detergent.
4. The right thing to do is to avoid conditioner-rinse aid.
5. Choose a delicate wash mode or a hand wash mode; the “wool” mode is also suitable.
6. Please note that when the mode is selected, the temperature displayed on the display should not exceed 30°C. The spin should be turned on at 400-500 rpm. If the characteristics in the selected mode differ from those described, adjust them manually.
7. Run an extra rinse so that the detergent is more likely to be leached from the down and fabric of the top.
8. If the automatic machine is equipped with a drying function, great. Turn it on in the weakest, gentle mode.

If there is no drying function in the machine, then you can run the spin mode 1-2 more times with rubber balls or tennis balls. This will help the down get rid of excess moisture, making it easier to dry the down jacket later.At home, a jacket filled with natural down will be properly dried on hangers. You can choose a well-ventilated, warm place for this. For drying a down jacket at home, a shaded balcony is suitable, but not an open one, since under direct bright sunlight the outer fabric can fade. Also, a hanger with a down jacket can be placed anywhere in the house, but not very close to hot radiators.

It takes a long time for a down jacket to dry at home – 2-3 days. During this time, it is necessary to shake it periodically so that the fluff inside does not form clumps. This will take some effort, but it will be worth it. If everything is done correctly, the down will become fluffy again, and the down jacket will be soft and cozy. It retains heat so well precisely due to its “fluffy” texture, which retains air, which is a poor heat conductor.

As a rule, when washing a down jacket at home, there are no problems with smoothing out wrinkles. But if they do form, you can smooth the fabric of the top at home using a steam generator or an iron in steam mode, blasting the fabric with steam blasts.

When washing a down jacket in a washing machine, it is worth noting that this procedure requires effort and time, but is much cheaper than dry cleaning. And after the first “baptism of fire,” things will go much easier; washing your down jacket yourself at home will become a habitual activity.