Selecting a mode for washing a down jacket in a washing machine

Can a machine help save time and effort on washing a down jacket? Let's try to figure out in what mode to wash a down jacket in a washing machine so as not to spoil it, and in general, whether this is a good idea.

How safe is it to machine wash a down jacket?

Despite the statements of many dry cleaners that it is advisable to dry clean down jackets exclusively, most people are not ready to pay a lot of money for this service every season. On some labels, manufacturers indicate hand washing as an alternative cleaning method, but in this case laziness becomes the decisive factor: washing outerwear by hand is quite difficult and time-consuming. This forced people to take a desperate step: wash their down jacket in a machine, even if this washing method is not indicated on the label. And what came of it?

• In most cases, such a washing experience turns out to be successful if you know what mode to wash a down jacket in a washing machine.
• Down jackets with padding polyester are more difficult to spoil than jackets with down filling: the latter require compliance with more rules.
• Products of initially low quality survive hand washing more easily than machine washing, and even with a spin cycle.

Important!

It is never a bad idea to study the label with recommendations for caring for the product. Understand all these icons and make it a rule to look at the label even before purchasing an item: this way you will know in advance whether you can provide it with proper care.

That is, provided that you know in what mode it is better to wash the item so as not to spoil it, your down jacket will remain safe and sound even after washing in the machine.

Which mode should I choose?

The most important rule, failure to comply with which can lead to serious deformation of the item, is what mode to wash the down jacket in the machine. The fact is that high temperatures are detrimental to synthetics, and if you choose a washing mode of 60 or 90˚C, the synthetic elements will begin to melt. Of course, not as much as under the influence of fire, but you will no longer be able to wear such a jacket. Products made with padding polyester will be completely damaged: padding polyester, under the influence of high temperatures, will fall into lumps that will be impossible to straighten, and the fabric will be deformed. But in jackets with down, it’s not just the synthetic fabric that will suffer. The problem is that fluff can lose its warming qualities when heated strongly: even if it does not deform externally, the item will be damaged.

So what mode should you use to wash a down jacket with down or synthetic padding? You can choose any mode with a washing temperature of 30˚C: usually these are modes for washing synthetics, wool or “delicate wash”.

The choice of rinse mode is also important. If you rinse your down jacket only once, there is a high chance that the detergent will not be completely washed out of it. This is not so scary for synthetic down jackets: the maximum trouble that such a situation can bring is small stains and a persistent odor. But the settled chemicals will not have the best effect on the feathers, so it is recommended not to save water and still choose an additional rinse.

In addition to rinsing, you should think about spinning.High-quality down jackets can survive spinning even at high speeds, but the higher this indicator, the greater the load on the seams and the higher the likelihood that feathers will come out of them. The optimal number of revolutions is still in the range of 600-700, and if the down jacket is not wrung out well the first time, you can repeat the cycle in the same mode.

Do I need to prepare a down jacket for washing?

Even if you know in what mode to wash a down jacket, your clothes are still not completely safe: there are several unpleasant moments that you can encounter without knowing the basic recommendations for washing down jackets. What are these situations and how to avoid them?

• Take care of stains in advance. The machine will cope with dirt as a whole, but it is better to remove individual stains at least partially before washing. This, first of all, concerns greasy and worn areas on the sleeves and near the pockets: they must be treated with soap and a brush in advance.
• Turn the down jacket inside out. This is especially important if you wash the item often and would like to wear it for several seasons. The front side will quickly lose its presentation due to friction against the drum, therefore, as with any other clothing, it is recommended to turn down jackets inside out before washing.

By the way

In order to maintain shape, it is recommended to fasten all zippers and buttons before washing, but good quality down jackets do not deform even if this rule is not followed.

• Don't forget to remove the fur trim. Of course, no one would think of washing a natural fox or rabbit, but even if the fur is artificial, it must be unfastened. Otherwise, after washing, you will no longer be able to wear it, because it will completely lose its appearance.
• The secret that saved a lot of down jackets from falling off was an ordinary tennis ball placed in a drum along with the clothes. It will prevent fluff and padding polyester from getting into clumps, and you won’t have to distribute the filler manually.

Important!

If the tennis ball is brightly colored, check to see if it is fading. In the case of light-colored down jackets, a shedding ball can cause damage to the product.

• When choosing a detergent, give preference to liquids or gel capsules: it is extremely difficult to completely wash the powder out of the filler.
• Wash the down jacket separately from other items: this way the fabric will not be stained, and more delicate items will not be damaged by its locks and rivets.
• And, of course, don’t forget to remove the contents from your pockets before putting the down jacket in the machine.

By the way

The higher the frequency of stitching, the easier it will be to distribute fluff or padding polyester inside the segment after drying.

How to dry a down jacket?

Now that you know all the details about caring for down jackets, there shouldn’t be any problems with preparing and washing them. But how to dry the product after? Remember these tips, and drying will no longer be an issue.

• Do not use additional heat sources: a hair dryer, radiator or heater can deform synthetics and reduce the heating properties of down.
• Ventilating the room in which the down jacket is drying is, on the contrary, encouraged: this way you will speed up its drying without the risk of ruining the thing.
• Dry the down jacket zipped up on a hanger to give it shape during drying and avoid the need for ironing.
• If you still have to iron the product, do it with a steamer.
• Do not dry down jackets horizontally, especially if they are not padded polyester, but down.Air must flow to the filler from all sides so that it does not cake or become moldy.

Now you have all the information to ensure that your down jacket survives more than one wash and serves you for a record number of seasons.