How to wash your down gear.
A little bit of care goes a long way towards keeping your down goods in use for seasons to come. Generally, you should wash your down items whenever they are visibly dirty, they have lost loft, or it's been a year, whichever comes first.
(no top-load w/agitators)
(Nikwax, Grangers, Gear Aid)
(includes drying)
(do not air dry)
What are you washing today?
Each product type has slightly different steps. Pick yours below to jump straight to the right instructions, or scroll for the full guide.
Sleeping Bag
The bigger job. Includes pre-treatment, gentle cycle wash, and patient tumble drying.
See instructions →
Jacket or Pants
Down jackets, vests, and pants. Smaller volume, faster cycle, same care principles.
See instructions →
Comforter or Pillow
Down comforters, pillows, and throws. Larger items may need a laundromat machine.
See instructions →
Reapply DWR
Restore water-repellent performance to your shell after washing. Done in the dryer.
See instructions →Washing a down sleeping bag.
Your sleeping bag is your most critical piece of backcountry gear. Over time, body oils and trail dust cause down to clump, reducing its ability to trap heat. A wash done right restores most of that lost loft and meaningfully extends the life of the bag.
Depending on the size of your washer and dryer, we generally recommend limiting the cycle volume to one sleeping bag at a time. This prevents overfilling the drum, which can lead to melted nylon and uneven drying.
- Clear the bag. Remove anything from inside the bag (baselayers, socks, tissues, etc.).
- Secure hardware. Close the main zipper, secure any snaps or velcro, and loosen any elastic draws.
- Pre-treat stains. Treat any stains with a gentle stain remover or some down soap.
- Inside out. Turn your sleeping bag inside out so that the breathable, inner liner is exposed. Note for expedition bags: If you're washing an expedition bag, we recommend presoaking it before washing, as the down can take a while to fully saturate. You can do this in a tub, bucket, or using your washer's prewash setting.
- Add down soap. Grab your favorite down soap and wash according to the instructions on the bottle.
- Set the machine. Wash on a gentle or delicate cycle using warm water and a low or medium spin setting.
- Extra rinse Add an extra rinse + spin cycle to flush any lingering detergent.
- DWR Refresh Optional. After washing, if you need to refresh the DWR on the outside of your sleeping bag, now is a great time to do it. See the instructions here.
- The transfer. Gently transfer your sleeping bag to the dryer, being sure to evenly support the bag while it's damp and heavy.
- Dryer balls. If you like to use dryer balls, you can add them in here. They help break up down clumps during the drying process.
- Heat settings. Tumble dry on low heat for hour-long intervals. If your machine has a wrinkle guard setting, use it to allow the bag to cool down in the drum during the final 10 minutes.
- The clump check. Manually check your bag between cycles. If it feels even slightly damp or clumpy, break up the clumps by hand and run it for another hour. Rotate the bag in the drum to promote even drying. Pro-tip: Even if the nylon feels dry, the down inside might still be damp. Don't be afraid to add extra time to the drying process.
- Final step. Once you're confident your bag is totally dry (and it may take several hours of drying), remove it from the dryer and flip it right-side-out. Now your gear is refreshed and ready for the trail!
Washing down apparel.
Down apparel such as down jackets and pants accumulate body oils faster than sleeping bags because they're closer to your skin. We recommend washing once or twice per season of regular use or more often if you wear yours daily through the winter.
Depending on the size of your washer and dryer, we generally recommend limiting the cycle volume to 2-3 lightweight garments (Eos, Ellia), 1-2 midweight garments (Helios, Volant) or 1 expedition garment (Khumbu, Rock and Ice). This will prevent overfilling the drum during the drying cycle, which can lead to melted nylon and uneven drying.
- Empty the pockets. Remove anything inside, then check secondary pockets you might forget about.
- Secure hardware. Zip the main zipper closed and any pocket zippers. Secure velcro storm flaps.
- Pre-treat stains. Spot-treat any stains with a gentle stain remover or down soap before the cycle starts.
- Inside out. Turn the garment inside out so the inner lining faces the drum.
- Add down soap. Use the garment measurement on the bottle. When in doubt, add a bit more!
- Set the machine. Gentle or delicate cycle, warm water, low or medium spin. Front-loading washer only.
- Extra rinse Add an extra rinse + spin cycle to flush any lingering detergent.
- DWR Refresh. Optional. After washing, if you need to refresh the DWR on the outside of your apparel now is a great time to do it. See the instructions here.
- The transfer. Gently move the garment to the dryer, supporting it evenly.
- Dryer balls. Add a few clean tennis balls or wool dryer balls to break up clumps during drying.
- Heat settings. Tumble dry on low heat in hour-long intervals. If your machine has a wrinkle guard setting, use it! This will allow your garment to cool down in the drum during the final ten or so minutes of drying.
- The clump check. Pull the garment out between cycles and break up any down clumps by hand. Rotate before running the next interval. Pro-tip: Even if the nylon feels dry, the down inside might still be damp! If you're drying one of our larger expedition garments, you might need to run it for an extra hour or two.
- Final step. Once you're confident your garment is dry, you can remove it from the dryer and flip it right-side-out. Your gear is refreshed and ready for anything!
Washing a down comforter or pillow.
A well-cared-for down comforter can last decades. With a duvet cover protecting it, your comforter only needs washing every 1–3 years. Pillows about twice a year. Here's how we recommend doing it.
We generally recommend washing one bedding item at a time. If you're unsure whether or not your dryer is large enough to fit a comforter, place it in the machine fully-lofted to check if it has room to tumble. If it's compressing against the drum, you might consider drying at a laundromat with industrial-sized machines.
- Treat stains. Check your bedding for any specific spots or stains and pre-treat them with a gentle stain remover or a small dab of down soap.
- Add down soap. Grab your favorite down soap and wash according to the instructions on the bottle. Pro-tip: Detergent measurements are often geared towards outdoor garments. We recommend using the garment measurement for down pillows and the sleeping bag measurement for comforters and throws. When in doubt, add more!
- Set the machine. Wash on a gentle or delicate cycle using warm water and a low or medium spin setting.
- Extra Rinse For down bedding, always add an extra rinse and spin cycle to ensure all soap residue is flushed out.
- The transfer. Gently transfer to the dryer. Comforters are heavy when wet so be sure to support the weight as you move it.
- Dryer balls. Add tennis balls or dryer balls to break up clumps as the down dries.
- Heat settings. Tumble dry on low to medium heat for hour-long intervals.
- Reorient Between cycles, remove the bedding and reorient it (shake it out) to promote even drying. Repeat this until the item is completely dry and lofted.
- The clump check. Comforters in particular can hide damp clumps in their interior. Feel through the bedding manually between cycles and break up anything that's compressed. Pro-tip: Comforters and pillows generally need more drying time than you'd expect. Multiple shorter cycles with manual fluffing in between produces the best loft.
- Final step. Once you are confident it is entirely dry, remove it from the dryer. Your bedding is now refreshed and ready to use!
Reapplying DWR.
Durable Water Repellent (DWR) is the finish on your shell fabric that helps water bead up and roll off rather than soak in. Over time, washing and use cause that finish to wear off. The good news: it's straightforward to restore at home!
DWR reapplication works best on a clean, dry product. Restoring the finish on a dirty shell traps the dirt. Wash and fully dry your jacket or sleeping bag first, then come back for this step. You'll need a spray-on DWR (Nikwax TX.Direct, Granger's Performance Repel, or Gear Aid Revivex) and a working clothes dryer.
- Confirm clean and dry. The shell needs to be free of body oils and trail dirt for the DWR to bond properly. If you haven't washed recently, wash first using the appropriate guide above. We recommend applying the DWR after washing but before drying.
- Lay the gear flat. Spread the jacket or sleeping bag on a clean, flat surface.
- Apply treatment. Grab your DWR treatment of choice, shake the bottle, and spray a thin, even coat onto the outer fabric. Pro-tip: Less is more. A light, even coat performs better than a heavy soak. Excess DWR spray can oversaturate the shell, soaking through and potentially damaging the delicate down fill inside.
- Tumble dry on low. Heat activates the DWR's bond with the fabric. Tumble dry on low heat for one hour. If your dryer has a wrinkle guard setting, use it! This helps the jacket cool down safely during the last ten minutes of the cycle. Critical: Never use a setting higher than "Low." Drying nylon on high heat can melt the fabric and ruin the garment.
- Flip it. Once the outer shell feels dry, flip your jacket inside out to finish the drying process from the interior.
- Finish drying. Run your dryer on low heat again in hour-long intervals until you're confident the down fill is completely dry, clump-free, and lofty. This may take a while! Pro-tip: If you're drying one of our larger expedition garments, the dense down clusters may require an extra hour or two of tumble time.
- Final step. Remove your apparel or bag from the dryer and flip it right-side-out. The DWR is now revived and ready for your next adventure!
A few things not to do.
Washing seems intimidating, but it's rather easy. However, there are a few important things you should avoid when washing your Feathered Friends down items. Your gear will thank you!
Never dry-clean your down gear.
Dry-cleaning strips an excessive amount of oils from the down, and down will not fully recover its loft after even one trip through the dry cleaners. The chemicals used in dry-cleaning fluids also remain in the gear for weeks.
Don't use regular detergent.
Standard laundry detergent strips the natural oils that keep down lofted. Do not use bleach or bleach-alternatives. Always use a down-specific cleaner. Down washes such as Nikwax Down Wash, Granger's Down Wash, or Gear Aid Revivex Down Cleaner all work well.
Don't use top-load agitators or fabric softener.
Top-load washers with center agitators twist and damage down products. Fabric softener coats the down clusters and reduces their ability to trap air. Always use a front-loading machine (or a top-loading machine without a central agitator), and skip the softener.
Don't air-dry, and don't store wet.
We strongly discourage air-drying. It takes a very, very long time and the down doesn't loft up nicely. Always tumble dry on low heat. And never store down gear that isn't fully dry; even mild residual moisture causes mildew.
Storage that protects loft.
Down works because it traps air. Long-term compression damages the clusters that do the trapping. These are some simple storage tips for down products.
Sleeping bags
Store in the large breathable cotton sack that ships with each bag, fully uncompressed. Never leave a bag in its small stuff sack or a compression sack long-term; long-term compression damages the down clusters and reduces loft permanently.
Jackets & pants
Hang on a wide hanger in a closet that's opened regularly for airflow. Avoid wire hangers, which can stretch shoulder seams over time. A breathable garment bag works for long-term off-season storage.
Comforters & pillows
The single best thing you can do for a comforter is to use it inside a duvet cover that can be easily removed and washed. Cover protects the down shell from oils, sweat, and dirt and washes more easily than the comforter itself.
Two universal storage rules.
Never store wet. Even mild residual moisture grows mildew. Make sure your gear is fully dry before storing.
Never store compressed long-term. Stuff sacks are for packing, not storage. The cotton sack that ships with each sleeping bag (or a hanger for jackets) is what to use for the months between trips.
Don't want to wash it yourself?
We offer professional in-house washing for any Feathered Friends item. If you prefer to have your down item washed professionally, we can do that for you. Please submit a request for wash using the Wash Request button below.