How to properly wash a down jacket by hand without streaks at home

10.10.201614.02.2017 Maria Ivanova 4 comments

Today the eternal girlish dilemma triumphs: to elegantly freeze in a jacket or clumsily keep warm in a down jacket.

Of course, a mature female mind will prefer a down jacket. But how to remain feminine, neat and beautiful in a down jacket? The answer is simple: first, put your down jacket in order!

Is it possible to wash a down jacket by hand?

The most accurate answer to this question can be found directly on the down jacket: sewn-in labels contain special icons with information about proper care of the product.

The acceptability of washing a down jacket by hand is indicated by a recognizable picture - a schematic representation of a basin with water and a hand in it:

1. 
   If there is a container of water in the image, but there is no palm, it is recommended to machine wash the item. As a rule, a number is placed on the same picture - it indicates the maximum permitted water temperature. For down products this is usually 30 degrees.

2. 
   If the picture shows a bowl of water crossed out by two lines, it is prohibited to wash the product either manually or in a machine. In this case, you need to use dry cleaning services.

These instructions must be followed so as not to spoil the down jacket. You can hand wash an item whose manufacturer has prohibited this procedure only at your own peril and risk.

Absolutely forbidden

• soaking a down jacket, except for items filled with padding polyester;
• use water above 30 degrees for washing;
• use laundry detergents that contain bleaching or coloring ingredients;
• never use regular powder that is not intended for washing a down jacket, as this can completely ruin the item;
• neglect thorough rinsing;
• dry things for more than two days, it is better to use a heat source, but just do not hang the down jacket, for example, on a heating radiator, it is better to hang it nearby;
• dry in a horizontal position, on a blanket, towel or other materials that retain moisture, as the process of rotting may begin in the fluff;
• store in compressed or damp form;
• Ironing should be done at temperatures above 110 degrees;
• If you steam a product, do it only in a gentle mode.

How to wash a down jacket in a washing machine and with what detergent

Preparing for hand washing

If the labels allow hand washing (or they don't, but you're willing to take the risk), then your down jacket needs to be prepared. Before washing a down jacket by hand, you must:

1. Unfasten the fur parts - the collar, sometimes the fur on the sleeves. As a rule, such parts are attached with a zipper or buttons. It is also better to remove the hood, decorative elements (brooch) and belt.
2. Empty all pockets, including internal ones.
3. If the jacket is only dirty on the outside, you can zip it up before washing it by hand for convenience. If the inside also needs cleaning, the down jacket can be washed unbuttoned.
4. The dirtiest areas should be soaked in advance with the selected detergent composition. This is convenient to do manually using a small soft brush or dishwashing sponge. Typically, such processing requires a collar, the outer part of pockets, cuffs, and sometimes side seams. Leave the item soaped in this way for 15-30 minutes so that the detergent has time to take effect.
5. If the product is heavily soiled, it makes sense to soak it entirely for a while.

After completing these steps, you can begin washing by hand.

Recommendations before washing

Washing a down jacket at home is not a difficult task, but a number of nuances are still worth considering. It is necessary to carefully consider the choice of detergent, and try not to damage the fabric with too rough action.

What products are best to use?

Washing a winter jacket with down filling by hand requires the use of special detergents. As a rule, they are produced in liquid form and contain special substances that preserve the properties of fluff (for example, lanolin). Such gels can be called differently - “liquid powder”, balm or “shampoo”, but the packaging must indicate that the composition is intended (or suitable) for down jackets. German liquid products from the brands “Heitmann”, “Domal Sport Fein Fashion”, Woly Sport Down & Wool Wash, as well as domestic gels “UNIPUKH” and “Laska” have proven themselves well.

The use of regular powder for items with down filling is prohibited. Most likely, one time will be enough to ruin the thing, and here's why:

• Washing powders form abundant foam and are difficult to rinse out of the down layer. Therefore, soap stains and stains appear on the surface of the fabric.
• Optical brighteners and other aggressive substances often spoil the color of the “top” fabric; it is almost impossible to get rid of these traces.
• Simple powders and gels contain fat-dissolving components. They wash away the protective fatty layer from down and feathers. In this case, the filler sticks together into lumps and loses its water-repellent and heat-insulating properties. It is not always possible to restore the fluff after this.

Therefore, if you decide to wash your down jacket by hand yourself, you should invest in a special product. This is the only way to maintain the quality and appearance of the product.

Is it possible to rub a down jacket?

The answer to this question depends on the type of fabric from which the jacket is made. If the material is thick enough, you can remove stains manually using a sponge or soft brush. Liquid detergent should be applied to the bristles and gently rub the dirty areas. Even a dish sponge or an old toothbrush is suitable for this purpose.

It is not recommended to rub parts of the down jacket against each other (as you would wash ordinary things by hand). This causes the fluff to stick together into clumps. In addition, due to the thick filler, it is simply inconvenient to do this.

If the “top” of the jacket is made of thin fabric that requires careful handling, it is better not to risk it and have the product dry cleaned.

What to do to avoid divorces

Anyone who cleans outerwear at home is interested in how to wash down jackets without streaks. The cause of this problem may be an excessive amount of detergent or an incorrectly selected product. Unwanted stains appear if you use ordinary washing powder instead of liquid detergent.

To prevent such a nuisance from happening, you need to properly wash and dry your down jacket. If you turn on the rinse mode several times, the streaks will disappear and the item will return to its previous appearance.

To avoid streaking, do not use laundry detergent, softener or softener.

Washing methods

You can wash a down jacket by hand without streaks in different ways. Methods are selected depending on the type of product and the nature of the contamination.

Vertical sink

To prevent the down from getting lost, you don’t have to soak the entire down jacket. If you only need to get rid of one or a few stains on the fabric, this can be done manually using a brush and shower. To do this, the jacket must be put on a hanger and hung over the bathtub. Then rub the contaminated areas with a soft brush or sponge moistened with detergent for down jackets (plain laundry soap is also suitable). Having manually cleaned off the stains, the foam must be thoroughly rinsed off with a stream of warm water from the shower (the temperature should not exceed 40 degrees!). Then the item is dried in the same vertical position.

In case of heavy soiling, it is recommended to wash down jackets entirely.

Horizontal cleaning

The algorithm of actions is the same as for a vertical sink, but the product is laid out on a horizontal surface (for example, on a special board above the bathtub). Using a sponge or brush with washing gel, you need to manually treat the contaminated areas, then rinse off the foam with a shower.

Washing in a basin or in a bathtub

This method of washing a down jacket by hand is more labor-intensive, but it has its advantages:

• uniform washing, without color differences on the fabric;
• both the lining and the outside are cleaned;
• the unpleasant smell goes away.

However, the method also has disadvantages:

• a wet jacket becomes heavy and difficult to lift and turn over;
• the fluff sticks together more;
• the item dries longer.

To properly wash a down jacket by hand, you need to first soak it in a bathtub or in a large basin. To do this, the gel must be dissolved in warm water in the proportion indicated on the bottle, then immerse the jacket in it. Before soaking, the dirtiest areas must be manually treated with the same composition using a brush.

To prevent the down from getting tangled and leaving streaks on the fabric, you need to use only special products for down jackets!

The choice of container depends on the size of the product. For a short jacket or children's clothing, a basin will be enough; it is better to wash a long down coat in the bathroom. After soaking, the surface of the item must be carefully manually cleaned with a soft brush directly in a soap solution, then drain the dirty water and rinse the item thoroughly with clean warm water several times. The quality of rinsing largely determines whether soap stains will remain on the surface of the fabric.

Then carefully wring out the jacket and hang it vertically. You can also use the appropriate mode in the washing machine for spinning (you need to select the minimum speed!), adding tennis balls or special balls to the drum.

It is strictly forbidden to wring out down jackets by twisting them! Only light compression of the fabric.

Which formulations to choose

To clean down jackets, chemical solutions and folk remedies are used. The first category includes:

• washing gels intended for processing delicate fabrics, down and wool products;
• gentle stain removers (Heitmann, Vanish, Dr. Beckmann);
• liquid soap, shampoo, solutions based on soap shavings.

It is strictly forbidden to use powdered stain removers, bleaches, conditioners and products containing chlorine. The latter can cause irreparable harm to both down filling and synthetics. It is not recommended to use acetone, solvents and citric acid.

Folk remedies should be chosen taking into account the nature and cause of pollution. For example, shiny areas can be restored with a solution made from water and table vinegar. To wash greasy stains, use salt and dishwashing gel. Contaminants whose source is unknown are removed with hydrogen peroxide and ammonia. If there is no positive effect, you need to contact a dry cleaner.

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To eliminate unpleasant odors, the down jacket should be cleaned using compounds designed to remove microbial contaminants. The same effect can be achieved using a vinegar solution. To enhance the effect, winter clothes should be hung outside.

How to properly dry a down jacket

Its appearance and condition in the future depend on proper drying of clothes. After hand washing, it is usually recommended to dry the down jacket in a vertical, suspended position to ensure maximum air flow to the filling. If the product is laid out on a horizontal surface, the drying process will be delayed. In this case, the fluff will rot and acquire an unpleasant sour smell.

Do not dry your down jacket near radiators or heating devices. It is better if the selected room has good ventilation and low humidity.

After the water has completely drained, the item must be shaken periodically. This is necessary to “shake” the fluff and distribute it evenly in the cells. Sometimes a stick or a carpet clapper is used for these purposes.

A little trick: if you change the position of the down jacket from time to time during drying (place it upside down, sideways, spread it horizontally on the dryer rack, turn it inside out) - the product will dry faster, and the down will be more evenly distributed inside.

Ironing a clean jacket is quite difficult, but it is possible. The appropriate temperature for the iron is usually indicated on the product labels. But it is more convenient to do this by vertical steaming. Sportswear made of thick material after drying will not be damaged by treating the fabric with a special water-repellent spray.

Storage conditions

After washing, a clean down jacket must be stored. To do this, you need to make sure that it is completely dry. And then ventilate for 3 more days on the balcony or in the open air. The item should be in the shade so that the fabric does not fade from sunlight.

It is recommended to store in a dark and dry place, because moisture is the main enemy of fluff. The down jacket can be placed on a hanger or in a case. Cellophane bags must have perforations so that the product can “breathe” and prevent mold from developing. To prevent the jacket from losing its shape during this time, the pockets must be emptied. The hangers should be selected according to size, so that creases do not form.

Vacuum storage cannot be used for down jackets, because the pressure on the filler causes deformation, which is then difficult to correct.

Correcting errors

If you wash your down jacket correctly, there should be no problems. But if during the process the fluff still clumps together, or stains appear on the fabric, sometimes the item can still be saved.

How to beat fluff

To restore the original “fluffiness” of a thing, several methods are used:

1. The down filling is usually “beaten up” during drying, by shaking the down jacket or hitting it with a stick.
2. If this does not help, the fluff balls inside the cells can be gently tousled with your hands.
3. After this, it is useful to “vacuum” the down jacket from the inside, using a narrow “sofa” attachment for a vacuum cleaner. By carefully moving the tube through the cells of the jacket, you can distribute the fluff more evenly with the flow of air.
4. You can additionally “scroll” the item in the washing machine in spin mode. In this case, you need to select the minimum speed, and add several tennis balls (or special balls) to the drum.

If the down has stuck together due to the use of a simple washing powder, the filler can be saved by washing it again, but with a special product for down jackets.

Getting rid of divorces

Whitish or dark stains on the surface of the fabric usually occur for several reasons:

• using the wrong product;
• too high concentration of detergent composition;
• prolonged drying;
• Insufficient rinsing.

If the stains are caused by washing with a simple detergent, they may remain forever. The reason is that bleaches and active substances have damaged the paint on the top layer of fabric.

If the problem is that the product simply did not rinse completely, the situation can be corrected. Different methods are used for this:

• Local treatment of the resulting stains. For this purpose, it is recommended to use a solution of regular dishwashing detergent. A sponge or piece of cloth is moistened with such a solution (a small concentration is sufficient), and the stripes and stains on the “top” material are carefully wiped. Sometimes this is enough to get rid of traces of an unsuccessful wash.
• Repeated washing in compliance with all rules.
• Additional rinses.
• Dry cleaning.

To put your winter clothes in order, you don’t have to resort to dry cleaning or use a washing machine. It is quite possible to wash a down jacket by hand, while maintaining its insulating properties and original appearance. To do this, you need to carefully study the product labels, find a suitable detergent and strictly adhere to all the rules.