The service life of items, as well as their appearance, depend on proper washing and drying. Very often, due to the wrong temperature or detergent, the down jacket loses its presentation and becomes unusable. This wardrobe item is not cheap, so washing and drying such a product must be approached responsibly. You need to know how to clean a winter jacket at home and how to properly dry a down jacket after washing without affecting its appearance.
How to easily straighten down down in a jacket?
In order to straighten the down manually, the down jacket needs to be kneaded with tweezers, moving from bottom to top. Also, be sure to shake your down jacket like you would a pillow. If it’s minus outside, then you can hang the down jacket on the balcony and wait until the down freezes inside.
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How to dry outerwear with insulation
Drying down jackets and jackets after washing is an important process that provides products with durability and insulating properties. To ensure proper drying, you need to understand the intricacies of caring for outerwear. To avoid damage to the filler, it is worth keeping the frequency of washing to a minimum. It is necessary to avoid contact of the item with moisture and dirt; stains that appear can be removed by treating them with a soapy sponge. There are also special products for dry cleaning.
Basic rules for washing winter clothes:
- The product can only be washed if there is a corresponding sign on the label. Items that cannot be washed require professional dry cleaning.
- The product is fastened and turned inside out, removable elements are unfastened.
- Special detergents and washing gels are used.
- The spin mode must be turned off or performed at low speeds.
- Do not wash at high temperatures and on the cotton cycle.
- It is recommended to rinse down jackets by hand or turn on an additional option on the washing machine.
Attention! Washing water should not exceed 30°. High temperature leads to deformation of the filler.
Grease stains can be easily removed with kitchen salt and table vinegar. To do this, you need to prepare a solution by mixing a small amount of warm water with the ingredients in a 1:1 ratio. The prepared mixture is applied to the greasy stain, after a few minutes the dirty area is wiped with a damp cloth. If the down jacket is washed and dried incorrectly, it takes on an unsightly appearance due to lumps and an unpleasant odor. To correct the situation, just wash and dry the item again, following the care instructions. Otherwise, the filler will lose its thermal insulation ability and will not protect against frost.
How to dry clothes after machine washing
Drying a down jacket after washing in an automatic washing machine is much easier , since spinning removes a large amount of moisture and the filling does not roll off. An item washed in this way and wrung out in the drum can be hung on hangers without worry and dried in the usual way. You just need to shake the jacket periodically to ensure uniform drying and distribution of the filler.
But not all jackets can withstand spinning in a drum. In poorly quilted items, the filling will most likely clump into clumps and spread throughout the jacket. It is better to dry such items on a horizontal surface covered with a towel or use a special dryer. The stuffing should be periodically straightened with your hands, as the fluff can bunch up into fairly dense clumps.
Quilted coats are absolutely not afraid of vertical drying, but they also need to be shaken and straightened out lumps of filler.
If the washing machine is equipped with a dryer, then things will go much faster. You just need to select the delicate drying mode and at the same time take out the product several times and shake it. This type of drying is the best option, since the rotating drum prevents the feathers from bunching up and spreading throughout the product.
When you take the jacket out after drying, you need to make sure that the item is dry by squeezing the filling with your hand. If even the slightest stains appear, the product can be dried naturally by hanging it on a hanger.
Prohibited actions when drying a down jacket
Before washing your favorite winter down jacket, you need to understand what not to do when drying it.
There are several clear rules:
- The down jacket should not be dried in a cold and damp room. In such a situation, the feather filler will turn sour and form clumps. The item will have a musty smell and mold spots will appear on the fabric.
- Under no circumstances should jackets be dried over an open flame or an open heating coil. Many housewives abuse this to speed up drying, hanging the product over the stove, turning on the gas at full power. This is strictly prohibited! The product may catch fire within minutes.
- It is not recommended to dry the item by laying it on a radiator. With this method, white streaks will appear on the fabric.
- The heater located next to the dryer should be turned on at minimum power. Too hot air will cause the down to stick together and the thermal properties of the jacket will be greatly impaired.
You must understand that even if you follow all the instructions, it is quite possible for lumps of fluff or feathers, stains and streaks to appear. The situation can always be improved.
Drying a down jacket after hand washing
Having washed a down jacket by hand, many housewives are confused about what to do next so as not to damage the item. When washing this way, a lot of water remains inside the jacket, which, when drained, pulls the filler with it. This will definitely happen during vertical drying.
Therefore, it would be correct to lay out the washed item in a horizontal position. You can use a special dryer, evenly laying out the down jacket on it, while straightening the printed material. Place a heater under the dryer (it’s safer to use an oil heater). Warm air will gradually dry the product.
Temperature selection
If you care about the safety of the item, then there is no need to talk about high temperatures when washing. It is better not to install above 40 degrees. For particularly delicate fabrics, 30°C water is preferable.
Additional Information! Windbreakers designed to protect the body from rain and wind can be made from different fabrics. The composition of the material dictates the choice of washing temperature.
- Polyester is a material created artificially from the melt of polyester fibers. It has excellent weather-resistant qualities, durability, does not allow rain and wind to pass through, and does not wrinkle. But in accordance with the nature of its origin, it is afraid of high temperatures. Hot water can “melt” the structure of the fabric, causing the item to become deformed and shrink in size. So in this case, wash at a maximum of 30 degrees.
- Nylon is also a synthetic material obtained through chemical manipulation of molecules. It is older and stronger than polyester. Holds paint better. However, it is not resistant to high temperatures: it wrinkles and stretches greatly. Therefore, it is necessary to wash at no more than 40 degrees.
- Corduroy and cotton. Windbreakers made from these materials contain natural fabrics. They are warmer and can withstand washing at 60 degrees.
When washing a jacket in a machine, you should carefully study the composition of the fabric: increasing the percentage of natural fibers increases the temperature of the water.
Methods for drying a down jacket
The main rule that must always be followed is that winter outerwear is dried only in a vertical position. To do this, place the down jacket on a clothes hanger in a draft-free room. If you neglect this advice, the fluff will form hard clumps and lose its insulating properties.
Basic recommendations for drying jackets at home:
- Items are hung vertically on hangers or hangers.
- The fabric should not be exposed to direct sunlight. This increases the risk of divorce.
- Down jackets are located away from radiators, stoves, and radiators. Artificial acceleration of drying promotes the formation of lumps.
- During the drying process, the filler should be beaten by hand, spreading it evenly over the entire area of the lining.
To speed up the drying process, you can apply the following tips:
- in the room the down jacket will dry much faster;
- The cold mode of the hairdryer will help reduce drying time;
- several times a day you need to straighten the filler with your hands;
- It is recommended to hang the coat in the open air without direct sunlight - a constant flow of air will speed up drying.
You should not artificially speed up the drying process - this will only harm the properties of the insulation. In case of washing, you need to have spare clothes or prepare for a long wait, because the thick filling takes at least two days to dry. Thanks to these recommendations, you can keep your outerwear intact for many years and avoid the formation of streaks and lumps.
Important! Drying the product in an automatic machine is allowed only if there is a corresponding sign on the tag that allows artificial drying.
What powder to wash a down jacket with: list of the best products
To wash a down jacket, it is better to use special detergents designed specifically for such things. As a rule, the products have a gel or liquid base with excellent cleaning properties. Such preparations easily penetrate the down fibers, do not form much foam, and therefore there is no risk of white stains on the surface of the product.
For down jackets
Today you can easily find a large number of cleaning products for down jackets on sale. Among them, the following drugs are considered the most common:
- Down and Wool Wash. This detergent is well known to skiers and other people who love winter sports. In addition to the fact that the product is good for cleaning surfaces, it protects the filler from clumping and does not spoil the fatty layer of the down, which allows it to remain more elastic and very soft.
- Heitmann. This product is intended for washing down jackets and sleeping bags that have natural filling. The gel contains lanolin, which creates natural protection for down.
- Eco Nordland Sport. This liquid balm has a natural base. Using the product you can wash down jackets and thermal underwear. The active substances included in the balm begin their action at 20°C.
- Domal Sport Fein Fashion. Using the balm you can clean down jackets, sportswear, even shoes. The drug allows the down to remain waterproof while maintaining its own structure. After the balm, bright impregnations and applications remain intact. The product has one minor drawback - things must be rinsed thoroughly after the drug.
- Liquid powder Profkhim. The drug can be used when washing down jackets, blankets, and feather pillows. The product has the same positive properties as Domal balm. Thanks to it, the colors of the product are preserved, the fabrics do not lose their original appearance, and the down and feathers do not lose their fatty coating.
- The following drugs are also considered quite popular today: Nikwax gel and Unipukh liquid powder.
How to wash a down jacket in an automatic washing machine
In order to properly wash a down jacket in an automatic machine, a very important point is the correct selection of cleaning agent. The use of ordinary washing powder or liquid washing gel is absolutely not suitable for this task. These products will disrupt the internal structure of the down filling and, moreover, will leave strong stains on the down jacket, and if they contain bleaching components, they can ruin the color of the product.
In order to properly wash a down jacket in a washing machine, preference should be given to special liquid gels that are designed specifically for this purpose. The corresponding inscription must be on the product label.
Among these cleaning compositions the following can be noted:
Cleaning gel | a brief description of |
"Profkhim" | Gel of domestic production. Packaged in 200 ml bottles, it lasts for an average of 4 - 5 washes. Reviews about the product are positive, since it copes with almost any type of contamination. Among the possible disadvantages, a very rich aroma should be noted. |
"NORDLAND" | The main purpose of the balm is to wash sportswear. Production - Germany. A gentle and at the same time effective product with very economical consumption (1 bottle for 10 washes). Suitable not only for washing items with natural filling, but also for cleaning other types of outerwear in the washing machine. |
"SALTON SPORT" | This washing shampoo is recommended for membrane-based down jackets. Thoroughly removes dirt and leaves a pleasant aroma on the product. In terms of consumption, it is enough for approximately 4 washes. |
"HEITMANN DAUNEN-WASCHPFLEGE" | Gel that is suitable for both hand and machine washing of products with down filling. It copes well with heavy dirt and carefully cleans the filler. If the gel is used correctly, the product does not even require whipping in the future. Production - Germany. Consumption – 6 washes. |
Gel "Laska" | It has a fairly gentle composition that will not harm the down filling. However, it may not be able to cope with heavy dirt on the down jacket, which is why before directly removing the dirt in the washing machine, it is recommended to first treat the stains using laundry soap. |
Advice! If it is not possible to use a special gel to wash a down jacket with down filling in the machine, then you can use capsules or powder designed for cleaning children's clothes. Granules of such a product are much easier to dissolve in water, and the likelihood of them getting stuck in down fibers is practically eliminated.
Important! You cannot wash down jackets on a membrane using any powder product, as this will inevitably lead to clogging of the breathing pores, and the item will be damaged immediately after the first treatment.
In order to wash a white down jacket in a washing machine, it is recommended that you initially treat all visible dirt on it using regular laundry soap.
Is it possible to wash a down jacket in a washing machine?
The experience of brave and resourceful Russian women has shown that a down jacket can be restored to cleanliness on its own, without resorting to dry cleaning, but simply by washing it in an automatic washing machine. At the same time, the thing will not lose any of its attractiveness. You just need to know how to properly wash a down jacket in a washing machine.
To do this, you will need a gentle liquid detergent used for washing:
- product for wool products
- or a product specially created for washing down jackets
- and three regular tennis balls
Yes, don’t be surprised, even the manufacturers of down jackets and coats themselves recommend their use in their instructions describing how to wash a down jacket in a machine. Only we are talking about balls used in playing tennis - with soft fabric upholstery. Avoid plastic balls.
How to wash a down jacket correctly
Before putting the down jacket in the car, empty its pockets, turn the item inside out, zippers, buttons and snaps should be fastened to avoid deformation. Pour your chosen detergent into the cuvette and set the wash cycle to delicate.
It is very important to choose the right water temperature. Washing a down jacket in a washing machine is done in water at a temperature of about 30 °C. Tennis balls are loaded into the drum along with the jacket and go through the entire washing cycle with it.
They are needed to prevent the fluff filling the product from matting during the washing process.
Often, after washing a down jacket, streaks form on it. How to wash a down jacket in a washing machine without streaks? To do this, you need to rinse it well, and more than once. You also need to wring out the down jacket in the machine; 600 revolutions will be enough for this.