by Derek Gatehouse
If you want to extend the life of your sleeping bag, your first step is to never store it in its sack. Compression for too long a period causes a bag to lose its loft. Always store it loosely and in a dry place, and in a large cotton bag if you can. Don’t store it in anything watertight, which can result in condensation, and then mildew. Avoid storing your bag in too hot a place, as the heat can evaporate natural oils we find in goose down. Make sure your bag is thoroughly dry after every trip, and before you store it away!
Airing out your bag each day you use it will help keep it lofty. Turn it inside out and let the sun and the breeze dry it if need be. Sleeping bags can be stuffed a great many times with no damage. Do not roll your sleeping bag (a common mistake!). Stuffing it is much easier on the goose down. When you do stuff your bag, start with the foot in order to let the air escape.
As soon as you get to the camp each evening, remove the bag from its sack and allow it to air out. Keep the bag out of the sunlight (unless you’re drying it), since the ultraviolet rays will gradually degrade the fabric.
If you can avoid laying your bag directly on the ground while camping, do so, since keeping it clean during your trips means less need for machine washing. Try to wear clean cloths to bed too, to keep your bag clean inside. Know also that body oils can affect goose down, so cleanliness will mean longer sleeping bag life.
When a spill does happen, clean it with a damp cloth immediately if possible. If you can, move the down away from the stain you’re working on. When you do machine wash your bag, read all manufacturer’s instructions to the letter. Do not dry clean a down bag. The solvents used will damage those natural goose down oils.
This may surprise you but most sleeping bags get dirtier on the inside than the outside. So turn your bag inside out when machine washing. Zip all the zippers up. Try to use a front loading machine, and use cold washes and gentle cycles.
If you can avoid a machine altogether and wash by hand, so much the better. Put your sleeping bag in the bath tub, use a mild soap, and avoid bleach and all fabric softeners.
Fill up the bathtub with tepid water. Put the bag in the water and get it completely wet while it’s in its sack. This way the air is already fully out of the bag and its easier to work with. Then pull the bag from the sack and wash it gently with the soapy water. Let it soak for a good hour.
Rinse the bag with clean water three times, allowing the water to completely drain from the tub each time. When you’re working with your wet bag, be careful not to damage any stitching or baffles. When you’re finished, don’t wring the bag out. Instead, press the bag to remove water.
After the final rinsing, use the washing machine’s spin cycle to remove most of the water, thereby shortening the drying time. You can place the bag in a top loader for this stage. Some manufacturers warn against using a dryer, but if you have a low heat setting, you should be fine. Tumble dry the sleeping bag on the lowest heat. During the wash, down can collect in clumps so as you dry, check for clumps and redistribute them by gently massaging, and then continue drying. Some people recommend adding a few tennis balls (clean ones!) to break up any clumps in the down.
Derek is an experienced adventurer and camper, and is crazy when it comes to down sleeping bags. To get more on the best prices you’ll find on on the Internet, visit his Down Sleeping Bags website.
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