How to preserve your down feather equipment
Do not leave your jacket or sleeping bag stuffed in the compression bag when not using them – do not forget to get your belongings out of the bag when you come back home.
Store the equipment under dry conditions, without any compression (e.g. in the wardrobe or in a textile bag). This way you are preserving the feather’s thin structure and isolation quality. As we are fully aware of how important is it to correctly preserve your down feather equipment, we offer our products with a textile bag designed to store the specific model you are purchasing.
Inspect your sleeping bag after every use. Do not forget that the human body releases about 1/3 liters of sweat every night. The good condition of the inner and outer fabric of your sleeping bag extends its life-spam and increases the overall heating effect.
To put your equipment in the compression bag you literally just need to stuff it in – avoid folding it in a certain way every time as this may lead to unwanted cosmetic changes to your jacket or sleeping bag. Stuff the equipment in the bag in a slow and steady manner starting from one end and spinning the bag until you have the whole product in.
Machine-wash your sleeping bag only if necessary. In other words, only if it is extremely dirty, smells bad or the feathers have rolled together in small balls. It is advisable to remove small stains with a duster, clout, sponge etc.,.
How to wash your down feather equipment
Follow the maintenance instructions available on the label on any of our product.
Machine wash – Use warm water (no more than 30ºС) on permanent press or gentle cycle to reduce agitation, and then rinse thoroughly. Do not use centrifuge! It is recommended to use a down-specific detergent. We also suggest using two rinse cycles to be sure that all the down cleaner has been removed.
(Sleeping bag) Hand wash in a bathtub – This technique can also be used for down feather jackets. Fill the bathtub with warm water (neither hot nor cold) and put in a down-specific detergent. Place the sleeping bag in, with a closed zip and let it soak for approximately 60 minutes. Afterwards rinse the bag several times squeezing the water gently, while avoiding any twisting motions.
Professional wash – if you do not have the time or if you are feeling uncertain you will manage to follow the instructions correctly, you can always bring your bags to a professional wash. Nowadays almost all cleaning companies offer this type of service for down feather clothes and equipment, for very reasonable prices.
How to dry your down feather equipment
It’s a good idea to remove excess moisture before drying by laying the garment or sleeping bag on a flat surface and gently pressing with a clean towel.
Afterwards hang the garment or sleeping bag on a wide enough dryer in order for it to drain appropriately and avoid unnecessary clumping of the feathers. It is advisable to gently squeeze the areas with clumped feathers periodically, in order to help the water drain easier.
After completing the above steps, dry the down product on low heat (permanent press cycle) with two clean tennis balls or “sock balls” to help the garment or sleeping bag retain its full loft. It may take upwards of 3 hours for down equipment to dry fully, but it will not be at its full loft/warmth until it is fully dried.
Once dry, immediately remove the garment or sleeping bag from the dryer and store unstuffed, in a dry place.
Down Feather Loss
A small amount of down escaping through the fabric or through any seam line is expected and common in any down equipment. Down is exceptionally fine and can work itself through small openings, especially in softer fabrics, which are preferred for down production. You may find small down pieces coming through the seam line. This can be more apparent on darker coloured garment. You can also have single down pieces or feathers coming through the face or liner. This is to be expected.
If you do see some down or a feather poking through the fabric do NOT pull it through the fabric. Try to pull the down or feather back inside the jacket and then gently rub the area between your fingers. Pulling the cluster through the jacket may cause an even bigger hole to develop as it may pull larger quantities of down through. Gently rubbing the area where the down or feather was poking through will move the fabric strands back together, helping to seal up the small hole that may have developed.
