How to clean a sleeping bag at home: practical and workable procedure

What insulate you from cold is mainly AIR. So the filling material is as good as big is the air quantity it can retain. However this feature can decrease with use and washing cycles. This happens because compression and excessive warm -due to frictions-, can eliminate air chambers between fibres. This phenomenon is less present in down sleeping bags (because of the particular feathers structure; this is the reason because they last so many years, sometimes more than 15) but compression is still harmful. Moreover feathers have a protective surface made of natural wax which has to be preserved.
To make your sleeping bag lasting long there are two main rules:

1. DO NOT store it in the compression bag
2. do not roll it in order to put it in the compression bag, just PUSH it little by little(and it's even easier and quicker)
   

The third rule is CLEAN IT PROPERLY AND RARELY!



To clean it rarely (about once a year or even every two or three years) the only way it's to sleep with pyjamas, socks and hat!



To clean it properly at home you need:

• specific soap (you will find it in outdoor shops)
• bathtub or a big basin
• a little room
• fan
• heater
• washing machine

Then follow the next

Procedure:

1. open and reverse it
2. check if pocket is empty
3. put some mild water(30-40C°) in bathtub or in a big basin
4. add some specific soap (in case of down bag use only NON detergent)
5. drawn gently your sleeping bag, with necessary calm, then have a cup of tea
6. come back and agitate it for 2 minutes, then turn it and agitate again
7. have another cup of tea
8. remove bathtub drain cap and leave water getting out of the bag pressing it lightly
9. now program your washing machine to rinse and tumble-dry at no more than 500 r.p.m.
10. put carefully the sleeping bag in washing machine (with three pre-bleached tennis balls if down bag) : do not grab it! You will break the fabric! Put your hands under the bag and pick it up. Be careful! Now that is full of water it is really weighty!
11. Start the washing machine and repeat "rinse and tumble-dry" program at least two times more
12. Now you need a little room, a fan and a heater: this system is your semi-natural drier (for this purpose, better than a tumble-drier). Direct the fan on the clothes horse and adjust the heater at about 25-30°C
13. lay the sleeping bag on the clothes horse, close windows and doors.
14. every about two hours go in that room, open windows and doors, agitate and turn the sleeping bag, then re-close windows and doors
15. after about 48h the sleeping bag will be dry and ready to be stored again!
    
    
    Thank you for reading!