How To: Wash Your Insulated Apparel

Time To Wash Your Gear?

We recommend washing our apparel the same way you would our bags. Do not dry clean your jacket or pants - wash your apparel at home or at a laundromat.

Wash It:

The most important part of cleaning your insulated apparel is making sure you wash it in a front loading washer. If your machine has an agitator in it- DO NOT USE IT. Top loading washers may shred your jacket.

Use a down wash like Nikwax Down Wash (for down insulation) or Nikwax Tech Wash (for synthetic insulation). You can find these washes at outdoor shops and online. Wash on a gentle cycle with cold water. Do not use hot water, it can damage the fabric of your jacket. Set the washer to rinse a few times to thoroughly remove the dirt and soap.

Dry It:

A) Down Fill:
Dry your bag in a large, front loading commercial dryer on medium heat. This step may take a few hours and multiple cycles. For ideal loft, finish with short, five minute intervals on high heat, allowing your bag to cool in between. Be careful and monitor your bag - high heat is great for restoring your down's loft, but prolonged exposure can cause the bag's exterior to melt.
Pro Tip: throw in some tennis balls inside of a sock, they will gently break up clumped down, to re-loft your bag.

B) Synthetic Fill:
Dry your bag in a large, front loading commercial dryer on low heat. This step may take a few hours and multiple cycles.

Make sure your jacket is BONE DRY and fluffy before you take it out of the dryer. This may take a few hours, but it is worth it. Even a little moisture can cause mildew to grow in your jacket. Once you take your jacket out, hang it for a few hours. Make sure the down is not clumping in the baffles. Clumping down means it is still wet and won’t keep you warm, and you'll need to put some more time into drying your gear.