Washing winter jackets has some difficulties. It is important to choose the right cleaning agent and method, otherwise there is a risk of ruining the item. Before washing a down jacket, you need to study the materials that were used in its manufacture. Particular attention should be paid to the filler, the choice of detergent, washing method, temperature mode depends on its composition.
Basic rules
Before washing a down jacket, you need to familiarize yourself with the basic rules for the procedure, which apply to items made from any fabric:
- First, you need to study the information on the label provided by the manufacturer, namely the features of washing and other care of the product.
- There is no need to wash a down jacket with regular powders and products that are used for everyday items. It is better to use liquid gels, and for natural filler there are special products that protect the fluff from damage.
- On the label, the manufacturer indicates what the down jacket is made of, namely the coating and filler. The latter comes in 2 types - synthetic and natural. Bird down should be handled with extreme care.
- If the jacket has natural fur, it is recommended to remove it first. If this is not possible, immediately after cleaning, the fur must be thoroughly combed out with a brush.
- All areas that open, cling, fasten, close or remove. Thanks to this, during washing, no elements of clothing will stretch or deform the overall shape of the product.
- If the fur on the jacket is dyed and cannot be removed, it is better to hand the garment over to a specialized company. If washed incorrectly, the item will be ruined.
- Before the procedure, you should inspect all pockets and seam joints for the possibility of small holes. During washing, the filler may come out through them.
The outer side of the down jacket is usually made of materials that can be wet cleaned well:
- polyester;
- eco-leather;
- nylon;
- polyamide.
Fillers can be synthetic or natural. Synthetics are easier to care for, and can be machine washed with spin. If the materials are natural, you need to be extremely careful when cleaning.
Preparing for washing
Most manufacturers do not recommend washing a down jacket because its appearance can be easily spoiled by any factor: from an inappropriate temperature to the cleaning mode. It is better to seek help from a dry cleaner. This is especially true for down jackets with natural fillers.
If this is not possible, you can clean it yourself. It is important to study the label with the composition of the product, since you can only wash a down jacket correctly if you know the materials it is made of. Regular store-bought powders are not suitable for this type of product. In specialized establishments, you can find delicate liquid detergents with minimal impact on the internal fillers.
Particularly dirty areas should be washed with yellow or white laundry soap. This option is suitable for any type of clothing, since such a product does not affect the structure of the coating or the filler of the jacket. It is recommended to fasten all buttons, pockets, fasteners, remove the hood or fur. This is done to protect the down jacket during washing, so that water does not accumulate in these areas and does not deform the product. The jacket should also be turned inside out so that the front part wears out less.
To prevent the fluff from bunching up when washing a down jacket in a washing machine, it is recommended to use balls. They should be placed in the drum along with the jacket.
Choosing a Detergent
Today, there are many types of detergents. They all differ not only in composition, but also in the effectiveness of their impact on fabric, consistency, cost, and other factors.
The main problem with washing such jackets is their inner material, especially natural ones. Feather, down and fur have a natural fatty coating, which gives them insulating properties. Most powders and standard detergents destroy this coating, which causes the filler to bunch up. For this reason, washing a down jacket in a washing machine with regular powders worsens the appearance of the clothes and their thermal properties. In addition, bulk detergents are poorly rinsed and leave streaks.
To wash a down jacket, it is recommended to use products of the following brands:
- Nikwax;
- Woly Sport;
- Domal.
These detergents have a strong chemical composition that affects only the synthetic coating of the jacket and does not affect the filler, while removing stains of varying complexity well. Such household chemicals can often be found in sportswear stores, as well as household chemicals. Among the analogues, there are other products, their packaging must necessarily have a mark that the composition is suitable for cleaning things made of natural down. You can wash with such detergents without balls.
How to wash correctly
There are two ways to wash a down jacket at home:
- in a regular washing machine;
- with your hands in a deep container with cleaning solution.
An alternative option is dry cleaning. Specialized establishments only provide clothing delivery and payment, everything else will be done for the client. The cost of high-quality dry cleaning will not be low. But you can save money and clean the item yourself. To wash a down jacket in a washing machine or by hand, it is important to follow several rules and features of the procedure.
In an automatic car
To remove all stains and wash a down jacket in the machine, you need to follow this procedure:
- Inspect the seams and pockets of the jacket for holes. If any are found, they must be sewn up.
- Close pockets, fasteners, remove the hood and fur (if possible).
- Zip up and turn the jacket inside out.
- Place the clothes in the drum of the machine and add 3-5 tennis balls or special plastic balls for this procedure.
- Pour the selected product into the designated compartment. The amount should correspond to that indicated on the package; you can add conditioner if desired.
- The water temperature should be set to 30°C. Some washing machines have a wash cycle designed for cleaning down jackets, but a delicate cycle may also be suitable.
- Do not set the spin mode in the machine - this can significantly damage the jacket with natural filling.
- After washing, you need to rinse again to ensure that the detergent is thoroughly washed out.
When washing a down jacket in an automatic washing machine, it is not recommended to set high speeds, since the filler may form lumps during the procedure.
Manually
When cleaning a down jacket not in a washing machine, but manually, you need to remember the basic rules:
- the water temperature should not exceed 30°C;
- it is necessary to use detergents suitable for such a procedure;
- To remove stubborn stains, it is recommended to use soft brushes or sponges - strong friction of the fabric can negatively affect the appearance of the clothing.
Before hand washing a down jacket, you need to fill a container with warm water and dilute the washing powder in it in proportions that correspond to the instructions for use. If there are difficult stains on the jacket, they should first be soaped with laundry soap, and then soak the clothes in a basin for half an hour. Then the product should be wrung out by pressing with your hands, twisting can damage the clothes. It is necessary to carry out several rinses with a change of water to thoroughly wash out all the remains of the detergent. In this case, the clothes will be streak-free after drying.
How to dry
After you have washed the down jacket correctly, you need to return it to its original position: open all the fasteners, turn it inside out. The clothes need to be hung on a plastic hanger - this way the correct shape of the product will be preserved. If the washing was done by hand, the down jacket needs to be hung in a place where moisture can drain for several hours. The jacket should be hung in a dry room with minimal sunlight.
When drying, do not use a hair dryer, radiator or other mechanical insulating devices. Due to a sharp change in temperature, natural fluff begins to lose its thermal insulation properties and form lumps. Periodically, during drying, you need to shake and pat the clothes, then the filler will not get knocked down.
What to do if the fluff is matted
Often after washing, the filler in the down jacket gathers in lumps. The clothes lose not only their external attractiveness, but also their thermal insulation properties. This can happen for many reasons: from the mode on which the down jacket was washed to the composition of the detergents. This problem can be solved using several methods.
You can wash a down jacket in a washing machine correctly, but this time the procedure should be carried out with balls and special products. You can also break up the lumps with a regular rug beater. This method is only suitable if the product is strong enough and will not be damaged by such external influences. To carry out this procedure, you need to place the jacket between two thick layers of fabric and begin to lightly beat their surface until the structure of the down jacket is completely restored.
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