An important point when choosing a detergent for washing a down jacket is to control the absence of substances in the composition that can destroy the natural oily coating of natural down. You should not use classic powder - it is better to use special liquids, gels, capsules or special powders that will preserve the color and structure of the fabric, as well as the valuable water-repellent properties of the fluff and will not allow it to curl into clumps.
To select the most suitable detergent, it is necessary to take into account the properties of the materials from which the jacket is made. The fabric membrane should not lose color, density and structure, and the fluff should remain fluffy and evenly distributed inside the item.
What's inside the down jacket
Down jackets are made from lightweight synthetic materials. Depending on the manufacturer, it can be nylon, polyamide or polyester. There are also leather products, which are not so common due to their heaviness and the need for specific care.
The coating of down clothing is very diverse
Duck or geese down is used as filler. This choice is due to the fact that these are waterfowl, and their down has water-repellent properties due to the thin fatty coating on the surface of the material. Thanks to this feature, down jackets are practically impervious even to heavy rain - the moisture simply does not penetrate through.
Down jacket filler
The filler requires the use of special washing products that will effectively remove stains of any origin, while preserving the precious properties of the down jacket and without damaging the structure of the water-repellent down.
The best natural substitutes
Some housewives have adapted to cleaning winter clothes using only natural mixtures. Here are some of them:
Soap nuts . They became popular due to the fact that the composition can cope with stains and lighten the fabric a little. Therefore, it is used only for light-colored products. - Soda powder . It is used for washing by hand and in a machine, as it practically does not form foam.
- Shampoos for cats and dogs without lauryl sulfate . Handles dirt carefully.
- Castile soap . Any option (liquid or solid) for hand washing is suitable.
With minimal contamination, simply wipe the required area with a sponge or brush.
In the absence of a special substance , it is enough to foam the laundry soap, and after cleaning, simply wipe thoroughly with a wet and clean cloth .
Why can't you wash your down jacket with regular powder?
In pursuit of speed or to save money, many housewives usually use the most common washing powder to wash down jackets. Its use is strictly prohibited - the content of bleaches, enzymes, dyes and surfactants lead to rapid deterioration of both the outer layer of the down jacket and its filler. After the first wash, clothes can significantly change their color and shape, appear whitish, and the filler will form clumps and settle at the bottom of the internal cells.
After washing with regular powder, clothes are hopelessly damaged
An even more dangerous enemy of down jackets is the fat solvents contained in washing powder, which can effectively remove greasy and greasy stains from the surface, but at the same time destroy the natural water-repellent coating of the down. Even one wash will make the down jacket unsuitable for further use, because... it will no longer be waterproof. Moreover, down that is not protected by fat absorbs moisture very well.
Note! The result of washing with ordinary washing powder: the down jacket loses its shape and color, becomes unsuitable for wearing in wet weather and does not warm in winter.
The situation is worsened by the strong foaming of the powder. Soap scum is deeply absorbed into the surface material and is very difficult to wash out due to its high density. For the same reason, you should never use regular shampoos or other detergents.
Strong foaming of the powder makes it unsuitable for washing down jackets
An even worse idea would be to use a multifunctional laundry detergent - it removes dirt much worse, but also spoils the fluff.
How to dry
So, the machine has completed its cycle, the rinsing is complete and you have finally taken your favorite winter item out of the machine drum. Now unfasten the zippers and buttons and straighten the down jacket without turning it right side out.
Advice! It is best to dry the down jacket in a well-ventilated area or in the fresh air.
If this happens in winter, then, of course, you should not dry your down jacket in the yard or on an unglazed balcony. Carefully hang the jacket on its hangers and make sure there is free air circulation in the room where it is drying.
Leave the item to dry for a while (usually a day or two). Shake the jacket as it dries so that the filler is evenly distributed inside it. Do not use automated clothes dryers. They can ruin the appearance of the item and disrupt the thermal insulation properties of the down.
Dry cleaning
If the owner of a down jacket is very worried about its safety after washing, and has doubts about the choice of detergent, then it is recommended to use dry cleaning services.
In dry cleaning, down outer clothing is cleaned with professional products.
They use chemicals that perfectly break down various pollutants, without destroying the structure of the materials from which the down jacket is made.
These substances have low humidity, so the down after their use does not swell and does not lose its properties.
Cleaning methods
There are 2 ways to clean your favorite item from dirt: take it to the dry cleaner or wash it yourself.
The first method will save your time, but will require significant material costs. Moreover, dry cleaning involves the use of very strong reagents that will quickly abrade the fabric. In addition, no one will give you a guarantee that the down jacket will be cleaned efficiently or that it will not simply be ruined by inexperienced craftsmen.
That’s why it’s safer to handle washing your favorite item yourself. Moreover, doing this is not so difficult, the main thing is to choose the right detergent for washing down jackets.
Preparing for washing
Before you start washing, the down jacket must be prepared according to the following instructions:
Before washing, be sure to check the contents of the pockets
- The areas that are most dirty should be pre-washed with laundry soap. It is completely harmless to the surface material and filler, while dissolving contaminants quite well. You can use other professional or improvised products to clean shiny areas on down clothes.
- to reduce surface wear, the down jacket is turned inside out, all buttons, snaps and fasteners must be fastened;
- if there are places on the clothing where the seams separate and filler comes out, then they must first be hemmed;
- It is advisable to wash the down jacket separately from other clothes, because it is quite bulky.
Instructions for =
The procedure for washing the product can be found in the material: How to wash down jackets in an automatic washing machine.
Tools Overview
In hardware stores you can purchase a variety of special products for washing down jackets, which perform their task, but do not spoil the jacket material and filling.
Special cleaning products are available for down clothes.
They have different consistencies: liquid, gel-like, and are also available in powder and capsule form.
Liquid product “Domal Sport Fein Fashion”
A popular foreign-made balm that has proven itself to be an effective and absolutely safe product for washing down jackets, as well as sportswear and shoes.
Domal Sport Fein Fashion
The balm contains ingredients that actively dissolve pollutants of any origin, without destroying the waterproof fatty layer of fluff. The colors will also not be damaged - after washing, the bright color of the drawings will remain without white faded stains.
Liquid product "Profkhim"
An equally widely used product for cleaning down jackets, down pillows and blankets. It is highly effective - about 50–60 ml of liquid is needed to fully wash one down jacket.
Measure liquid using the dispenser cap
The savings also apply to the temperature regime - for Profkhim to be active, a temperature of no more than 40 degrees is required.
Gel Heitmann
German-made jacket washing gel contains lanolin, which helps restore the waterproof layer of down.
Gel Heitmann
First of all, this product is well suited for washing clothes and linen with natural fillers. To prevent the fluff from getting lost during washing, you must carefully study the instructions provided by the manufacturer, which outline the method of application and the required dosage for both hand washing and automatic washing.
Important! Some gels may already contain rinsing agents, so there is no need to use additional products.
Liquid product for down jackets
Housekeeping departments offer a wide variety of liquid laundry detergents. Before purchasing, you should carefully read the instructions for use.
Recommendations for use are indicated on the label of the liquid product.
They must indicate that this washing liquid is suitable for items filled with natural down. This means that the composition does not contain substances that are aggressive towards the waterproof layer.
Note! Liquids from trusted manufacturers are used as such products: Salton, Columbia, Daunen, Waschpflege, Fashion, Nikwax, Omni-Heat, Wool, Woly.
Special washing powder
Not all washing powders cannot be used to wash a down jacket. The recommendations are similar to the above - the packaging must contain a mark stating that this product is intended for this type of product.
The label of the product should contain a note indicating that it can be used for cleaning down or down jackets.
Additionally, foaming is greatly reduced in special laundry detergents. This allows you to rinse the foam from the outer and inner layers of the down jacket using a standard washing machine program, or by rinsing the item thoroughly under clean running water.
Laundry capsules
At first glance, capsules may seem like an innovative means for washing down jackets due to their unusual appearance and the way they are inserted into the machine.
Capsules for down jackets
Reference! The capsules contain ordinary liquid detergents for washing down jackets, and the shell is made of an easily soluble, useless polymer.
The convenience is that one capsule contains a specific dose of laundry detergent in the washing machine, so there is no need to measure anything out of the bottle. The downside is that it is expensive - given that the active ingredient is standard, the cost of one dose in a capsule can be 30-50% more expensive than a product of the same volume in a bottle.
Using capsules saves time, but not money
Capsules can be useful for people who do not want to bother with dosage and save their own time and effort. If it is not difficult for you to measure the required amount of liquid manually, then there is no point in overpaying for polymer packaging; it can be replaced with a regular plastic jar.
What is special about the filler?
Regular powder is not suitable for washing a down jacket. To understand why this is so, you need to understand the specifics of the filler that retains heat. This clothing consists of the down of birds that can swim. Therefore, such a natural component does not tend to stick together.
In its pure form, it is practically not used, so if you look at the label of the purchased product, it will indicate that the filler contains 100% feather to down ratio.
The proportion eighty to 20 or 90 to 100 is considered the best. If there is not enough fluff in the product, then there is a possibility that in winter you will not stay warm enough in a down jacket.
The champion in performance properties among existing fillers is eider down. As for duck and swan, they are not so popular.
When trying on a down jacket, choose a model that will be divided into small sections with a special stitch.
Thus, you can wash your clothes in a washing machine using standard powder, since the product can easily restore its shape.
Secrets of washing a down jacket in a washing machine and by hand
To increase the efficiency of washing down, you can use some little tricks:
- To activate the powder, liquid or gel when hand washing a down jacket, the product is first filled with water (about 40 degrees). This will allow the down jacket to be immersed in an environment already activated against pollutants.
- If, after washing, white stains remain on the down jacket, then it is necessary to reduce the recommended amount of product used by a third, add another rinse cycle to the program (if using a washing machine), or rinse the down jacket under running water for 5 minutes longer.
- The use of conditioners and softeners is permitted subject to the minimum added volume. If you pour as much as the manufacturer recommends for ordinary things, then there is a chance that the fluff will curl into lumps. To ensure that nothing happens to the down jacket, reduce the recommended dose by half.
Even delicate balms can harm down clothes if used in large quantities.
- If the down jacket is equipped with non-removable leather or fur inserts, then it is better to dry clean this item immediately. Selecting a detergent in this case can cost a pretty penny, but doubts about safety will still remain.
Advice! For more effective cleaning of down clothes, you can use special balls for automated washing.
Capsules
The only disadvantage of this modern detergent is the high price.
The capsules are convenient and easy to use, quickly dissolve in water and help eliminate dirt on the fabric and in the filler as much as possible.
The capsule begins to work instantly, because it is placed together with the item directly into the drum of the machine.
Note!
The use of rinsing agents and conditioners for regular fabrics is strictly prohibited! The washing machine will not be able to rinse them properly and white stains will remain on the down jacket.
