How to wash a down jacket in a washing machine?

A down jacket is a popular type of warm winter clothing that you need to be able not only to choose and wear, but also to handle it correctly - in particular, this applies to washing and cleaning. To prepare a thing for the season, someone calls for help in dry cleaning, but still quite a lot of people prefer to wash the down jacket on their own, which, with the right approach, gives an excellent result and allows you to save money. In our article we will talk about how to properly wash the down jacket in a washing machine, as well as ways to properly dry and store a thing that can warm even in the most severe frosts.

Washing a down jacket in a washing machine is a rather delicate matter. Many are afraid to lose an expensive favorite thing when doing this at home, especially since some manufacturers strongly recommend that they be cleaned exclusively in dry cleaners.

However, such establishments are not so common these days, and not everyone has enough time to look for them, and besides, dry cleaning services are by no means cheap. Sometimes it’s even possible to run into a situation where institutions completely relieve themselves of responsibility for the result, and, having received a thing that has lost its attractiveness, you will, at best, hear only apologies.

Another nuance that testifies to the self-washing of a down jacket is the content in the filler of special cleaners, which, one way or another, remain after dry cleaning and can cause an allergic reaction in especially sensitive people.

To avoid all these difficulties, a down jacket can be washed at home in an automatic washing machine, especially since for decades housewives have developed better ways to do this in order to maintain the original appearance of a voluminous product.

In our time of technological progress, washing machines with a special washing mode for such products are on sale. If there is none, you should choose, according to the instructions, the most delicate wash at which the water temperature will not heat above 30 degrees. For washing, it is better to use liquid detergents that dissolve better and faster in water than ordinary washing powder - this way the thing will be protected from stains.

Next, prepare the down jacket for washing. It is necessary to carefully examine and extract the contents of all available pockets, if the jacket includes fur linings or a belt - they must be unfastened. In order for the outer side of the down jacket not to undergo negative mechanical influences, the thing must be fastened and turned inside out. When everything is ready, we put it in the washing machine, select the desired mode and wait for the result.

It would seem that everything is quite simple, however, when the door of the washing machine opens, you may see a rather deplorable picture in the form of a favorite thing that has lost its primary charm. To avoid trouble, we advise you to listen to some important tips, namely:

1. If there are especially contaminated places on the down jacket (hem, sleeves, areas around pockets, etc.), they must first be soaked with soapy water, which will help to effectively remove stains.

2. When washing, it is better to use special products designed for fluff and wool, which will help maintain the heat-protective functions of the filler.

3. To completely get rid of detergents, it is advisable to carry out several rinse cycles.

4.The rinse mode with a minimum speed of revolutions will help to save from knocking down.

Even if you are a happy owner of a spacious washing machine with a large drum, do not put other things along with the down jacket, as the result may be the most unpredictable.

Another popular life hack that has gained considerable popularity is the use of balls during washing in a typewriter. To do this, you need to purchase several tennis balls or any other, for example, designed for playing with dogs, etc. You can even use ordinary thread balls, previously tied in a stocking - most importantly, have several voluminous elastic spheres. The balls are placed in the washing machine along with a down jacket and go through all the process cycles with it.

The advantage of this method is that the balls do not allow things to “push” into the walls of the drum, remaining stationary - they will constantly shake the down jacket, creating an active cycle for it. Thus, the mud will be washed much better, and the fluff will not get lumpy.

Even if all the above rules are observed, after washing the down jacket in the washing machine, some problem points can still appear. Often this concerns the manifestation of divorce. They come in two types - white and yellow. In the first case, everything suggests that the thing is poorly rinsed. This is possible when using washing powder, which is rather difficult to rinse, or due to an excess of liquid detergent. In any case, an additional rinse will help to solve the problem.

If yellow stains appeared on the down jacket - this means that the down is of poor quality. Simply put, it was not sufficiently processed during the production process, and the residual fat began to appear in the washing process. Do not despair - try to eliminate using ordinary dishwashing liquid to eliminate it - it should be applied to stains, wait a quarter of an hour and rinse.

Another problem that a down jacket after washing can “please” is a lost lump of fluff. In this case, we will advise you again to use the balls that you need to put in the drum of the washing machine along with a down jacket, and turn on the spin mode.

Washing a down jacket in a typewriter is only half the battle to achieve a beautiful, neat look. It is important to dry the product correctly so that it does not lose its original shape, color and volume.

At the end of the wash, the down jacket must be wrapped in a terry sheet and left for half an hour to allow excess moisture to come out. Then it is laid out on the horizontal surface of the clothes dryer so that the air can circulate freely. In no case should you put a towel or any other cloth under it. In the absence of a special dryer, a down jacket can be hung on a coat hanger and placed on a balcony or in a well-ventilated room, but not in direct sunlight, the ingress of which will lead to burnout of the fabric. The proximity of hot batteries, heaters, and other heating devices should be avoided, since the pen becomes very brittle under the influence of hot air, it will begin to split and “crawl out” through the fabric.

A folk trick says that a down jacket can be returned to its previous volume, if even before drying, while the item is in a wet state, put it in the freezer. Then the wet particles crystallize, and after drying, the jacket will have its original appearance.

When winter comes to an end and light spring jackets come to replace down jackets, many often hang them on hangers in distant cabinets and only with the advent of new cold weather think about how to put things in order.In order not to be overtaken by surprise by frost, we advise you to take care of your favorite down jacket in advance - wash it, dry it thoroughly and create proper storage conditions.

The main enemy of fluff is moisture, therefore, before packing it, make sure that the item is completely dry. It is best to store a down jacket in a cotton cover, after hanging it first on the coat hanger. Check your pockets - there should not be heavy objects in them, because of which the thing will lose its shape. You can invest in the middle of a lavender sachet that gives flavor and protects from moths. Pay attention to the fact that the down jacket can not be stored in plastic bags - over time, an expensive thing can grow mold.