washing down (sleeping bag)

[guitarplayer]

Anyone has a clever way of washing down sleeping bags (or anything else down) with natural products? After researching online I read that Nikwax or other product is 'necessary' - is it?

[Alphaville]

idk but they wash oil spill ducklings with... what was it? "dawn" or something?

eta yup: https://www.npr.org/templates/story/sto ... =127999735

[ertyu]

Might not be strictly necessary, but if you're maintaining a quality item it might make sense to maintain it with quality products. Down tends to clump together if washed improperly, so maybe that's what this product aims to avoid. Am unfamiliar with brand so cannot say if the product actually does do what it claims. Also, cannot say if difference in cost between brands is justified.

[Ego]

I've been selling down sleeping bags for many years and have washed at least fifty. I don't wash really expensive or old nylon bags. The old ones tend to tear and wreak havoc on the washer or dryer. . The expensive ones use tissue-paper thin nylon that is easy to damage. Also, the feathers of expensive high loft down can be damaged in the high heat of the dryer and lose some of the loft. The cheaper bags do just fine in the wash/dry on low heat. Some people put a ball or shoe in the dryer to de-clump the down. Since I live in a building with many others it wouldn't be appropriate to have a shoe clunking in the dryer so I just stop the it every so often and de-clump it myself by hand.

If it smells, try spraying it with mirazyme. No need to wet the down, just get the exterior shell damp. Give it three or four treatments over the course of a week and let it dry between. The enzyme will eat the smell.

If it is dirty, try spot cleaning and rinse the shell without submerging it.

A few years ago I got a Feathered Friends bag that was dirty around the neck. I used Spray-n-Wash to spot treat it and wipe it clean. There was one spot that needed Zep (smells toxic). Came out perfect.

[guitarplayer]

Yup, I am thinking that if not strictly necessary (which it is not, we are just using them but no heavy stains or anything), I might just not wash them. They are not even that very smelly (if at all), just the fact that they have been used many many times without washing. These are Robens Caucasus 600, I would say they are pretty good quality.

@Ego, would soda bicarbonate work the same way mirazyme works? I successfully used soda bicarbonate to get rid of the smell of sick from the carpet, and others stuff too.

[ertyu]

you could try putting them in direct sunlight. the uv kills some bacteria etc. tried and true method for taking care of quilts and blankets in some places. in china, whenever there's strong sunlight, balconies would be covered in blankets and duvets -- and what's a sleeping bag if not a glorified duvet

[Ego]

@guitarplayer, They are not in the same. Baking soda is a great first step. Mirazyme is really incredible. I've sprayed it on moldy tents that were put away wet and smelled like hell. It can take a while for the enzyme to eat the stink. Eventually it just disappears.

[Smashter]

For what it's worth, I'm seeing that Mirazyme is now marketed as Revivex.

[tsch]

Has anyone tried Mirazyme on fabric that someone used Fabreeze on?

Sometimes I buy used clothing online and the odor—I'm pretty sure it's Fabreeze—is nauseating. Searching online for ways to counteract it results in "try baking soda, try vinegar", but my experience has been that they don't aren't super great against Fabreeze. Hanging in the sun for a week seems to be the best so far, but wonder if this would help. I know the chemistry of Fabreeze is very specific, though I don't understand enough to know how to defeat it.