Easy Fix: Sleeping Bag Has Seen Better Days

Keep your camp bed feeling fresh, comfy, and cozy with regular cleaning and maintenance.
Ideally, you should give it a good wash before packing it away for the season, and use a large,
front-loading washing machine (hit up a laundromat) or a top-loading machinewithoutan agitator.

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Tools & Materials Needed: 

  • Front-loading or top-loading washing machine
    (without an agitator) 
  • Technical wash (We recommend Nikwax Down Wash Direct, Nikwax Down Proof™ , or Nikwax Tech Wash®) 
  • Clean tennis balls (optional) 

The Fix: 

  1. Unzip your bag completely and load it into the washing machine.

  2. Add the proper cleanser, taking care to choose one that’s tailored for either Down or Synthetic bags, specifically.

  3. Wash on the gentle setting. Selecting an extra spin cycle or two can help get excess water out of the bag.

  4. For a down bag: Put in the dryer for multiple cycles on low heat, along with clean tennis balls or dryer balls to help re-fluff the down. 

  5. For a synthetic bag: Hang to dry or put in the dryer on low heat to speed the process.

  6. If storing your bag for more than 1 month, store it uncompressed to maintain its loft until the next trip. 

Note: A low heat setting is always recommended because higher temperatures can warp or damage technical fabrics.