Can I wash DS's down jacket in the washing machine ?

[ItsNotAboutTheChocolate]

Please advise this lazy mum. We're in winter, and DS's puffy down jacket has been worn for weeks on end. I can't avoid the need to wash it any longer but nor can I face adding hand washing to my long list of chores. Label says hand wash only, no dry cleaning.

Can I bung it in the washing machine on a silk or wool cycle? Or will I ruin an expensive item?

Hoping an experienced MNetter has been there, done it ...

I did this using a wool wash and tumble dried it. The jacket was really grubby and looked pretty awful. To my great surprise it turned out like new! But it's always a gamble ... I ignored the do not wash label on some curtains and the lining shrunk and the dye from the curtain ran into the lining and ruined them. I think you have to be in a place where you're thinking of getting rid of an item and so there's nothing to lose by trying . It might turn out really well!

That’s what I usually do: pick a sunny and dry day, put only one down jacket with 2-3 tennis balls in the washing machine, use mild detergent and quick wash, once finish wash, hang it and use a hanger to hit it

I’ve done it, with DD’s, since that went ok I did my down ski jacket then got really confident and did my Canada Goose. I did an express wash with mild detergent and then popped them into the dryer on delicate with dryer balls, then onto the bathroom heated towel rails to finish.

You are supposed to not use normal detergent to wash it- it can stop it being waterproof. You can buy a pack of special cleaner to use in the washing machine and tennis balls for the tumble dryer so it doesn’t go flat