I've ruined my down puffer :-(

[Dingdong99]

I got a sweaty Betty nimbus at the end of last winter

I had it washed at my dry cleaners, and it came back smelling quite musty

So I've washed it again at 30 degrees, and it's dried all flat with the down clumped up inside

It also took ages to dry despite being on a heated towel rail, so doesn't smell great

The care label says no tumble drying, but I'm considering tumbling it at a low heat with tennis balls. Do you think that would help / be ok?

So gutted that I've ruined it so I'm hoping there's something that can be done!

You shouldn’t put down coats in the washing machine. The ones I’ve had say no dry cleaning too. I’ve always sent them off to be professionally cleaned. You should probably do the same.

Yes tumble drier with tennis balls for 10 mins should fix it

Sounds like you can't make it worse, and that's what it says to do on my down coat. Good luck!

I've washed down jackets lots of times! With a few different brands, they always say tumble dry on gentle heat with tennis balls, and they've always come out puffy and beautiful! If you feel it's ruined anyway, you don't have anything to lose by trying. I'd wash it again first if it's musty smelling, then pop straight in the dryer.

Down coats definitely need to be dried in the dryer.

You absolutely must tumble dry it ..

Wash it again and spin it again afterwards then tumble on low ..

It will be destined to be flat and smelly forever otherwise !

@TheCurtainQueen there is no other cleaning than dry cleaning or washing

That is a con and and it's to prevent returns for the reason that the op has discovered

When sent away they will be washed . Feathers don't like the chemical from dry cleaning

I did this to my sons polo puffer at weekend and panicked, time in the dryer with tennis balls sorted it out!

And use soap flakes not ordinary detergent for down interiors.

I wash my Rab down jacket and don't have a tumble dryer. I either line dry it or hang it over the banisters. It looks dreadful at first but puffs back up when dry, you just give it a good shake.

I use a specialist product from Outdoor shops for washing

In the tumble dryer with a couple tennis balls.

If it says don't tumble be careful because the fabric might melt. Alternatively try misting the inside and then wearing it or hanging it on a radiator, that might puff it up again. Mine can be tumbled but my dh hung it up to dry once and it went all flat, I just sprayed a bit of water on it and tumbled it and it fixed it.

The no tumble drying might refer to the outer fabric.

I only ever wash my down in a really hot day in the summer and let it dry very quickly outside.

Did you wash it in either soap (not detergent) or a specialist technical down wash?

The down should fluff up when it's completely dry. It smells musty because the down is wet. I'd wash it again with something like Nikwax Down Wash, give it a good spin then dry over a raidiator and finish off with a hair dryer.

Don't panic. It's not ruined! Tumble with tennis balls as PP have said and it'll come back puffy again

Yes the tumble dryer will sort it. Low temp. Just leave it in there until it's totally dry and puffs up again. It might take a while

I fixed my north face down ski jacket with the tennis ball method. I took it to the launderette though and used their big dryers so it had more room to puff up if that makes sense.

When I've washed down jackets they just require a lot of shaking and plumping to come good again. The feathers do take a long time to dry in the clumps, but i find rubbing them helps. I don't have a tumble dryer anyway.

I line dry my son's down jacket. Just give it a vigorous shake every half an hour or so.

We wash ours every year. And then tumble with tennis balls. No issues at all.

I wash all mine at home on cold temps, then tumble with a load of (new and clean) tennis balls that I keep just for this. Take it out and give a massive shake, then tumble again. I then leave them in the boiler cupboard for a few days, to be absolutely sure they are properly dry.
Yours came back musty because the cleaner had not thoroughly dried it.

I've always tumbled mine! I thought that was what you were meant to do. 🤔

Works a treat I find.

Tbh you can't go wrong now.

I would never dry clean tbh. Really really annoys me when manufacturers just whack a dry clean only label on things.

It's just nylon and feathers after all. And gets wet in the rain. Main thing is you're getting all the feathers dry so it doesn't go musty. God knows what they do to it in "dry cleaning". You can wash duvets and pillows.

Coldish wash and tumble . I do all our down coats like this. And always have done.🤷‍♀️

The tennis balls and tumbling help get air back into the down which makes the plump ness.

My only caveat is waterproofing but you can buy stuff to add that.