Best way to clean a down jacket?

[PollysPoppy]

Washing machine or dry cleaner? Am not convinced that tennis balls in the tumble dryer get the down back to how it was! The care label? The font is so tiny that I can't make anything out!

Thanks!

i have loads of down jackets - for watching sport and dog walking - and i've always washed them over the years. the only reason i can see for dry cleaning is that the outer fabric needs it....but i've never come across one that does

Thanks Dreamingof

I used to work in a dry cleaner so I feel qualified. ;) Down jackets from Canada Goose were/are dry clean only and are among the only jackets we consistently stuck to the label for. I'll get back to you when I'm not in a meeting ....

I've always washed down jackets too, and finish drying in the tumble dryer with balls to fluff and puff em back to original warmth and softness.

I machine-wash my Uniqlo ultralight down with no problems.

I've machine washed and tumble dried my Uniqlo and North Face down coats loads (with either tennis balls or balled up socks to bounce it back into fluffy life in the tumble drier) and they always come out looking great.

Ah will save myself dry cleaner charges then by the sound of it but am very interested in what advice banivani gives if she gets a chance to come back. Thanks all.

Not sure if it's different but I put my feather and down duvets and pillows in the washing machine and then hang to dry, have never had a problem. No tennis balls and no fabric conditioner.

Forgot about this!

Anyway, when I was working the the biz we'd often come across thick down jackets labelled dry clean only that really didn't suit dry cleaning because the other materials in the jacket couldn't take the high heat a thick coat'd need on the drying sequence to properly evaporate the chemicals. In other words they came out smelling strongly of perc. or with details ruined because of the heat (certain trims or whatever). We'd recommend a special water wash for them instead, after learning the hard way. It annoys me that the manufacturer wasn't clued in when labelling the jackets. However, Canada Goose was strictly dry clean and it worked well - I suspect they don't want water washes because of real fur trim and a fabric that easily loses colour (supposed to be something environmentally friendly in the dyeing process?).

I'd be wary of giving water wash a happy go at home if the coat has leather trims or real fur for example. Both might be completely ruined by a machine wash. Brown leather toggles will stain the jacket material. If you have a good dry cleaner near you you could ask for advice. A good one will say no and not just yes for the business.

However, no leather, no fur? Go for it. But drying is key. Very impressed if anyone manages to dry down without a strong heat source like a tumble dryer! Down that remains damp stinks like hell. :(

Obv you always run risk of shrinking fabric in a water wash! Esp since you need to dry it afterwards. What label is the jacket?

Just done my daughter's very successfully with down wash(bought on Amazon) and tumble dryer balls.

I have had many down jackets. Always washed them and dried them with tennis balls. No problems ever.

I routinely wash down here (coats and duvets). I use a down wash (Grangers/Nikwax for example) in the machine on the super gentle cycle and then into the tumble dryer on the low heat setting. If it comes out lumpy it means it's not quite dry. My tumble dryer has different dryness settings (from iron dry to super extra bone dry) - I stick it to bone dry. Using dryer balls doesn't seem to make much of a difference.

Only thing to be careful of is overloading the tumble dryer - there needs to be lots of space. If you have a small tumble dryer I'd take it to a laundrette.

I have washed my lightweight down jacket as per the instructions, but haven't got a tumble dryer. It would s on the line but the down has balled up inside, any advice on this please would be welcome

That should have read 'it's drying on the line now' but somehow went wrong and I can't see how to edit a message

I’ve machine washed them tumble dryer on low my north face down ski jacket and it’s been fine. I don’t risk the Canada Goose, that goes to the cleaners.

I wash my sons North Face coat on a 30 and tumble dry it on a low heat..still puffs up and looks as new.

Keep it in the tumble drier! Even if it says it's 'done' keep going until the down is distributed evenly.

I'm new to this too but have done 3 down coats recently and you just have to persevere with the dryer until it's all spread out....