Washed Down jacket in the washing machine, how to unclump the down?

[Catloverss]

I got second hand North face Nuptse jacket, badly stank upon arriving.
Says washing machine washable on 30 degrees or less.
I put it on specific Down jackets program, sadly even the lowest spin it had was 800.
it’s obvious clumped, the down inside, big lumps of down stuck together.
I have no tumble dryer, already checked with friends too.
At the moment it rests on towel but how to fluff it up?

Tumbledrier with tennis balls, or dryer balls, so this may be a trip to the laundrette, or you could get it dry cleaned.

Couldn't you take it to a launderette and use one of their driers? Apparently you have to put tennis balls in the drier to make all the down separate.

cross post!

Tumble dryer only way ime, or dry cleaner. Pay for dryer in laundrette or take to dry cleaner better still.

I North Face down coats through dry cleaners once or twice a year and all look brand new. I think you should have done this rather than wash it.

Put it in the tumble dryer on cool setting with a tennis ball 😃

When we did my DD's down jacket, we washed it with the specific down washing liquid, then dried it flat, giving it a bloody good shake roughly every hour, and it was fine. Don't think this'll work if it's already dried though.

You need to put tumble dryer balls in the pockets when washing and drying.

I did this and it plumped up again on being worn.

I have no tumble dryer, my friends neither and no one near me.
The local laundry shut down a year ago.
It’s still well wet. But has huge lumps of down. The sleeve is totally empty, with all the down down at bottom.
tThe back is the same.
Its all ruined, ready for the bin..
Its says No dry cleaning on the label.

Just spin it a few times in the washing machine with two tennis balls. Same thing happened to my Rab jacket and now it's back to normal.

Do you have any of those big driers locally that you find in garage/supermarket car parks?

Radiator, hairdryer, patience.

It looks scary now but it will be ok.

I always wash down on a really hot summer day.

Did you use down wash?

Go to a Laundromat and use their dryers. The tag says tumble dry on low heat. If you have no access to a dryer, use the spin cycle on your washer with tennis balls or dyer balls.

The shake shake shake your downie, let it dry, and shake some more.

I have 2 Nuptse, a vest and jacket and I wash them at home but I do have a dryer. The tag does say not to dry clean.

I feel your pain - I washed my down coat last year after the collar got really grubby.
I managed to get a bit of life back into it with the balls in the dryer trick - its got to be worth giving it a go with the spin cycle on your washing machine. I think you might need to keep doing it a few times once the jacket is dry too.

Don't despair, screw it up and kind of massage the clumps of down. Give it a good battering!
It will separate out but may take a while. Wear it too.
I wear down gilets for work and wash them often.

Yes, Down program used.

This is a good idea, though I have no tennis balls. I got those practice golf plastic balls, will that do?

Ok, so as suggested I put it on a lower Spin in the washer with the plastic lightweight practice 3 golf balls,

Exactly, it says no dry clean but cool washing machine ok., hence I did it..

It is difficult without a tumble dryer.

Ideally tumble dry it with dryer balls or a tennis ball.

If you can't do that, hang it out on a bright and windy day. It may need finishing off on a radiator or in the airing cupboard.

You need to get it really dry as any damp will contribute to the clumping and make it go mouldy (which may be why it smells).

During drying and once dry you need to fluff the down up and break down the clumps. A windy drying day helps, so does vigorous shaking (multiple times while drying). Also whilst hung out beat it well, like you are trying to get dust out of a rug.

It is quite labour intensive so probably as well to go to a laundrette and dry it with dryer balls.

I did the same, I tried to break up the clumps of down with my fingers through the material, as it dried it got easier to do. In the end it was fine and you'd never know. I've heard a hairdryer is good too.

Yeah, that’s what I want to avoid, get moldy as I’m allergic to mold. I don’t think the smell it had was mouldy, it was like some weird sickening chemical scent, I can still smell it even now.
Anyway it went for 20 mins washer spin, still the same.
What a pain!
If I had knew i would not buy it.
But I now remember I used to have Joules jacket which had synthetic down inside and when I washed it, it also clumped like that and it got better somehow by wearing?

Fingers crossed.. I tried to break it up through the material, it’s impossible..

There's a way! Hang it up on a washing line or somewhere that it can dangle and beat it with stick (something smooth that won't catch or damage the item). Shake it out and beat again. It's like the old fashioned way of fluffing back duvets!

Edit to add that I do this once it's dry.

We haven't got s tumble dryer. Down jackets will fluff up when they're dry. Just give it a good shake. It will be fine.