Washing a down jacket in an automatic machine and proper drying: how not to “ruin” your favorite jacket

There is an opinion that down coats can be brought to proper form only in dry cleaning. At home, in comfortable conditions, it is very difficult to wash down feather clothes, especially if you need to wash the white color. As an option, housewives consider hand washing, but not machine wash, because they are afraid to wring it out. The fact that the “washing machine” is capable of “ruining” downy clothes is a myth, however, it arose not just like that. Indeed, some dry-filled coats can only be restored to their proper appearance by dry cleaning. However, for some, it does not mean to everyone.

To find out if it is possible to wash a children's down jacket in a washing machine is easy. For this, a label was invented. Study her. No prohibition characters? Feel free to send your favorite down jacket to the machine. But first, familiarize yourself with the nuances of washing and drying downy clothes, pay attention to what degree to wash, then the jacket will last a long time.

Proper preparation: 4 steps

Washing a down jacket in an automatic machine requires preliminary preparation of the product. The preparatory phase consists of the following four steps.

1. Check the pockets. All sorts of things are left in the pockets of a down jacket: money, tickets for public transport, candy wrappers - this is just a small list of what you can find. Be sure to check the pockets before washing your coat, even if it seems to you that you always take everything out.
2. Protect the fur. Do you want the down coat after washing not to lose a presentable look? Unfasten the fur parts. Faux fur can still withstand delicate washing (and that is not always the case), but the natural one deforms from water and loses attractiveness.
3. We stain. When wearing outerwear, sleeves, a collar, a hem are most dirty. Check these areas for heavy contamination. Washing down jackets in a washing machine will not save old stains in “problem” zones, if they are not pre-treated. It is better to use a special soap designed to combat stains. It is not necessary to take a powder stain remover. It foams well, but in the case of a down jacket this just needs to be avoided. Foaming agent is difficult to wash from outer clothing, which leads to the appearance of stains.
4. Button and twist. Down jackets are erased only inside out. Mechanical damage may appear on the visible side. Before sending outerwear to the drum, fasten all zippers / buttons / Velcro. So they will remain intact. A jacket washed in a buttoned form made of holofiber or natural fluff retains its shape better.

How to wash a down jacket in a washing machine: questions and answers

Read the label carefully before washing your down coat. Many manufacturers post tips on how to care for the product.Every housewife needs to know the answers to three questions regarding washing a down coat.

1. What program to wash the down jacket on? It all depends on your technique. The optimal mode for washing the down jacket is “Delicate Wash”. He is in all modern cars. The “Wool” or “Synthetics” mode is also suitable. These are also gentle programs. Some models are equipped with a special program “Washing Down Jackets / Duvets”. The water temperature is set at 30 ° C. You can lower, but higher - the taboo: outerwear down is deformed from high temperatures.
2. What to choose a detergent for washing down jackets in a washing machine? Natural fluff requires the use of special products that do not affect the thermal insulation characteristics of fillers and are easily washed. Look for a suitable option in the department of household chemicals. Capsules are also suitable, non-specialized powder, but not granular.
3. How to rinse? Bio-fluff actively absorbs detergent, but does not want to “give” it away. In order for the jacket to rinse well, you need to “drive off” a couple of cycles. Add about four extra rinses.

Secret with balls

Many housewives hesitate to wash a down coat in a typewriter, fearing that after such a manipulation the filler is deformed. So, indeed, it can happen. But if you know one secret, then all fears will be in vain.

How to wash a down jacket in an automatic machine so that the fluff does not go astray? Do not forget to throw down balls with the coat for washing down jackets. They "break" the fluff when scrolling the drum. Thanks to the balls for washing down jackets, the filler will be evenly distributed, you will not find “slides” inside the thing.

No special accessories? Suitable balls that are used in tennis. Three to four are enough. They are put in a drum with the product, which guarantees the integrity of the outerwear filler. Washing a down jacket with tennis balls has its own nuances. Previously, the balls are recommended to be washed. You need to make sure that their paint does not fade. Do not ignore this advice, especially if you have a light jacket: poor-quality paint can forever ruin your favorite winter outfit.

Dry by the rules ...

Correctly washing your outer clothing is only half the battle. In order for the appearance of a down coat to continue to please the owner, you need to dry it, without making mistakes. How to dry a down jacket after washing? Follow the simple instructions.

• Removing the outer clothing from the machine, twist it. You need to beat down in the down jacket after washing. If you used balls, then just shake the coat, and then distribute the filler with your hands.
• Hang a down jacket on your shoulders. All fasteners must be fastened. So the uniform will be restored.
• Dry your coat in a well-ventilated area.. You can place a down jacket near a heat source, but not too close. Twist the product periodically and shake. From this fluff will fluff.

... and how to dry

Sometimes housewives make mistakes at the drying stage, and the coat loses its appearance. Remember how to dry it is impossible.

• On battery. From hot air, the filler will begin to "climb".
• On a horizontal surface. The air must circulate, otherwise the fluff will sing. As a result, an unpleasant odor will appear, the thermal properties of the filler will be lost.
• With a hairdryer. Under the influence of a stream of hot air, the filler may be deformed.

If something went wrong: we analyze 3 problems

You washed the down jacket, but the result is not happy? Let's try to deal with three problems that owners of popular outerwear most often encounter.

Divorce

Cause. Feathers and fluff acting as filler were poorly crafted by the manufacturer. During washing, the fat is washed off from them and appears on the fabric in the form of yellow stains / stains. If the stains are white - the reason lies in the large amount of detergent. They appear, if you use ordinary washing powder, and not a liquid product.

How to fix. Liquid for washing dishes will help to remove stains on the down jacket after washing. Apply to stains and soak for ten minutes, then rinse. The method is used when oily yellow spots appear on the outer clothing. To keep the down jacket without streaks from the powder, you need to rinse it thoroughly. Send the washed thing with white stains back to the drum and repeat the Rinse mode several times.

Filler outta

Cause. You did not use balls or there were few of them. The wrong mode may have been selected.

How to fix. If the fluff is knocked down after washing, tennis balls will come to the rescue. Load the down jacket with balls into the machine, select only the spin mode - this will help straighten the down in the down jacket after washing.

Bad smell

Cause. Drying rules violated.

How to fix. To get rid of the unpleasant odor, you have to rinse your outer clothing and dry according to the rules. Do not forget to fluff the down jacket after washing. Beat with your hands, twist. Be sure to air the down coat in the fresh air for two days.

3 more tips

Have you found your perfect down jacket and want it to please you as long as possible? Listen to three useful tips for the proper care of your outerwear.

1. Cook your sleigh in summer. The down jacket must be washed after the end of the season. If, with the onset of heat, the coat is removed into the closet without washing before it, then it is highly likely that the dirt will remain on it forever. Dirt has the ability to eat into the tissue, it will be more difficult to get rid of it. In addition, if the down jacket is clean, then a sudden cooling will not scare you.
2. Rate and study. Checking the label before washing is an axiom. But it is still important to objectively assess the quality of outerwear. When wearing a coat climbed filler? It is likely that the down jacket will not survive machine wash.
3. Follow the "rule of one". If you have several down jackets, put them in order in turn. Do not stuff other things into the drum with your coat.

Did you manage to wash the down jacket in the washing machine correctly at the end of the season? Now you need to send it for storage until next winter. Be sure to make sure that the coat is completely dry, as the moisture deteriorates, the fluff deteriorates, inhibits, and becomes unpleasant. Before sending it to the closet, hang the down jacket for two days on the balcony for ventilation. Keep outer clothing on your shoulders. You can not use cellophane, since it prevents the fluff from “breathing”. The best solution is a cotton case. Put the lavender sachet inside and the moth will not touch your jacket.