How to Wash Your Down Sleeping Bag

You've invested in a down sleeping bag you'll use for years to come. Now, treat it well on the trail and at home. Proper care and cleaning will help your bag last for many seasons. And a clean bag will have improved loft to keep you warmer.

Note: Always follow the bag and cleanser manufacturers' recommendations for care and cleaning of your bag. Different fabrics have different cleaning methods. Disregarding the manufacturer's instructions could damage your bag and void any warranty.

Cleaning your Sleeping Bag

You don't need to wash your sleeping bag after each backpacking or climbing trip, only when it accumulates too many oils (from you, sweat, lotions, and cosmetics), gets significantly dirty or smelly, or loses its loft.

Keep it Clean

The best way to clean your sleeping bag is to keep it clean in the first place.

Keep yourself clean(ish). The inevitable body oils, sweat, and dirt of hiking, backpacking, and climbing can migrate into your bag's down, causing loss of loft and loss of warmth. Sleeping in a clean(er) set of clothes than what you wore all day, will help keep your bag clean. (In bear country do NOT sleep in the same clothes you ate or cooked in.)
Try a silk, polyester, or fleece sleeping bag liner. Using a liner adds some warmth to your bag (anywhere from 5 to 15 degrees), and a liner can be washed far more often and easily than a down bag.

Spot Clean your Down Bag

Avoid washing your whole bag if possible, unless your bag is very dirty or the loft (and warmth) is compromised. Your bag may just need some spot cleaning on occasion.

Do NOT dry clean a down sleeping bag. The chemicals will strip away the natural down oils and your bag will not loft properly again. One dry cleaning can permanently ruin a down bag. The toxic fumes also will remain in the bag. We repeat: Do NOT dry clean a down sleeping bag.
If your bag has minor funk, but is otherwise still warm and well-lofted, air it inside out in direct sun and/or near a breeze for a few hours. Keep in mind, UV exposure can break down your bag's fabric, so don't leave it out in direct sunlight longer than necessary.
In cases of serious funk, fill a sock with baking soda and place it inside the bag. Stuff the bag into a large, breathable storage sack and leave it in a warm area for a week to absorb the smells.
Spot clean surface stains using a down cleanser or mild soap.
Remove tar or sap with a solvent, like Goo Gone.

Consider cleaning your bag or having it professionally cleaned only if it has accumulated oils or lost loft. Some manufacturers, like Feathered Friends, and companies, like Rainy Pass Repair, will professionally launder your bag for a fee. Be sure the cleaner is experienced in cleaning down products.

Wash a Down Sleeping Bag by Hand

Read your bag's label or check the manufacturer's website for specific cleaning instructions and recommendations. Follow their recommendations.

Wash your bag by hand in a bathtub or large tub.
Zip up the bag.
If your bag has a waterproof exterior shell, like eVent or Windstopper, turn it inside out before washing.
Western Mountaineering recommends washing your down bag in its stuff sack, so you don't have to wrestle with air-filled baffles floating in the tub.
Use water the temperature recommended by your down wash or cleanser, like Nikwax Down Wash or ReviveX Down Cleaner, or mild soap, like Woolite. Do not use bleach or fabric softener.
If you or your bag has come in contact with poison ivy, oak, or sumac, use a cleanser specifically for removing urushiol oil, like Tecnu.
Knead the bag gently in the bathtub working from one end.
Soak.
Change the water and rinse again in cold water.
Rinse till all the soap is gone.
Press out excess water by rolling up the bag from its end.

Wash a Down Sleeping Bag in a Machine

Read your bag's label or check the manufacturer's website for specific cleaning instructions and recommendations. Follow their recommendations.

Wash your bag in a large, front-loading washer, such as an industrial-sized one at a laundry mat. Do not use an agitator or top-loading machine, which can damage the bag's construction.
Zip up the bag.
If your bag has a waterproof exterior shell, like eVent or Windstopper, turn it inside out before washing.
Use water the temperature recommended by your down wash or cleanser, like Nikwax Down Wash or ReviveX Down Cleaner, or mild soap, like Woolite. Do not use bleach or fabric softener.
If you or your bag has come in contact with poison ivy, oak, or sumac, use a cleanser specifically for removing urushiol oil, like Tecnu.
Soak.
Wash on gentle cycle in cold water.
Rinse in cold water.
Rinse again in cold water.
Spin dry to remove excess water.

Dry a Sleeping Bag

Read your bag's label or check the manufacturer's website for specific drying instructions and recommendations. Follow their recommendations.

You can air dry a sleeping bag, but it could take days. Or you can use a dryer.
Drip-dry your bag or tumble dry on the lowest or no-heat setting in the largest front-load dryer you can find. The bag needs to drop in a free fall.
Check for burs or other sharp edges in the dryer drum that could rip your bag.
Use both hands and take care when transporting your bag from the bathtub or washer to the dryer. The bag will be heavy and its weight could rip or damage the baffles.
Toss in some clean tennis balls to help remove down clumps, if you like, but the tumbling action should do the trick and some say the balls are unnecessary.
Feel for wetness and pull apart clumps periodically. Clumps, no matter how small, mean your bag is still wet.
Dry some more.
Air dry completely before storing your bag in a large, breathable storage sack (not a compression sack). You should do this after every use, not just when cleaning.
Your bag should be dry and fluffy with restored loft.