The Do's and Don'ts of Washing Down Jackets

A down jacket is one of the best jackets you can buy if you're serious about staying warm in cold weather, or in the snow. Like so many things it's always better to use a natural fiber or product when buying clothing, including down jackets, and natural just seems to perform best.

That's because down is a product that comes from a bird. It is in fact the breast feathers, or downy feathers, from the breast of a bird, most usually a duck. The feathers are extremely light and exhibit what is known as "loft", namely the ability to lift itself up and create an air space. And it is this air space the provides the insulation and thermal properties that make down such a fine natural product for making some of the warmest jackets known to man.

However as many people have found, although down is a wonderful filling for a warm snuggly winter jacket, it isn't the easiest to clean. A down jacket is fine when it's clean, but when it's dirty and needs a little loving care and attention to clean it it becomes a bit of a problem.

So how do you go about cleaning that beautiful down jacket that you've had for a while and is just a little dirtier than you'd like, and perhaps not as warm as it's been in the past?

When removing the jacket from the machine allow all excess water to drip out or squeeze gently, then lay it down and press with a clean towel to remove excess water. Once you are confident that all excess water is removed it's time for the next step. You can dry it outside in warm weather as long as it isn't too windy or too hot, or in a dryer, but again not too hot. As it dries you need to fluff the down up from time to time just to make sure it isn't drying all clumped up in a ball. It needs to be separated so that it can regain it's "loft".

And once your down jacket is washed and dry it's ready to keep you warm on the coldest of days all over again.

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