Taking Care of your Sleeping Bag
August 28, 2009 by All Mountain Sports Staff
Filed under Sleeping Bags Tips
The secret to making your bag last is to wash and store it properly. Careful, correct care will add years to the effective life of your bag.
Professional Washing your Sleeping Bag
Check the yellow pages under Camping, Backpacking, or Mountaineering Equipment for folks who specialize in cleaning outdoor products. Your local retailer may also be able to refer you. Some cleaners can wash (NOT dry clean) your bag, but be sure to ask if they specifically wash sleeping bags.
Home Washing your Sleeping Bag
Machine wash – Wash in a front-loading machine. Wash warm, rinse cold. For down bags, use a mild soap or special down soap (available at outdoor stores). For synthetic bags, use a mild detergent or special synthetic cleaning product. Use the minimum amount of cleaning agent. We recommend that you scrub the head and foot section before you wash the entire bag. Get ALL the soap or detergent out of the bag. Use AT LEAST two rinse cycles.
Hand wash – Wash in warm water in your bathtub using the same cleaning agents as above. Knead water through the bag THOROUGHLY. Again, we recommend scrubbing the head and foot before doing the whole bag. Rinse THOROUGHLY, making sure ALL of the cleaning agent is out of the bag. Use AT LEAST two rinse cycles.
Drying your Sleeping Bag
Tumble dry in large commercial dryer on MEDIUM-LOW heat. The dryer must be large enough for the bag to flop freely around. Be patient and dry slowly and THOROUGHLY.
Sleeping Bag No-Nos
DO NOT use a top-loading washing machine. DO NOT use strong soap or detergent. DO NOT use your home dryer. DO NOT lift your bag from one end when wet (lift the entire bag all at once). DO NOT store in small stuff sack (use a larger storage sack). DO NOT dry in the sun (the UV will damage the nylon).
Sleeping Bag Storage
You can extend the life of your sleeping bag by storing it loose, cool, and dry when not in use. All of our sleeping bags have hang loops near the foot end. They also come with a large mesh or cotton sack for storage. You depend on your bag when you’re out in the backcountry. A little extra care will keep it dependable for a long time.
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