Your sleeping bag might not seem like a piece of gear that requires much maintenance, but taking good care of it will help it last longer – and keep you warmer.
Use these tips to keep your synthetic or down bag in tip-top shape.
- General care tips
- Spot washing
- Wash a down sleeping bag
- Wash a synthetic sleeping bag
How to take care of your sleeping bag
Follow these best practices to look after your sleeping bag on the road and once you get home:
- Always use a sleeping pad. It keeps you warmer and protects your sleeping bag from dirt, sticks and thorns.
- Wash up before bed. If you use sunscreen or bug spray, do a quick swipe with a face wipe or bandana to keep oils from migrating into your bag.
- Sleep in clean clothes. Wearing clothing you’ve hiked or cooked in can bring sweat, body oils, dirt and food particles into bed. Over time, these contaminate sleeping bag insulation, which makes it clump together and become less effective.
- Pick the right sleeping layers. Clothes that are too warm can make you sweat during the night, which can contaminate your sleeping bag insulation.
- Try a sleeping bag liner. It’s a lightweight way to protect your bag from sweat and body oils. It’s easy to wash after trips and adds a bit of warmth on chilly nights.
- Air out your sleeping bag daily on your trip. During breakfast, unzip it and lay it over your tent so any condensation can dry before you stuff it back into your stuff sack.
How to store your sleeping bag
Storing your sleeping bag properly helps it last longer.
- Air it out when you get home. Use the loops on the footbox to hang it from a hanger, or hang it over the back of a couch, on a clean floor or from the top of a door. Make sure your sleeping bag is completely dry before you put it away.
- Loosely stuff it into a large cloth sack or mesh bag. A big pillowcase works too. Don’t keep it in a small stuff sack for long-term storage, because this will compress the insulation fibres and it will lose its fluffiness.
- Store it in a clean, ventilated area. A large closet is a good spot.
Following these tips will help keep your sleeping bag clean, so you won’t need to wash it very often. If your sleeping bag gets really dusty or muddy, or it stops keeping you as warm as it used to, it’s time to wash it.
“I have a 5-year-old bag that I use about 20 nights a year, and I washed it for the first time last year.” – MEC staff tip
How to spot wash a sleeping bag
Unless your bag is very dirty, you can get away with washing only the soiled spots. Spot washing can help your sleeping bag last longer, since a full wash puts it through more wear and tear.
You’ll need:
- Slightly soiled sleeping bag
- Mild soap (like dish soap)
- Water
- An old toothbrush or cloth
Spot washing instructions
- Make a paste of a little soap and water.
- Hold the soiled shell or liner fabric away from the insulation, and use the toothbrush or cloth to gently clean it.
- Rinse it carefully to keep the inner fill from getting wet, then let it air-dry.
- Make sure it’s completely dry before you put it away.
How to wash a down sleeping bag
Sometimes, a spot wash just won’t cut it. After a particularly dirty or wet trip (or if your down sleeping bag just isn’t keeping you as warm as it used to) it might be time for a full wash.
When you buy a down sleeping bag, it’s super lofty and puffy. Over time, it gets less lofty as the down gets contaminated with dirt and body oils and starts to clump together. Washing your sleeping bag helps break up clumps and restore the down’s fluffiness and performance, but it’s a delicate balance – down is fragile, so you don’t want to wash it too often.
If you have a hybrid down/synthetic sleeping bag, you’ll also want to follow these instructions. A 2-person down sleeping bag might be too big for a home washing machine, so your best bet is to go to the laundromat.
You’ll need:
- Down sleeping bag that’s ready for a wash
- Mild non-detergent soap made for cleaning down
- Large sink or bathtub for handwashing, or a front-loading washing machine
- Dryer
- Clean tennis balls
We don’t recommend dry cleaning or bleaching your sleeping bag. Don’t use fabric softener as it will damage the down fibres. If you’re machine washing, make sure it’s a front-loading machine with a gentle cycle. Top-loading machines with a central agitator can cause damage.
Instructions for washing a down bag
Before you start, read any manufacturer’s care instructions attached to your sleeping bag. If they differ from this advice, go with their recommendations.
1. Close things up: Close all zippers and Velcro® attachments.
2. If you’re handwashing: Fill a large sink or bathtub with lukewarm water and a small amount of mild soap or down cleaner (see instructions on the bottle).
- Submerge the sleeping bag. Push it up and down a few times to work in the suds, then let it soak for a while. If there are any soiled areas on the shell fabric, use a sponge to work them out.
- Drain the soapy water out of the tub and press as much as possible out of the bag.
- Fill the tub with clean water and press it into the bag, then drain. Rinse until the water is clear and free of soap – this might take six or more rinses.
- Drain as much water as possible out of the bag. A plastic laundry basket makes a handy “strainer.” Don’t twist or wring out your bag, as this will make the fibres clump together and could tear the fabric.
3. If you’re machine washing: Make sure it’s a front-loading machine with a gentle cycle. Top-loading machines with a central agitator can cause damage.
- Wash your sleeping bag by following the instructions on the down cleaner bottle.
- Use a second rinse cycle if possible, and at least a couple of spin cycles.
4. Carefully move the sleeping bag to the dryer: When it’s wet, down is very heavy. Cradle your wet sleeping bag like a baby as you carry it from the sink, tub or washing machine to the dryer, so you don’t tear the fabric or stitching.
5. Dry on lowest heat: Dry your sleeping bag in a large dryer on the lowest heat setting – this can take a few hours. Add a couple of clean tennis balls to help it dry faster and break up any clumps. Drying may take a while, but it's best to make sure it’s completely dry before you remove it.
We don’t recommend air-drying a down sleeping bag – it would take several days and your bag could attract mould or mildew.
How to wash a synthetic sleeping bag
Synthetic insulation is less delicate than down and doesn’t clump as much, so it’s easier to care for and you can wash it more often. Still, sleeping bags aren’t designed to be washed like your underwear, so don’t head to the laundry room after every trip.
You’ll need:
- Your synthetic sleeping bag
- Mild soap, or soap made for cleaning synthetic insulation (like Nikwax Tech Wash or Granger’s Performance Wash)
- Large sink or bathtub for handwashing, or a front-loading washing machine
- Dryer
- Clean tennis balls
We don’t recommend dry cleaning or bleaching your sleeping bag because chemicals are too harsh. If you’re machine washing, make sure it’s a front-loading one with a gentle cycle. Top-loading machines with a central agitator can cause damage.
Instructions for washing a synthetic bag
Before you start, read the manufacturer’s instructions on your bag’s tag. If they differ from this advice, go with their recommendations.
1. Close things up: Close all zippers and Velcro® attachments.
2. If you’re handwashing: Fill the large sink or bathtub with lukewarm water and a small amount of mild soap or cleaner and submerge the sleeping bag.
- Push it up and down a few times to work in the suds, then let it soak for a while. If there are any soiled areas on the shell fabric, use a sponge to work them out.
- Drain the soapy water out of the tub and press as much as possible out of the bag.
- Fill the tub with clean water and press it into the bag, then drain. Rinse repeatedly until the water is clear and free of soap – this might take six or more rinses.
- Drain as much water as possible out of the bag. A plastic laundry basket makes a handy “strainer” for this part.
3. If you’re machine washing: Make sure it’s a front-loading one with a gentle cycle. Top-loading machines with a central agitator can cause damage. Use a second rinse cycle if possible, and at least one spin cycle.
4. Dry on lowest heat: Carefully move your sleeping bag into the dryer and dry it on the lowest heat setting – this can take a few hours. Add a clean tennis ball or two to help it dry faster and break up any clumps. Make sure it’s completely dry before you remove it.
If you prefer to air-dry your synthetic sleeping bag, lay it flat on a large towel or clean grass in the sun or partial shade. As it dries, use your hands to break up any clumps of insulation. Make sure it’s totally dry before you put it away.
How to Wash and Maintain Custom Baby Sleeping Bags
It has a slightly sour odor to it . As if it was put away damp or not being aired out in the sun . Do you think putting some baking soda in the wash would do the trick ? Does anyone know of any other tricks to put this sleeper to rest ? If it truly is cold water wash, I would recommend a lot of baking soda (and let it sit for a little while in the baking soda).
If that doesn't work, re-wash it with a good portion of household ammonia. That gets weird smells out of nearly anything, and doesn't affect the material whatsoever.
If someone handed me a sleeping bag and said "It's free, but smells a little sour," I'd really wonder what the deal was.... I have cleaned several synthetic sleeping bags in my tub, and find it to be an arduous task. I have used woolite as well as baby wash and work the detergent and warm water into the bag by kneading etc, let it soak, then drain the tub, forcing as much of the sudsy water out without wringing as possible. I then follow up with at least two if not three cool water rinses, repeating the kneading etc and draining. I have dried bags both by hanging them and by using a commercial front loading clothes drier set at low heat.
The key is to get all of the detergent out of the bag before you dry it, and to make sure it is completely dry before you store it. And do NOT store your bag fully compressed in a stuff sack... instead store it in a big cotton laundry bag. Save the compression sack for the trail.
If you are unable to get the odor out, you might consider having the bag professionally cleaned - local sporting goods/outfitters generally send their rental equipment out for service and will be able to provide a referral. Cost shouldn't be too much more than thirty bucks, which is a lot less than the effort you will put into cleaning it yourself, and which pales compared to what you will be wondering about if it stinks while you are sleeping in it...
Regards,
--
Br. Congratulations on the nice gift.
The tags warn not to dry clean because the most common solvent used in dry cleaning is very damaging to down (and strips the silicon off premium polyester fills as well).
There are products sold specifically for washing down garments that work quite well on down-filled sleeping bags (e.g. Woolite). They are available in most supermarkets and are best used for soaking/hand washing. (Agitator washing machines are hard on the stitiching.)
If you leave the bag in the tub after several hand rinses, most of the water will drain out. Then the bag can be moved to a clothes washer and spun.
The bag can then be dried in a clothes drier on low heat with some tennis balls in with the bag. (Tennis shoes are often recommended but adult-sized shoes seem a bit heavy for the task of fluffing up the bag as it dires.) If line dried, the bag will need fluffing up.
Baking soda does help with odor and the combination of tepid water and the soda should result in quite an improvement.
(OT: Long-term storage of any quilted sleeping bag in a compressed state reduces the loft of the bag.)
Ed: I see Brionic posted a link. I respectfully disagree with the suggestion of using any washing machine for the washing and rinsing steps, believeing it to be an unnessary risk. It would, of course, be faster. Our Troop has sold Coleman and Slumberjack sleeping bags as a fund-raiser for twenty years. The advice we settled on, after consulting with those manufacturers and considerable research and experience with Scout's bags, is designed to make the product last. Gents thanks a lot . If this bag was that bad I would have given it to goodwill .
I just want to start off fresh if you know what I mean . I won,t do an agitation wash again . Even on delicate . I did wash it once with some sunlight dish soap which did a pretty good job .
I think the baking soda suggestion will be the final solution . I,ll use the wash tub but wash it by hand . I would not go to this trouble except the bag is a real space saver and is of a very good quality .
I,ll remember not to use the stuff sack except on the trail . I,m not the cleanest camper . I always air out my sleeping accomadations in the morning . A little sunlight does wonders . Usually my bed has a fresh scent to it when I retire . I,m not saying anything about when I get out in the morning . L:O:L Grampa , this is my first down filled so its all new for me . I have had good luck with the cheaper bags . The only interesting smells the acquire are after chili night . L:O:L
Its almost 100 percent now . I have three conventional bags and would love to save the space of one of them . That way the dog doesn,t have to run outside the car . L:O:L Normark, I never tried Woolite. It supposedly does not strip oil from wool, but if you (or others) have had bad experience whth it, I'd stay away.
I got a large bottle of "DownSave" in Canada years ago. (When I tried to get more, I had no luck. The brand may be gone.) I have also used a product that Slumberjack used to include with down bags. But that's all gone, so I can't report the brand.
If you MUST use dry cleaning, Stoddard's (sp?) Solvent is supposed to be less bad. Remember that one objective of cleaning solvents is to remove oils, which, as noted by Normark, is bad for down, making it absorb moisture -- even atmospheric moisture -- faster. The stronger solvents actually cause the down to break up by degrees.
(Maybe the old oil produces the "interesting" smell over years. Feathers included in the mix certainly don't help.) at least it isn't a cold weather bag..
I think if you use a down wash,, you can put some of the oils back into the down..The down wash will freshen up the down for sure...
TL...
When you strip the oils thats exactly one of the things that happens,, the down will hold moisture,, and it also allows the down to compact and it looses it's loft...
I've had several of my Canadian army down bags for years,, a couple of them 20+ and they still do real well in the cold,, however they have that Army smell,, which I don't mind at all...
One of my favorite things when I'm really sick and got the chills is to break out the sleeping bag.. Got my wife doing it as well at home..
Nothing better than that and a wool blanket..
ttyle
Eric....
