Maintaining and giving priority to cleanliness is a significant habitual practice that you should follow by yourself throughout your life. Being clean and tidy helps you to organize your daily life more efficiently and also it helps you from having unnecessary illnesses. When camping, prior to the camping and while camping, you should have to consider the cleanliness of gear and things that you have brought. When the gear is clean, you can use them easily without any fear. A sleeping bag is one of the essentials that you need during your camping trip. But, how to clean and wash a sleeping bag the right way?
Following are the tips that you should consider when you wash a sleeping bag.
- Avoid dry cleaning
- Go through the instructions provided by the manufacturer
- Use a front-loading commercial washer
- Use a proper cleaner
- Remember to unzip the bag completely
- Select a gentle cycle
- Rinse thoroughly at least twice
- Be careful when moving the bag to the dryer
- Do not forget to dry it well
- Make sure to store carefully
How to Clean and Wash a Sleeping Bag?
These tips are common for all types of washing. So, you do not need to panic before washing your sleeping bag. You can be assured while washing.
Avoid dry cleaning
The chemicals that are used for dry cleaning can damage the material of the sleeping bags. Dry cleaning your synthetic sleeping bag will destroy the synthetic fill in it. The cleaning fluids could even melt your synthetic fill. Though your bag is clean after the dry cleaning; it will not be as safe or warm as before.
Why should you not dry-clean a sleeping bag?
- Do you know that many sleeping bags come with a waterproof coating? Nowadays, manufacturers use waterproof coating for sleeping bags to protect the surface from night dew. Most of you use these sleeping bags to enjoy the campfire and to have a hot drink while sitting outdoors at night. When you dry clean your sleeping bag, the chemicals you use for it will destroy the weatherproof coating of the bag
- Some of the sleeping bags are made of synthetic materials. When you dry clean these types of sleeping bags, the solvent used for dry cleaning will damage the material
- The loft of the sleeping bag is created from feathers, geese trap air, and puff up. So, the insulation of the sleeping bag is perfect. As the feather is naturally coated with microscopic oil, it helps to retain the loft and insulating power. So, when you use chemicals like PERC for dry cleaning, it will considerably reduce the quality of the loft. So, it will not keep you warm as before
- Also, there is a scientific fact that sleeping bags have a tendency to retain more solvent than the other items that are brought for dry cleaning
- Moreover, using chemicals for dry cleaning will harm the environment too. So, you can use non-detergent soap to wash your sleeping bag and keep it clean
Go through the instructions provided by the manufacturer
It is better to check the manufacturer’s recommendations before you proceed with any actions. They have instructed with the process that you choose to wash your sleeping bag. You have several options to wash a sleeping bag the right way. Washing by using a washing machine, washing by your hands, washing in the bathtub, etc. The manufacturers instruct you with any of these processes that suit your sleeping bag. So, you do not want to be in any difficult situations.
Use a front-loading commercial washer
A washing machine is easier to wash a sleeping bag the right way. Though it consumes power, you do not need to be tired. But, it is better to avoid a top-loading washing machine with an agitator as your sleeping bag can get tangled up and ripped on the agitator.
So, it is better to use the front-loading washing machine without an agitator. By using it, you can thoroughly rinse your sleeping bag.
Use a proper cleaner
If you want to choose a proper cleaner, then avoid using powdered detergent. Using conventional laundry detergent can cause damage to the thin fibers in the bag. It will affect the insulation system of the bag. So, you can use a bar of regular liquid laundry soap or Nikwax Tech Wash instead of conventional detergents to wash a sleeping bag the right way. Nikwax is a recommended cleaner by some of the sleeping bags manufacturers.
This matter is applicable when you are washing the sleeping bag with your hand. You have to add the proper cleaning product for your down or synthetic bag. You have to avoid using too much soap because it will be hard to rinse out at last.
Remember to unzip the bag completely
Do not forget to unzip your sleeping bag before you put it into the washing machine. Unzipping the sleeping bag will prevent the slider from snagging or breaking. It is important to keep the zippers of your sleeping bag clean because it is often exposed to dirt, sand, or salty air. Also, when you unzip the sleeping bag completely, you can wash out the inner materials well too.
Select a gentle cycle
You should select a gentle cycle to wash a sleeping bag the right way. You can use warm or cold water as instructed by the manufacturers. However, both down and synthetic bags require a gentle wash on a 30⁰C cycle. Do not use hot water for washing.
If you are washing the sleeping bag in the bathtub, use lukewarm water. You should lay the bag in the water and have to rub together the most soiled areas. You can allow it to soak for up to one hour. Then, you can fill up the tub with cool or warm water to rinse, and then you can start the process of rinsing. After that, take out the bag from the bathtub, let the bag sit for 15 minutes, and drain. Press out the remaining water and repeat the process several times until the soap is out.
Rinse thoroughly at least twice
After the first cycle of washing is completed, you have to run a second cycle without cleaning products. This helps you to remove extra soap that has soaked in the bag. Then you can carefully roll up the sleeping bag to drain out the water. Squeeze the excess water and begin the drying process.
The process of rinsing seems to be harder when you wash your sleeping bag with your hand. You have to put more weight on it. However, when you wash by hand you can wash your sleeping bag more perfectly. When you wash your hands you can rub the dirt thoroughly until it vanishes. But, the time you spend on this process is considerably longer than the other processes. You can choose the most comfortable and more efficient option for cleaning your sleeping bag.
Be careful when moving the bag to the dryer
When you wash your sleeping bag by using a washing machine, remember not to pick the bag up by using the fabric or from above. As the sleeping bag is heavy when wet, you have to gather up the bag and lift it from below. If not it will damage the seams and construction.
You know that working with machines is hard to cooperate with. It can become dangerous at any time. But, the process is easy and it can manage your time. So, when you wash your sleeping bag you have to be aware of whether it can damage your bag or not.
But, when you wash your sleeping bag with your hand, you will not face any dangerous situations and you can safeguard your sleeping bag very well.
Do not forget to dry it well
The process of drying is a very important task when you wash a sleeping bag the right way.
If you are willing to dry your sleeping bag by using a dryer, you can use a commercial size dryer because it has a huge capacity that allows a fully lofted sleeping bag to tumble. Also, do not forget to set the dryer on low heat. If not, the high heat can melt nylon fabrics. So, it is better to dry on low heat for a longer time. You can add two or three tennis balls to help agitate the fill back to the original loft. These balls help you to speed up the drying process.
If you do not use a dryer for your bag, you can lay it flat on a clean surface in an area with low humidity and no direct sunlight. Also, you can hang the bag overnight.
Make sure to store carefully
Storing your sleeping bag is also a significant step. So, you have to store your sleeping bag in a simple and important way.
You should not forget to recheck the sleeping. You should check whether it is completely dried or not. Then, you can loosely stow it inside a large breathable cotton or mesh sack. As your sleeping bag picks up bacteria from you and from the environment, you have to store it in both a cool and a dry room. Do not store your sleeping bag in a place like a garage.
How to take care of your sleeping bag?
It does not matter with which material your sleeping bag is made of, you have to keep it clean. Here are some tips to keep your sleeping bag clean.
- Always try to sleep in clean clothes. After you are engaging in several activities, you will become more exhausted. Body oils and sweat can dirt your sleeping bag
- Consider using a sleeping bag liner. These liners are lightweight and are available in cotton, silk, wool, and polyester. These liners act as a barrier between your skin and the sleeping bag. So, you can easily washout the liner and can keep your sleeping bag clean
- Use a pad down on the ground. It helps you to protect your bag from the ground
- Be aware when operating zippers. As most sleeping bags come with a two-way zipper, it becomes difficult to operate. So, try to practice the operating system of the sleeping bag
- Please always try to keep it dry. You can turn it inside out to dry if there is any moisture in it. Do not keep a sleeping bag directly in the sunlight
The above steps and tips are about how to clean and wash a sleeping bag the right way. By going through this, you can have a proper idea of washing and cleaning the sleeping bags.
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