If there is an essential piece of camping gear that you need to take camping with you, it is a sleeping bag. However, this essential gear tends to get dirty with time as it can get darkened with grime. When it gets dirty, you need to wash a sleeping bag and not just throw it away for a new one. Nevertheless, some have no idea how to wash a sleeping bag, which is why we have written this article.
Ways to wash a sleeping bag
Can a sleeping bag be washed is a very common question and the answer is yes. There are diverse things you can do to make your sleeping bag clean before the next camping trip. For those who want to learn how to wash a sleeping bag, the methods are:
Hand washing your sleeping bag
The steps involved here are:
Getting rid of the grime
When it comes down to hand washing that sleeping bag, it is best to focus first on where all the grime gets to build up. And this means you will need to scrub the foot and head thoroughly.
You should avoid using stain remover to get stains off the bag.
Get the bag in your bath
After getting rid of the grime, fill your bath with cold or lukewarm water, and do not forget to include a half cup of mild fabric soap. You can also use detergent and add it slowly until the suds come up.
You should not use too much detergent or soap as it gets hard to rinse the sleeping bag when it gets overly sudsy. And when the soap is fully dissolved in water, you can move to the next step.
Begin kneading the bag
You are to lay your sleeping bag flatly in the bath so you can thoroughly knead it. Some people use their bare feet to walk up and down their sleeping bag till it fully submerges into the soapy water.
More so, you can roll your bah all over the water and ensure you scrub down every part of the seams. The areas that are heavily soiled should be rubbed and soaked for a minimum of one hour.
It is possible to use a soft toothbrush to get into all the seams. And when you feel that the bag is finally clean, you can embark on draining your tub.
Empty your soapy bathwater
As the water drains, you must press out the soapy water using your hands. It is not advisable to wring the bag or lift it from the end as it will get damaged.
Instead, roll the bag up and wrap your arms all around it if you must lift the bag; this means that you will be lifting it as a whole unit. Some prefer walking up and down their bags to empty the soap water before refilling the bath.
Rinsing the bag
And when you notice that the tub is fully drained, you are to refill the tub with clean cold water. To rinse the detergent or soap completely, you will need to repeat this process roughly three to four times.
Furthermore, you must ensure you get all the soap out because if you do not, it will simply mat up and destroy the filling. Or you can place it in a huge plastic container to transport it to a home dryer or those laundromats.
In the end, this is the manual way to wash your sleeping bag.
Machine washing your sleeping bag
We do not know what you may have heard, but when learning more about how to wash a sleeping bag, it surprises some people that they can use washing machines to wash these bags. However, use a washing machine if you have the appropriate tools.
The best washing machine to use is the front loading machine and dryer with huge capacities. They are ideal for those heavy sleeping bags.
And some of the things you will need when washing the sleeping bag with a washing machine are:
- Tennis balls for the down sleeping bag
- Commercial dryer or front-loading dryer
- Front loading machine that has the gentle setting
- Unscented and non-bleach laundry detergent
The steps involved here are:
Ensure you read the bag’s label
It is important that before you embark on washing your bag, you are to read the label as well as the instructions set up by the manufacturer. This is because you might need certain wash cycles, detergents, and water temperatures for specific models.
These will help you know if the bag is suitable to be washed using a washing machine. And if you have confirmed that it is, ensure you set the machine to a delicate wash and cold water option.
Loading the sleeping bag
As you load the sleeping bag inside the machine, ensure the bag is zipped up and it is a front-loading machine with a gentle setting. It would help if you stayed away from top-loading washing machines.
This is because they will damage the sleeping bag. And if you do not have the front loading machine, you should follow the hand washing steps above.
In addition to all these, drop some tennis balls with the bag as they bounce around in the cycle. This helps to ensure the stuffing does not get lumped together as they spin around the washing machine.
Washing the bag
You are to run the sleeping bag through one single wash cycle, and it must be over cool water and two rinse cycles. Do not forget to make use of non-bleach and unscented detergent.
When using a washing machine, the machine will need to be set to a delicate setting so there will be no tears and rips. Also, as you wash, do not add fabric softeners as they can damage the bag.
You must run it through two rinse cycles whenever the wash is complete to ensure no soapy residues are left. And when you are done, ensure you press down on the bag to see if there are any soap suds.
When there are no suds, remove the bag from the machine. Then, lay it flat on your table and roll it up for the water to stream from the sleeping bag. Do not wring or scrunch up the bag as it can damage the filling and lead to clumping.
Drying the sleeping bag
When it comes down to dry the sleeping bag, there are two options available. The first option you should know about is to use a vast commercial-size dryer that you will place on a low heat/ tumble dry setting.
This is because high temperatures will end up melting the fibers and synthetic fabrics. It will also make the sleeping bag uncomfortable for you.
If you use down sleeping bags, position up to two or three tennis balls in your dryer to decrease clumping and boost the bag’s quality. The second option is to air dry the bag When the weather is warm and sunny.
When air drying the bag, remember that it must be out on the washing line for a minimum of twenty-four hours.
Washing down sleeping bags & synthetic sleeping bags
One thing you must note when searching for tips on how to wash a sleeping bag is that two significant materials are used for the average sleeping bag. However, they gave one similar function: trap body heat for insulation.
The two types of sleeping bag materials are the down sleeping bag and synthetic sleeping bag materials.
Bear in mind that down is regarded as a feather that is gotten from a goose or duck. It is great at insulation and has an ideal warmth-to-fill ratio plus, it is light. But, it is not waterproof.
This means that when it gets wet, it tends to lose its structure and insulation properties. As for the synthetic sleeping bag, it is crafted to insulate just like the natural feathers.
While they will not compress like down, they are water resilient. In other news, you will be able to gain some form of insulation from the damp synthetic sleeping bag.
However, there are tips to follow as you learn how to wash a sleeping bag. Keep reading to learn more.
For down sleeping bags and synthetic sleeping bags, the steps to follow are:
Step One: Make use of a commercial front-loading washing machine
Due to their bigger capacities, all the fibers will be thoroughly rinsed and keep the bag safe from damages that the agitator column might cause if you use a top-loading washing machine.
In other news, you are to inspect the front-loading washing machine by simply having to run your hand or even a piece of cloth along its insides. For those washing their bags at a laundromat, move to another machine if you feel rough edges.
Rough or sharp edges are capable of damaging your bags. And ensure you do not have any loose items in the bag like safety pins and paper clips. More so, never forget to clean out the detergent dispenser.
Step Two: Use proper cleaners
As you wash your sleeping bag, you must use a proper cleaner or a cleaner that is safe to use on feathers. Please do not use those conventional laundry detergents, as they can leave residue and permanently ruin the loft.
Step Three
You must ensure that the bag is completely unzipped before washing it. This will help prevent breaking or snagging its components as the machine washes it.
Step Four: Follow the instructions of the manufacturer
It is best to read the bag’s label and follow the manufacturer’s instructions when it comes down to using the proper water temperature and cycle setting.
We will guide you to machine wash in cold or warm water but not hot water. If you never knew, hot water can damage some materials and shrink the bag with time.
Step Five
When the wash is done, run another machine wash but do not use any down cleaner this time. This is done to ensure your sleeping bag’s insulation is fully rinsed.
Step Six
You will need to carefully handle your down or synthetic sleeping bag as you take it out of the washer. You are to support the whole length so that it does not tear any seams, resulting in uneven insulation weight distribution.
Step Seven
Roll the bag carefully into a cylindrical form. This is done to remove the extra water.
Tips to wash a sleeping bag and care for it
Before we delve into the tips you need to know when you are lost on how to wash a sleeping bag, note that some people only wash their sleeping bags when it gets dirty and smelly.
This can mean that they wash it once a year. However, if you use yours regularly, you can practically use sleeping bag liners to keep the bag cleaner for a long while.
These liners come in different fabrics; the most popular are cotton and silk liners. And with using liners, you only have to wash the liners and not the bag.
Here are the tips:
- Aerate the bag often
- The sleeping bags with coatings will easily retain their optimum insulation if they are tuned inside out when you store them.
- Repair all tears before you wash the bag
- Do not wash the bag too frequently
- Before washing, close the Velcro and zippers.
- Do not use fabric softener
- When washing the bags, use special detergent for down sleeping bags and a different one for the synthetic sleeping bags
- Do not wash the bag with your sheets or clothes in the washing machine
- You should rinse the sleeping bag twice if you hand wash it, and you are to hand wash it in your bathtub.
- Avoid twisting the bag to wring it out
- After exhausting the air from your sleeping bag, please leave it to soak for roughly an hour when you hand wash it.
- Your synthetic sleeping bag will dry quickly when air dried, while the down sleeping bag will dry faster with the large tumbler dryer at forty degrees. Do not forget to add a minimum of two tennis balls to the dryer.
- For those who will dry their down sleeping bag outside, ensure you shake it every thirty minutes. It will help in preventing the feathers from getting stuck together
- Finally, ensure you do not expose your sleeping bag to harsh sunlight or high temperatures.
Frequently Asked Questions(FAQs)
You can machine wash most sleeping bags on the market but you should check the cleaning instructions on them first. There are certain steps you need to follow when you wash a sleeping bag with a machine. This ensures that the sleeping bag isn’t damaged or cleaned improperly since sleeping bags are so expensive.
If you can wash a sleeping bag in a washing machine, you can dry it in a dryer. If you want to dry a sleeping bag in a dryer then we recommend you dry it in a front loader instead of a top loader industrial dryer since it is big. Most home dryers are small, and they don’t have enough space to fit one inside it and keep the heat as low as possible and continuously watch it.
You aren’t required to wash a sleeping bag after every use but you should wash it for multiple uses. We recommend that you wash your sleeping bag after about 15 to 20 days of using it. On the other hand, if your sleeping bag smells really bad, you can wash it earlier.
If you wash a sleeping bag, you should also deodorize it so it doesn’t smell when you sleep in it. You can deodorize your sleeping bag multiple ways, such as spraying Febreze or soaking it in an Odor Eliminator and letting it air dry.
Conclusion
We have talked about how to wash a sleeping bag and some tips about washing it. Moreover, we have also told why it is important. Sleeping bags are essential for most outdoor activities such as hiking and camping so you need to take good care of them after you use them.