Just like any bedding, you want your sleeping bag to be clean and fresh. Sleeping bags, which are made from down or a synthetic-fiber fill, have specific ways of keeping them clean and in good condition.
Instructions
1. Follow the instructions on the sleeping bag or the tag that came with the sleeping bag. The manufacturer knows best about what works for the particular bag.
2. Clean stains and spills off with a sponge when they occur. Pre-treat stains on synthetic-fill sleeping bags before washing.
3. Wash either a down or synthetic fiber sleeping bag by hand or in a large washing machine. Hand-washing is tough because it takes a lot of rinsing to get the soap out.
4. Use a front-loading washer or a commercial washing machine. A sleeping bag can be hard on the machine and vice versa because the machine agitates roughly with a large bulky item.
5. Zip the bag before washing.
6. Wash a down bag in warm water with a mild soap like Woolite or Ivory Snow, not detergent. Do not add bleach or fabric softener. Synthetic-fill bags may be washed with regular laundry detergent, and fabric softener may be used.
7. Process the bag through another wash cycle - without soap - to completely rinse it. Soap residues can cause clumping of the insulation and loss of loft.
8. Handle the bag carefully when wet. Press - don't wring - the water out. Wrap it up in a ball and transfer it to the dryer.
9. Clean a down-filled sleeping bag occasionally to keep it fresh but also to maintain the loft (fluffiness) of the down. Do not dry-clean down bags unless the manufacturer insists on it, as the cleaning solvents can strip the feathers of natural oils.
10. Dry a down bag on very low heat with a clean, rubber-soled athletic shoe or a tennis ball. This fluffs the down and breaks up clumps in the batting. Thoroughly dry the bag before storing, though this may take some time.
11. Dry a synthetic-fill bag on low heat, but it can also be dried outside. Lay it flat to dry.
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