How to wash a sleeping bag in the washing machine

washing a sleeping bag Outdoor activities require the use of outdoor gear to the fullest, which means that it will require maintenance very quickly. Dirty sleeping bags should be washed first because they come into direct contact with your clothes and body. Willy-nilly, you will wonder how to wash a sleeping bag, because the usual methods of care are unlikely to work. We’ll talk about how to wash a sleeping bag in this publication.

Ways to care for your sleeping bag

Before you thoughtlessly throw your sleeping bag into the washing machine, inspect it more closely and assess the degree of soiling. The fact is, washing a bag in a washing machine is not a problem, but it is not recommended to do it too often, because then the thing will simply fail. If the sleeping bag is not too dirty, it can be dry cleaned on the outside and wet cleaned on the inside. What are we doing? wash the sleeping bag

The outside of the sleeping bag consists of waterproof fabric that is easy to clean, so first of all, the sleeping bag needs to be dried well.
Next, use a clothes brush to remove all dirt from the outside of the bag. If there are oil stains on the surface of the sleeping bag, apply a little Whitespirit to a cloth and wipe them off.
Turn the sleeping bag inside out. Dip the sponge into soapy water, wring it out and wipe the inside of the fabric. There is no need to wet the bag too much.
We dry the sleeping bag, and then fold it and put it in a dry place until the next camping trip.

For your information! In order for the soap solution to wash away not only the dirt, but also remove the smell, you can add a pinch of dry potassium permanganate to it.

Automatic wash

If the sleeping bag is too dirty to clean, wash it in the washing machine. To wash your sleeping bag correctly, you need to follow some recommendations from experts.

Do not wash your sleeping bag at high temperatures or on intensive cycles. The optimal washing mode is 600 rpm for 40⁰WITH.
Make sure that your washing machine can wash your sleeping bag, that is, the drum capacity and load must be sufficient.
Bags should be washed in the washing machine with the spin cycle turned off.
Do not wash sleeping bags using dry laundry detergent; it will be difficult to rinse out of the fabric.
It is better not to machine wash old sleeping bags with holes; they can only be washed by hand.
The larger the sleeping bag (for example, a winter one), the more carefully it needs to be washed. Bulk sleeping bags with a lot of filling should be in the water for a short period of time, even if the water is cold.

Having remembered these simple recommendations, you can start washing your sleeping bag. Unfold the sleeping bag, turn it inside out, fasten the zipper, roll it up and stuff it into the drum of the washing machine. If you have a semi-automatic top-loading washing machine, be careful, the activators of such machines often cause damage to the fabric of the tent. It may be better not to wash the sleeping bag in such a machine or to wash it by hand. So, a dirty sleeping bag in the washing machine drum, what next?

You need to put detergent in the cuvette. In this case, everything will depend on the fabric and filling of the sleeping bag. If the sleeping bag is synthetic, then any liquid product that does not contain bleach and conditioner is suitable for washing. Well, if the bag is full of down, then he needs to choose a special product.
Close the hatch, set the delicate wash mode in warm water at low speeds without spinning and start the program.
When the washing program is completed, do not rush to remove the sleeping bag from the drum. Let it lie in the drum for 30-40 minutes. During this time, some of the water will drain into the tank, and it will be much lighter.

Important! Do not even try to wring out the sleeping bag automatically or manually. When wet it is easy to damage.

Place the dryer in a well-ventilated place and lay the sleeping bag on it horizontally. position If you are drying your sleeping bag at home, it is better to place rags or newspapers under the dryer, since water will drip and possibly flow from the sleeping bag.
After some time has passed, when the water has drained, place a fan heater near the drying area. With it, the sleeping bag will dry faster. Sometimes go to the dryer and shake the sleeping bag so that the drying filling is distributed evenly, you can do this about a couple of times an hour.

As soon as the sleeping bag is dry, you can consider washing and drying completed. In addition to a sleeping bag, you may need wash the tent in the washing machine and other equipment, read about how to do this in the article of the same name on our website.

Wash by hand

Washing a sleeping bag in a washing machine is, of course, very convenient. No need to plop down in the bathroom with a heavy, water-soaked sleeping bag and tear your navel getting it out. However, you need to understand that only a new, strong sleeping bag is suitable for automatic washing. If your camping equipment is “a hundred years old”, then the ribs of the drum of an automatic washing machine will simply finish it off.There is only one thing left to do - wash by hand! But how to do it correctly.

We straighten the sleeping bag, turn it inside out and fasten it.
Fill the bath with cool water.
Add a little special detergent for washing sleeping bags.
We put the sleeping bag in the bathroom.
We climb into the bathroom and begin to stomp on the sleeping bag with our feet for 10-15 minutes, this must be done carefully.
Next, grab the sleeping bag with your hands and gently shake it in the bathroom for 10-15 minutes.
Release the soapy water from the bathtub without removing the bag, and then draw in clean water to rinse. Swing the sleeping bag in clean water for a while, then release the water and fill it with clean water again.

For your information! The sleeping bag needs to be rinsed very well to remove any residual detergent, so you will have to fill the bathroom with clean water more than once or twice.

After rinsing the sleeping bag, drain the water from the bathtub and spread the sleeping bag over it, but do not take it out just yet. Let the sleeping bag lie in the bathroom for about 40 minutes so that some of the water drains from it.
Next, dry the sleeping bag according to the recommendations described above.

Facilities

When describing washing a sleeping bag, we mentioned the products that need to be used to care for it. Let's talk about these tools in more detail and do a short review. So, what do we need to care for our sleeping bag?

Salton Sport. A liquid product intended for hand or machine washing of sleeping bags, jackets, and overalls made with natural down. Sold in 250 ml bottles, average price $2.
Cotico. A special Russian-made liquid gel designed for washing a wide variety of sportswear and equipment, including sleeping bags.Suitable for neoprene, lycra, membrane fabrics, but completely unsuitable for products with down filling. Can be purchased in 1000 ml bottles, average cost $3.
Toko Eco Down Wash. A special impregnation designed for washing duvets and sleeping bags. The spray is applied to the product immediately before washing, and during washing it is washed away along with the dirt. Supplied in 250 ml bottles, price $4.
Heitmann Spezial Wasche. A very good gel for washing sportswear, tents, and sleeping bags with synthetic filling. Not suitable for down filling. The product washes well and does not contain harmful chemicals. Made in Germany. Average price $4 for 250 ml.

In conclusion, we note that almost any sleeping bag can be washed well, the main thing is to know how to wash it and what to wash it with. If you do everything correctly, your sleeping bag will be clean again and will serve you on many more hiking trips. Good luck!