The first cold mornings arrive and the down jacket comes out of the wardrobe, often with stains from last winter and a filling that has lost its loft. Plenty of people take it to the dry cleaner's, but knowing how to wash a down jacket at home saves money and isn't complicated: you can do it in an ordinary washing machine. It comes down to three things: the right detergent, a gentle programme and thorough drying. Here's the whole process, step by step.
Before you start: check the label and prep the jacket
- Read the care label. The washtub symbol with a 30 means wash at 30 °C maximum. If the tub is crossed out, it's dry clean only. A square with a crossed-out circle means it can't go in the tumble dryer.
- Make sure it's actually down. Jackets with synthetic filling are easier to wash and don't need a special detergent, although they don't tolerate high temperatures or a fast spin either.
- Empty the pockets, close zips and Velcro, and remove the fur trim from the hood if it detaches. An open zip can tear the outer fabric, which is usually very thin.
- Pre-treat stains. Cuffs, collar and pocket edges: rub them gently with a soft brush and a little down wash or mild soap.
- Turn it inside out. Washed inside out, the outer fabric wears less.
How to wash a down jacket in the washing machine, step by step
- Wash it on its own. Wet down is heavy and needs room in the drum to move.
- Use a detergent made for down. Powder detergent leaves residue that makes the filling clump, and harsh detergents strip out the natural oils that keep down springy. No fabric softener and no bleach.
- Choose the delicates, wool or down programme, at 30 °C or whatever temperature the label says.
- Add an extra rinse. Leftover detergent is the most common cause of down clumps and marks on the fabric.
- Spin at 600–800 rpm. A faster spin puts needless strain on the seams and fabric; a slower one leaves so much water inside that drying drags on for days.
Drying a down jacket: this is where it all happens
When it comes out of the machine, the filling looks like a mass of wet, flattened balls. That's normal. So is the wet-feather smell, which disappears once the jacket is completely dry.
- In a tumble dryer (if the label allows it): low heat and two or three clean tennis balls or dryer balls in the drum. They knock against the jacket and break up the clumps. Every half hour, take it out, give it a shake and check there are no damp clumps left inside. It usually takes two to three hours.
- Without a dryer: lay it flat on a clothes airer or hang it on a wide hanger in a warm, well-ventilated room. Every few hours, shake it and pull the clumps of down apart with your fingers. It takes between a day and a half and two days.
- Don't put it on the radiator. The fabric overheats in spots and the filling dries unevenly: dry outside, damp inside. Put the airer near the radiator instead, not on it.
Drying clothes indoors raises the humidity, so air the room while the jacket dries; if you already struggle with condensation, read our guide on how to get rid of damp at home. The jacket is dry when the filling in every baffle feels light and loose. If you still find a hard clump, keep drying: stored damp, it will smell musty and the down can go mouldy.
Mistakes that leave a down jacket clumpy
- Fabric softener. It coats the down, so the jacket keeps you less warm.
- Too much detergent. More doesn't clean better; the excess stays in the filling.
- Washing it with jeans or towels. Heavy items flatten the down, and buttons and rivets can tear the fabric.
- Washing it too often. Once a season is enough, twice at most. Small stains are better spot-cleaned with a cloth. And if it's just covered in dog or cat hair, there's no need to wash it at all: a quick pass with a reusable pet hair remover does the job.
- Rushing the drying. A down jacket that only seems dry will smell musty after a week in the wardrobe.
What about washing it by hand?
If the label rules out the washing machine, fill the bath with lukewarm water (around 30 °C), dissolve the down wash and submerge the jacket. Press it gently for a few minutes, without rubbing or wringing. Then rinse it in clean water until no more suds appear and squeeze the water out by rolling it up. Dry it exactly as described above.
Storing it at the end of the season
In spring, wash it before putting it away: otherwise dirt and sweat work their way into the fabric over the summer. Store it on a hanger or loosely folded in a breathable fabric bag. Vacuum bags for months on end aren't a good idea: down that stays compressed for a long time takes longer to regain its loft.