Down will only perform well in its natural crystal shaped state. Due to extended use and the exposure to perspiration and other external influences the down will be affected and needs to be revitalized to maintain an optimum performance level. The fabrics creating the shell and lining will also eventually build up dirt or perspiration to a level that also needs washing.

Most down products are designed to be machine washable, but please check the care label for individual instructions.

In general: do not wash your down product too often!

• Dirty?
  
  When the surface of your down product is dirty, just wipe it with a wet wipe or a moist cloth
  
  
• Smelly?
  
  When your down product smells from smoke, tobacco or other strong smells you can often remove it by simply hanging it out in the fresh air overnight
  
  
• Damp?
  
  When your down product is moist or damp, just hang it to dry – but if really wet, then hang it near or on a low level heating source for a while. Alternatively you can use a tumble dryer – follow the instructions in the tumble drying section described in this folder.

You can either choose to wash your down product in a machine or by hand, but when drying you should preferably use a machine tumble dryer, as this is the best and easiest way to regain the full properties of the down

To maintain your down product best possible, down should be stored uncompressed as this is its natural state. Therefore we recommend you to only compress down for shorter periods of time.

During a season of usage, we strongly advise to air it under dry conditions. This will allow for the down to breathe and refresh.

As a basic rule you can wash down products in a washing machine at low temperature (max 30°C). But it is only recommended with side loaded machines – not top loaded. 

1. Empty all pockets and ensure that zippers and buttons are closed 

2. If you have a wash bag we recommend to use it 

3. Place the bag in the machine. It is recommended to wash the product on its own, but you can add a few more similar items, still allowing space for movement in the machine. Do not overfill! 

4. Use a suitable wool or down wash detergent. Never use enzym based detergent for down as this will damage the down beyond repair. 

5. Set the wash cycle to low rotation (down or wool programme) and start the machine. 

6. Once complete, remove the product from the washing machine. Do not be alarmed, that your product now appears to be in a very strange shape. The down has simply joined together and collapsed in its present wet condition. Just pull the product out into its original flat form and lay it out on a table 

Please check the care label of your product first. For some down products tumble drying is not allowed. In this case please refer to the point:„How to dry my down product by hand“

In case tumble drying is allowed:

1. Place the product in a tumble dryer WITH 3 tennisballs. The tennis balls are vital to give sufficient mechanical movement to re-establish the down shape and placement in the chambers. 

2. Set the Tumble dryer program to low heat and low speed (often down or wool program). 

Start with a 30 minute cycle. The process can sound very noisy, you can add a few tea towels to absorb some of this. But do not overfill. The down product must have room to regain its volume. 

3. After this take out the product and evaluate its condition, you can repeat the process as described above until its dry. Only when it is completely dry and fluffy hang the product on a regular coat hanger in a dry location for the down to cool off and relax to regain its optimum state. 

After tumble drying it is recommended to air item(s) – eg on a regular coat hanger – for at least one day in a warm and dry location prior to packing away 

You can also choose to hand wash your down product by following these instructions: 

1. Immerse item(s) in hand-warm water in bowl or bath 

2. Use down or wool detergent and read the product description carefully for correct dosage 

3. Agitate to mix, leave to soak for 5-10 minutes, then agitate thoroughly 

4. Rinse clothing in cold water until water runs clear. For sleeping bags repeat rinsing process, drain and gently press bag to expel water 

5. (in case you have a washing machine) To remove excess water preferably transfer item(s) to a washing machine and run multiple spin cycles, each time incrementally increasing the spin speed 

6. Hang your product in the fresh air and let it dry. Once it's dry use your hands to manually loosen up the compressed down inside. Softly beat on the down chambers until the clumpy down gets loose and spreads nicely within the chamber.
The whole process can take a couple of minutes before you reach the desired outcome. The longer you do it the better the result.

* Heavy filled down sleeping bags (below -2° C) should be professionally treated. In this case please use our Care & Repair service 

As it requires excessive mechanical treatment to unfold the down clusters back to their normal state it is not recommended to dry by hand. Use a machine tumble dryer and follow the instructions in our guidelines or use our Car & Repair Service. If no other choice but to dry by hand the down product needs to be aired as much as possible and the dry down needs to be manually loosened up until it can again equally fill the chambers.

Yes! Have a look at our Care & Repair service.