How to Care For Your Down Jacket

Warm, lightweight, and breathable, down jackets are investment pieces that remain ever popular with urban explorers and remote adventurers alike. After all of that adventuring, comes a time when you start to think your jacket may need a bath. 

The thought of washing your prized investment may seem intimidating. What if it got ruined? What if it clumps up? Would it be fixable? Perhaps I just shouldn’t wash it…

Fear no more! You CAN wash your down jacket. Washing it can help to prolong its performance by getting rid of all of the smells, dirt, and stains.Washing and drying can help to rejuvenate the down by fluffing it back up, and the fluffier it is, the more insulating it is.

Washing

Start by closing all zippers, pockets, cuffs, and flaps. Brush off any visible dirt and turn the garment inside out.

Hand washing

Use a specialised detergent such as the Grangers Down Wash because normal detergents can strip the down of its natural oils. Soak your jacket for up to 60 minutes then rinse by gently squeezing the jacket (don’t wring).

Machine Washing

Front-load machine wash only your garments at 30° C (86°F) using your specialised detergent.

Drying

After washing, gently squeeze (no wringing!) excess water out of the down jacket while laying it down flat. We recommend using a tumble dryer to dry as it rejuvenates the fluff.

Optional:

In the dryer, place two to three Grangers dry balls in with the jacket and set to low heat. Tumble dry for up to two hours for the best results. 

If you don’t have a tumble dry, lay the jacket down to dry (do not hang up). After dry, gently pat the jacket to fluff.

Storing

Store your down jacket hung up with room to stretch out so that it keeps its shape. Keeping your down compressed in a stuff sack for long periods can damage the down and its ability to expand back into shape.

Don’ts

• Don’t use fabric softeners, conditioners, bleaches or stain removers
• Don’t dry clean
• Don’t wring out the jacket
• Don’t hang out to dry vertically as it would cause the fluff to bunch at the bottom of the jacket
• Avoid a top-loader machine as they can be too rough
• Don’t store or use damp
• Don’t store compressed
• Don’t use tennis balls in the dryer, they’re flammable!

Maintenance Tips

• It can take anywhere between 24 to 48 hours for a down jacket to dry out so plan ahead and don’t wash it the night before a big trip.
• You may consider doing a second rinse cycle of your jacket to make sure all detergent has been removed.
• If your jacket has a DWR (durable water repellent) coating, you may want to reproof it using a product such as the Grangers Repel Spray

When in Doubt, Check it Out

For the best result with washing, refer to the garment tags to check for care instructions. You can also refer to the care products for details. 

Here are some down jackets to keep the winter chill away

Shop our range of Vigilante gear

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