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Sleeping Bags

How often should a sleeping bag be washed?

Basically, you can wash any sleeping bag. Nevertheless, we would recommend washing a sleeping bag as little as possible, i.e. only when it is really dirty. Why? Frequent washing or washing a sleeping bag incorrectly may result in damage to the material, meaning that the sleeping bag will lose its loft. It is not advisable to wash a new sleeping bag. This is not normally necessary and may even lead to the sleeping bag getting its first flaw.

Even if your sleeping bag has small stains or smells musty, this still does not mean it needs a thorough wash. First of all, try getting rid of the stains using a sponge, lukewarm water and a few drops of washing-up liquid.

It helps to hang it out to air on a regular basis, in order to prevent the build-up of any unpleasant odours. Undo the zip of the sleeping bag and hang it out in a dry place as often as possible. Avoid direct sunlight, as the UV rays may damage the material. Hang the sleeping bag on the outside of the tent when you get up in the morning, or hang it over an opened car door.
If you find that you cannot get rid of the stains or odours by these means, then it is advisable to wash the sleeping bag with a special care product. It is generally recommended that sleeping bags are washed after they have been slept in for 50 to 60 nights. If you wear long pyjamas or the sleeping bag has a washable liner (a thin inner sleeping bag) made of ticking, you can delay washing a sleeping bag even longer.

Washing a sleeping bag: synthetic fibre or down?

Coming back to the core question How do I wash my sleeping bag correctly? The answer depends on what kind of sleeping bag you have in the first place: a sleeping bag made from synthetic materials is significantly easier to clean than a down sleeping bag because the material is less delicate. Check the care label inside the sleeping bag first of all. You will then know whether you can put your sleeping bag in the washing machine, what programme you should choose, and the maximum temperature.

Nevertheless, generally speaking you should proceed as follows when washing a sleeping bag made from synthetic materials:

Fasten all buttons, zips and Velcro fastenings.
Check to see whether the sleeping bags has any tears or any other damage and get these repaired before washing it.
Open the drawstrings if necessary.
Turn the sleeping bag inside out. This will keep the outer material in better shape.
The washing machine will need to have a capacity of at least 8 kilos.
Select a programme for delicates and set the temperature at 30 degrees.
Choose a short spin.
Use a mild detergent or a detergent specifically geared towards functional wear.
Do not use a fabric softener or bleach!

The procedure is different for down-filled sleeping bags. Hand-washing is advisable in this case. The easy way to wash a down-filled sleeping bag:

Fasten all buttons, zips and Velcro fastenings.
Check to see whether the sleeping bags has any tears or any other damage and get these repaired before washing it.
Open the drawstrings if necessary.
Turn the sleeping bag inside out. This will keep the outer material in better shape.
Fill the bath with lukewarm water.
Completely immerse the sleeping bag in water until the material has become saturated.
Use a detergent specifically for down-filled products.
Do not use a fabric softener or bleach!
Carefully massage in the detergent. Make sure that you do not knead the sleeping bag too heavily, nor wring it out too much, as you may tear the seams.
Let the sleeping bag soak for between 30 minutes to one hour.
Then let the water drain and rinse the sleeping bag several times until there are no longer any suds from the detergent.
Gently squeeze out the water from the sleeping bag.

Drying a sleeping bag

Open up the sleeping bag and hang it over a clothes horse to dry. Do not hang up the sleeping bag on a washing line. You may damage the outer material and seams! Leave the sleeping bag to dry in the fresh air for several hours at least - better still, leave it to dry for a day. You can then put it in a tumble dryer insofar as it has a capacity for at least eight kilos. Then proceed as follows:

Select a washing programme for delicates.
The temperature should not exceed 40 degrees (read the care label!).
Put three clean tennis balls into the tumble dryer. These will loosen up the filling – especially in down-filled sleeping bags – and will give it back its loft.

Storing a sleeping bag correctly

The following tips on how to store a sleeping bag will ensure that your sleeping bag will last for years.

Only pack your sleeping bag into your stuff sack if it is completely clean and dry.
When you pack your sleeping bag – stuff it in, don’t roll it up! This is more gentle for both synthetic fabrics as well as for down-filled sleeping bags.
Take the sleeping bag out of the stuff sack at home and store it in a bigger bag. The sleeping bag will retain its loft for longer.

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