Re: [at-l] Cleaning Down

[woodelf@juno.com]

Dear Miss POG,
In my opinion, the best way to clean a down bag is in the tub with a good
quality down soap. (The sleeping bag goes in the tub not you.) After the
bag is completely wet gently "pump" the soapy water through the bag with
flat hands. (If you have flat hands.) Let the bag soak awhile and repeat
the process. If it's really bad you may want to do it a few times. Don't
get in a hurry. Do a good job, you don't want to do this often, it's a
pain. Rinsing is time consuming, you must remove as much soap as
possible. First pull the plug and drain the tub, allowing the bag to
drain till water stops flowing freely. Use the shower to rinse the bag,
while gently pressing the bag. After doing this carefully roll the bag
loosely and press the water out. Repeat these steps till you feel all the
soap is gone. Slowly roll the bag, gently pressing as much water out as
you can. Lay the bag on towels for a couple of hours. Put it in a dryer
at very low heat with an old (clean) tennis shoe. Check it regularly!
Remove it promptly and let it cool completely before storage. Takes a
long time but what's the bag worth? Here's another method I have used (a
long time ago it was recommended) but I do not now recommend. Ask your
local dry cleaner to clean it using fresh solvent. It's easy but will
decease the loft in the long run. I wouldn't do it to one of my bags. But
all of this is just my opinion :-)

woodelf
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