How to Clean: Military Feather Sleeping Bag

[Faith]

My husband was gifted a sleeping bag tonight for their upcoming winter camping trip (he's a leader with my son's troop.) I was able to get enough info off of the tag to find the following info on it. The directions on how to clean it (it's been in storage for awhile) are in Dutch and mostly rubbed off. 

My question is, does anyone know a good way to clean this without ruining it? My searching online didn't provide much help.

 

Info I found:

C.Q.C Ltd, 58 Webbing, Military Feather Sleeping Bag

KLD.26.4142.11 Lang 1980

Mummy style hood

Waterproof underneath so it can go directly on the ground.

Thanks!

[Eagle94-A1]

It's British.  http://hmvf.co.uk/topic/18314-58-pattern-sleeping-bag/ suggest using a NikWax wash.

 

REI has this advice for down. https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/caring-sleeping-bag.html

 

 

[Faith]

2 minutes ago, Eagle94-A1 said:

It's British.  http://hmvf.co.uk/topic/18314-58-pattern-sleeping-bag/ suggest using a NikWax wash.

 

REI has this advice for down. https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/caring-sleeping-bag.html

 

 

Thanks so much! I did a variety of searches but just couldnt find what I was looking for. Much appreciated.

[Back Pack]

The tennis ball trick works best with six balls or two cans. My bag went from flat to puff ball on tumble with no heat. You must put the bag through several spin cycles to get all the water out though. 

[numbersnerd]

18 hours ago, Back Pack said:

The tennis ball trick works best with six balls or two cans. My bag went from flat to puff ball on tumble with no heat. You must put the bag through several spin cycles to get all the water out though. 

This is how I used to do my surplus Army down bags as well.

Would wash on gentle cycle, can't remember the soap we used, but NO SOFTENER. Then let it spin. Hung on a rack until dry, maybe a couple of days. Only then would I put in the dryer on no-heat tumble with tennis balls. Fluffed right up.

[Back Pack]

17 hours ago, numbersnerd said:

This is how I used to do my surplus Army down bags as well.

Would wash on gentle cycle, can't remember the soap we used, but NO SOFTENER. Then let it spin. Hung on a rack until dry, maybe a couple of days. Only then would I put in the dryer on no-heat tumble with tennis balls. Fluffed right up.

The tech wash mentioned above does a good job of cleaning the down bag. I did mine in the tub with about five gallons of warm water. I rung out the bag gently and let the excess water out. Then put it in the washer for a spin cycle only. Then in to the dryer with 6 tennis balls. Amazing how fluffy it gets and the smell of the tech wash goes away leaving a clean smelling and brand new bag. Did this on e a year and I still have my bag my dad gave me when I crossed over from Webelos. 

[TAHAWK]

I advise soaking in a bath tub with Woolite or similar product.  Slosh  (not Stosh) up and down gently.  Drain in place.  Fill tub and slosh.  Repeat. 

Drain in place well before trying to pick up to hang and damp.  When damp dry, use the tennis ball in dryer trick.  The danger is stressing the stitching when the bag is heavy with water.  I have seen a number of down bags tear apart internally from such stress.  I advisew against washing any sleeping bag in a dasher washer.  I even am worried by front loaders.  

Some companies say their bags are good to go on "gentle" in any machine, but their business is to sell more sleeping bags.

 

The old Coleman company (pre takeover by conglomerate) training course advised against machine washing of sleeping bags or similar, quilted garments.

 

A sleeping bag liner lengthens the period between washing.

I have a 1958 issue USMC bag.  Still fine.  Feathers in the mix smell off when wet. 

[Stosh]

I, too, have never heard of the advisability of washing anything the size of a sleeping bag in a mechanical device.  Bathtub soak, wash, rinse and the carefully dry.  The weight of the water absorbed by the down can cause damage to the bag itself.  Once the vast amount of water is removed, then one can gently finish off in a dryer with old tennis shoes or tennis balls to restore loft.

[Faith]

Alrighty, so, I'm half way through the process after reading over everything above. I put it in our garden tub and hand washed it with woolite. Multiple times. Got all the soap out and left it in place to dry (stretched it out more and more as the water left.) IT. STINKS. lol. It stunk before but stinks even more so now. We will be taking it to the dryer this weekend (gonna use a big one versus my tiny one at home) and gonna do the "check it every 20 min while drying on a gentle, low/no heat cycle" method. We purchased tennis balls to put in it as well.

Hoping I didn't do anything wrong, will the smell eventually fade? It's not a moldy smell. I believe its the same smell TAHAWK mentions above but it has me worried. Should I put any kind of fabric softener sheets in with it or leave it with just the heat?

Thanks again everyone! You've been a huge help with this.

[TAHAWK]

Dryer sheets have helped, I am told.  Since the objective is not to have a garment that absorbs moisture, I cannot see how they would hurt.  An article of down bag care at backpackinglight.com recommends dryer sheets.

 

Wet feathers stink, but it goes away when they are dry - from the experience with my 58 milsurp bag.

[Faith]

2 minutes ago, TAHAWK said:

Dryer sheets have helped, I am told.  Since the objective is not to have a garment that absorbs moisture, I cannot see how they would hurt.  An article of down bag care at backpackinglight.com recommends dryer sheets.

 

Wet feathers stink, but it goes away when they are dry - from the experience with my 58 milsurp bag.

Wonderful, thank you so much. I grew up with down pillows but don't recall them ever stinking or getting wet - just poking me from time to time! I will definitely bring some dryer sheets with me.