How to wash and dry your down jacket
Proper garment care extends the life of your kit. A down jacket is an outdoor essential that can be tricky to wash and dry. Here are our care tips to help you preserve its technical properties for longer.
To care for your down jacket properly, it's important to identify the type of insulation inside. There are two types on the market: animal down, made from goose or duck feathers, and synthetic insulation. At Cimalp, out of respect for animal welfare, we have chosen a synthetic and plant-based fill: Cimaloft® insulation, composed of 37% corn fibres and 63% recycled polyester, found in the Himalayan. This warm, ultra-lightweight synthetic insulation delivers thermal performance equivalent to animal down. It is measured using the CUIN index: Cimalp's insulation has a rating of 850 CUIN, equivalent to goose down. Once you've identified your insulation type, follow these steps to wash and dry your down jacket correctly.
Step 1: preparation
For synthetic down, close all the zips first, then place your down jacket in a laundry bag (optional) before putting it in the washing machine. Select a low-temperature programme: either a synthetic cycle or a 30-degree wash with your usual detergent. You can also use specialist high-performance care and waterproofing products.
Step 2: washing
To preserve the loft of the synthetic fill, we recommend washing your down jacket with other synthetic garments — this helps prevent the fill from clumping in one area. The key is to maintain the loft of the fill, whether it's animal down or synthetic insulation. You can also add dryer balls or tennis balls to the drum during the wash cycle; they bounce against the jacket and help aerate the insulation.
For animal down jackets, which are more delicate to care for and wash, we recommend spot-cleaning the jacket by hand using a damp sponge — this avoids compromising the technical properties of the fill. The post-wash drying phase will also be crucial for preserving the jacket's loft.
Step 3: drying
When the jacket comes out of the washing machine, it can be hung on a hanger or laid flat. Air-drying is ideal, though it takes a little longer and requires turning the garment over several times to dry both the inside and outside. Even if the jacket feels dry to the touch, the insulation may still be damp. To avoid this, pat the jacket firmly each time you turn it over — this also helps redistribute the fill evenly throughout all the baffles.
The other drying option is to use a tumble dryer. However, avoid using too intense a drying programme, as a down jacket remains a delicate item. You can also add tennis balls to the dryer. As with washing, the bouncing action helps preserve the loft of both synthetic and animal fill.
Watch our tips in video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mx9rPG0clOY&t=1s
