How to wash a down jacket

Washing a down jacket – a short guide

1. Empty the pockets & close the zippers

It is a good idea to turn the jacket inside out, or use a laundry bag. If your washing machine has a program called “delicate” or similar, the jacket can be washed directly in the machine, and washing it right-side out usually works. If the jacket has many loose or sewn-on parts/details, it is a good idea to wash it inside out.

2. Use the right detergent

Liquid detergent for down or delicate laundry. Or simply use All-purpose detergent from Soapa and solve all your laundry detergent problems.

Soapa all-purpose detergent contains no enzymes and therefore does not damage natural materials such as down, wool, or silk.

Soapa all-purpose detergent automatically makes textiles soft WITHOUT fabric softener.

3. Treat stains

Treat stains with Soapa; there is also a stain remover with instructions on the back. The most important thing is that it is a rich, superfat soap. 
Warm water + Soapa + sponge or brush. Go over all the stains and work on them with Soapa and a sponge. Try to treat the outer fabric rather than the down inside. It’s difficult, but try to lift and work on the fabric so that the down inside doesn’t become unnecessarily compressed and wet.


This jacket was difficult to photograph in the December darkness, but it was dirty. It was evenly dirty across the entire garment, but especially at the cuffs, collar, and pockets. Variations in color in the photos are due to the lighting and the fact that they were not taken on the same day.

- Wash separately

Follow the care instructions. It is often 30–40 °C, on a gentle/delicate cycle.



- Dry in a tumble dryer

Low heat + 2–3 clean tennis balls (or dryer balls).
This is important because the down needs a tumble dryer to “fluff up” again. You won’t be able to achieve a satisfactory result by air-drying. It also takes a long time, and the jacket may even develop mold in the meantime.
Tumble-dry!

- Be patient

Dry for a long time. Pause and shake the jacket from time to time until it is completely dry and fluffy. 
Shake thoroughly to distribute the down evenly in all the sections so that it regains its shape.

The color of this jacket and the fact that it wasn’t extremely dirty make it difficult to capture in photos, but if you look closely, you can see that the black edges in the seams and cuffs are gone.

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Important to remember

1. Down that isn’t completely dry → smells and loses its shape, and may even develop mold in the worst case.

2. Does it feel heavy? → it isn’t dry yet

3. Air-drying doesn’t work,  it takes a very long time

4. Detergent with enzymes breaks down and destroys down.


Order natural cleaning products here: Soapa