A sleeping bag is a blessing for travelers who love camping on the river bank or in the jungle. You might be one of them and looking for the best cleaning process for your sleeping bag. The sleeping bag keeps the warm air around your body and keeps you warm at low temperatures.
You might need to wash it and remove the dirt & stains from it. But the process will be different from other clothes & regular bags.
Sleeping bag in the washer & dryer:
You can put a sleeping bag in the washer & dryer. You should gently wash the sleeping bag in your washer with regular detergent and then put it into the dryer because the industry-based sleeping bags are compatible with the washer & dryer. And it can withstand high heat.
Nylon, polyester & taffeta are the three most used fabrics that manufacturers use to make sleeping bags. Although they are not suitable for machine washing, some will have temperature and machine washing capabilities. You should read the guidelines if you want the 100% washer-friendly sleeping bag.
The washing machine or the washer is not suited for all materials since it treats everything with a general cleaning role. But some materials are so sensitive that you cannot put them into your washer. If you use the washer, it will damage the skin of your sleeping bag and might damage the quality.
On the other hand, the dryer is also not applicable for all materials. You cannot dry the plastic and similar materials with your dryer because the dryer produces high heat to dry your clothes within a few minutes. If you forcefully remove the unbearable sleeping bag, it will damage the fabrics.
When you plan to put your sleeping bag into the dryer & washer, you must go through the manufacturer’s requirements. Some bags might come with a handwashing option, and they don’t allow you to use the washer or put them into the washer.
Moreover, the sleeping bag might ask you to dry it under direct sunlight.
Down sleeping bag:
The down sleeping bag is a high-quality sleeping backpack for travelers, and you can get the best insulation from this sleeping bag. However, it is well-suited for the low temperature where you need to get warmth through the sleeping bag.
However, you can put the down sleeping bag in the washer & dryer without damaging its skin. But the temperature should be less than 30° for getting the damaged sleeping bag. If your dryer or washing machine gets more temperature, your sleeping bag will be damaged.
Synthetic sleeping bag:
It’s recommended not to put your synthetic sleeping bag in the washer & dryer. But you will find some high-quality synthetic bags compatible with the laundry machine.
If you buy any of them, you should carefully put them into the washer & dryer. It will take several hours to be cleaned and dry in the machine.
You should keep the temperature as low as possible while using the washer & dryer. If you make any mistake and the temperature increases, it will severely damage your synthetic sleeping bag. So, it’s better not to use any washer & dryer, and use your hand & direct sunlight instead.
How to clean your sleeping bag properly in the washer and dryer?
You can clean your sleeping bag properly in the washer & dryer with proper care. You must follow some steps to safely clean & dry the sleeping bag without damaging the skin.
Prepare the Sleeping Bag:
Before putting the sleeping bag into the washer, you must prepare your bag. Here, the preparation must include removing everything from the bag.
Then, keep your sleeping bag at room temperature to avoid unintentional damage. After half an hour, your sleeping bag will be ready to be washed.
Put into Washer:
You need to put your sleeping bag into the washer, but you cannot use the regular detergent since it might damage the shiny finish and skin of your sleeping bag.
You must use down care kit detergent to safely wash your sleeping bag. Besides, you should put some cleaning balls.
Run the Washer & Lower Temperature:
You cannot use any old model washing machine that doesn’t have the temperature controlling feature because the normal washing machine increases the temperature by more than 30°.
Still, to wash the sleeping bag, you must keep it below 30.
Once you start the washer, you should keep the temperature below that temperature and slowly clean your sleeping bag. You can’t make any mistake here since it will directly damage the sleeping bag materials and finish.
Rinse & Dry:
When you finish washing your sleeping bag for a long time, you should stop your washer. Then, remove the sleeping bag and smoothly rinse it to get rid of the extra water. You cannot rinse it like regular clothes since it will destroy the bag structure.
Once you rinse the sleeping bag, you can put it into the dryer. But the temperature must be below 30° unless the manufacturer allows you to use high heat. Still, you may follow the rule to keep lowering your temperature and drying it for two hours.
Can you to wash a sleeping bag in top loader and how?
You cannot use a top loader to wash your sleeping bag because the top loader will damage the stitching and make you a mess. So, avoid the top loader and use the front-loading-washer. It will keep your sleeping bag safe and allow you to wash & deep clean your sleeping bag.
If you make any mistake using the top loader, you must pay for it. When you use the front-loader washer, you must use a suitable detergent. Before that, you must remove the old dust and detergent. Then, keep the temperature as low as possible.
That’s how you can use a front-loader washer to wash your sleeping bag. If unclear, you may go through the guidelines and wash your sleeping bag safely.
Dos and don’ts for cleaning sleeping bags:
There are some dos & don’ts for cleaning your sleeping bag. You must keep them in your mind and then use your dryer.
Dos:
Here are some things you can do while cleaning your sleeping bag.
Use Washer & Dryer:
You can use the washer & dryer safely for cleaning and drying your sleeping bag. In that case, you must follow some strict rules and safely use these appliances.
Deep Clean:
You can deep clean your sleeping bag through the washer & dryer. But you must keep patience and slowly wash & dry your sleeping bag. But the process will be rigorous, and you must have patience for that.
Can Remove Stains & String Dirt:
You can remove the stains & string dirt from your sleeping bag. It’s also a big do’s for you.
Dont’s:
There is a list of things you can’t do to clean your sleeping bag.
Don’t Increase the Heat:
You cannot increase the heat of your washer & dryer above 30. It will damage the bag’s skin and will damage the stitch too. So, first, you must keep your machine temperature as low as possible.
Don’t Put Synthetic Sleeping Bag:
You cannot put the synthetic sleeping bag in the washer & dryer since this material is very sensitive. If you put this bag in the dryer and forget to decrease the temperature, you will get a damaged sleeping bag.
Don’t Use Regular Detergent:
You cannot use regular detergent to clean your sleeping bag since it will damage your bag skin and ruin the structure. Some special down detergents can be used instead of the regular harsh detergent.
Alternative of machine washing a sleeping bag:
Hand washing & direct sunlight are the best alternatives to machine washing a sleeping bag. You will get the safest result from hand washing your sleeping bag since the bag material is sensitive.
You can use your bath soap and slowly wash your sleeping bag accordingly. It will not increase the temperature either.
Moreover, hand washing allows you to clean and wash the sleeping bag with normal & freshwater. You will know how much water you need to clean that water, and you can easily avoid the hit water. Another good side of hand washing would be the drying time & method.
You can use the direct sunlight and allow your sleeping bag to dry slowly. It will take some hours to rinse & dry out the water, but the process will be effective and won’t damage the sleeping bag.
Final thoughts
Although you can put the sleeping bag in the washer & dryer, you must maintain a low temperature for it. It will only allow you to use some specific sleeping bag. You cannot put the synthetic sleeping bag in your washer & dryer since it will damage the synthetic material.