- Downcare
- The Cluster
- The Importance of Clean Down
- The Down Allergy Myth
- How to Clean Your Down
- ALLIED Down Wash
Downcare
Washing down is not unlike washing our hair. Learn more about why here.
With proper care, your down product can last a lifetime. It is a lot easier to care for your down product than many people think. All that it takes is the proper detergent and a little patience. The below will help navigate you through the what, why and how of down care.
Please always follow all care instructions on the garment as there may be trim that requires special handling.
The Cluster
The down cluster itself is a Beta Keratin which is a protein extremely similar to the composition of our hair.
The down cluster itself is a Beta Keratin which is a protein extremely similar to the composition of our hair. As such, much the same care is needed with down as we do with our hair. Too much oil or dirt or anything else and it goes flat and potentially clumpy.
Like our hair, there are essential fats and oils that are essential to retain resiliency and loft. When we process material, we look to retain a very precise amount of these while achieving an extremely clean product. This is why the composition of the detergent itself is extremely important.
Think of our ALLIED DOWN WASH like shampoo for your down jacket.
Harsh chemicals and overprocessing can cause it to become brittle and damaged.
Additives like bleach or other harsh chemicals in most laundry detergents might be able to get your product clean quickly, but can strip the down of those fats and oils necessary for the performance and durability of the product.
You would never use your hand soap for your hair, why would you use a regular detergent for your down?
The Importance of Clean Down
In a world of fast fashion, your down jacket is one item that can last a lifetime.
Clean down is able to retain more warmth, has better loft, better compression, will look and feel better, and leads a longer functioning life cycle. Taking proper care and regularly cleaning your down will keep it performing as well as the day you bought it.
The Down Allergy Myth
Many people can have reactions to down products, but almost exclusively what they are reacting to is not the down protein itself, but allergens contained in unclean down.
Even if the product is new, the down inside could have come from a source that has not successfully cleaned the insulation.
How to Clean Your Down
It is actually quite easy to clean your down product.
The two biggest things you can do to damage the down inside a garment is to use harsh detergents, and to not dry completely. While we always suggest following the recommended washing instructions on the garment, the following is generally the best way to wash your down product.
It is critical to start with a detergent specifically created for down products, like our ALLIED DOWN WASH, which can be purchased here.
This helps to saturate the items allowing the detergent to penetrate the fabrics more effectively and get to the down clusters to clean them thoroughly.
There is a greater likelihood that the fabrics will require a lower temperature than the down itself. This also saves energy when it is not needed.
This will ensure that all detergent was completely rinsed out of the down and the product. Leaving residual detergent on the down may cause a reduction in fill power.
If you think the item is dry, it is worth running one last dry cycle. Many people assume it is dry by the feel of the textile, but the down inside remains slightly damp. This may take several cycles. It is not possible to over-dry in a home laundry machine, and is always better to err on the side of dry with down insulation.
It may be obvious, but do not bleach or iron your down filled products.
We also generally recommend against dry cleaning, but if that is necessary because of certain trims on the item, it is recommended to use an eco-friendly dry cleaner who has experience with down filled products.